Second ‘Black Box’ Shows Germanwings Crash Co-Pilot Sped Up Descent Of Plane
French investigators Friday are confirming Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed Flight 9525 in the French Alps. The data from a second black box recovered at the crash site on Thursday shows Lubitz sped up decent of the plane before the fatal crash, say investigators.
According to France 24, BEA’s aviation investigators issued a statement Friday, indicating Andreas Lubitz, 27, put the plane on automatic pilot, but increased the speed of the plane’s descent several times before the plane smashed into the mountains.
“A first reading shows that the pilot in the cockpit used the automatic pilot to put the airplane on a descent towards an altitude of 100 feet. Then several times the pilot modified the automatic pilot settings to increase the speed of the airplane as it descended.”
All of the 150 people on board the flight were killed instantly.
Investigators found the second black box, which gathers information such as speed and altitude, in a blackened state. However, investigators maintain the box is still usable and officials are still reviewing data from the second box as it can possibly yield more information.
As reported by Inquisitr on Thursday, in the weeks leading up to the crash, Lubitz researched suicide methods and cockpit door security. A law enforcement officer told CNN Thursday that Lubitz was concerned he would lose his license to fly due to his mental health issues. The 27-year-old had battled depression for years and hid from his employer that doctors had declared him unfit to work. The official also alleged that in the weeks leading up to the Germanwings crash, Lubitz had been doctor shopping and saw at least five, if not six, doctors in his efforts to seek help. Although he had been prescribed medication, investigators are certain whether he was taking it.
German prosecutors have stated the contents of Lubitz’s medical records from prior to his receiving his flying license refer to suicidal tendencies. According to USA Today, Lufthansa, Germanwings’ parent company, knew Lubitz had a depressive episode in 2009 before finishing flight training. However, investigators tell CNN the co-pilot relapsed in 2014 with severe depression and stress.
Data from the second black box adds further evidence that the 27-year-old co-pilot deliberately crashed Flight 9525, say investigators. Data retrieved from the first black box, which captured conversations in the cockpit, confirmed Lubitz locked the pilot out of the cockpit, as the pilot is heard shouting and banging on the door for almost 10 minutes before the crash.
[Image by Getty Images]
