Staff Writer
Germanwings
flight 9525, an Airbus A320 commercial aircraft, crashed into the French Alps
on March 24, killing all 150 people on board. The copilot of the aircraft is
believed to have caused the crash deliberately by modifying the autopilot
settings to take the aircraft to an altitude lower than that of the incoming
mountains.
Investigators
have found evidence that 27-year-old copilot Andreas Lubitz may have been
suffering from mental health issues. Antidepressant pills were discovered in
his apartment and a search of his medical records uncovered a history of
depression dating back to 2009. Torn up medical notes were also found in his
trash bins, including one excusing him from duty the day of his fatal crash.
Cockpit
voice recorder data recovered from the aircraft’s black box reveals that Lubitz
waited for the captain to leave to go to the bathroom before beginning the
fatal decent. Lubitz is heard several times urging the captain to use the
lavatory during the flight. As soon as the captain exited the cockpit Lubitz
locked the door and activated an emergency override that prevented the captain
from opening the door with his personal access key. The altitude setting on the autopilot was
changed from 36,000 feet to just 100 feet. During the rapid descent, the
captain can be heard begging Lubitz to open the door. Loud, rhythmic crashes
are also registered on the voice recorder as the captain, crew, and several
passengers attempt to smash down the door with blunt objects. In the moments
just before impact, a metallic crash is heard as a wing of the aircraft scrapes
a mountainside, followed by the screaming of passengers in the cabin.
Lufthansa,
Germanwings’ parent company, has reached out to the families of the victims to
offer their condolences and is expected to soon announce a settlement for the
damages caused by the crash.
