Germanwings Crash: ‘Depressed’ Andreas Lubitz Was ‘Unsuitable For Flying’

Further details about Andreas Lubitz — the man accused of crashing a Germanwings aircraft into the Alps on Tuesday killing 150 passengers — have emerged, and it has been seen suggested that he was “unsuitable for flying.”

The 28-year-old co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 4U9525 allegedly locked his captain out of the cockpit after he had gone to the toilet. At this point, Lubitz is then believed to have purposefully descended the plane towards the Alps while the captain tried to break down the door to re-enter the cockpit.

German newspaper Bild, via the Mirror, have now reported that Lubitz had previously been classed as “unsuitable for flying” during his training at Lufthansa’s flying school. Bild went on to reveal that Lubitz was treated for a “serious depressive episode” over an 18-month period during his training.

Bild have insisted that they’ve gained their information from Lufthansa sources and internal documents, which have been passed on to investigators looking into the crash.

An insider told Bild, “During his training at Lufthansa Flight School, Andreas L was listed as unsuitable for the flight duties because he spent one and a half years in psychological treatment and so he had to repeat courses. The reason was evidently depression.”

Germany’s Federal Aviation Office have also confirmed that there was a note on Lubitz’s file that declared he needed a “specific regular medical examination.” However, they refused to reveal whether that was due to a mental or physical issue.

Despite these issues, Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa, who own Germanwings, has insisted that Lubitz had passed all of the necessary requirements to fly and that he was “100% fit to fly without restrictions.”

“He took a break in his training six years ago,” Spohr confirmed. “Then he did the tests, technical and psychological, again. And he was deemed 100% fit to fly without restrictions. I am not able to state the reasons why he took the break. He passed all medical exams. After he was cleared again, he resumed training. He passed all the subsequent tests and checks with flying colours. His flying abilities were flawless.”

During an extensive search of Lubitz’s home in Dusseldorf and the Mantabaur home of his parents, police are believed to have made a significant discovery.

Dusseldorf Police’s Markus Niesczery confirmed, “We wanted to search to see if we could find something that would explain what happened. We have found something which now [will] be taken for tests. We cannot say what it is at the moment but it may be a very significant clue to what has happened.”

The Guardian reported that investigators found a “torn-up sick note” in Lubitz’s home.

[Image via Maduradas]