MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, December 22nd 2024 - 11:47 UTC

 

 

Germanwings pilot was under medical treatment but hid his condition

Saturday, March 28th 2015 - 09:37 UTC
Full article 10 comments
Reports in German media suggested that Lubitz had suffered from depression in the past, and that his employer would have been aware of his history. Reports in German media suggested that Lubitz had suffered from depression in the past, and that his employer would have been aware of his history.

The pilot who crashed a plane in the French Alps had received a sick note from doctors showing he suffered a health condition that would have prevented him flying the day of the crash, which he apparently hid from his employer, German prosecutors said.

 French prosecutors believe Andreas Lubitz, 27, locked himself alone in the cockpit of the Germanwings Airbus A320 on Tuesday and deliberately steered it into a mountain, killing all 150 people on board.

“Documents with medical contents were confiscated that point towards an existing illness and corresponding treatment by doctors,” said the prosecutors' office in Duesseldorf, where the co-pilot lived and where the doomed flight from Barcelona was heading.

“The fact there are sick notes saying he was unable to work, among other things, that were found torn up, which were recent and even from the day of the crime, support the assumption based on the preliminary examination that the deceased hid his illness from his employer and his professional colleagues,” the German prosecutors said.

The documents were found in searches of Lubitz's homes in Duesseldorf and in the town of Montabaur in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Reports in German media suggested that Lubitz had suffered from depression in the past, and that his employer would have been aware of his history.

Germany's Bild newspaper reported on Friday that Lubitz had suffered from depression during a period when he broke off his training six years ago. It said he spent over a year in psychiatric treatment. This time apparently he also had problems with his girlfriend.

Lufthansa, parent company of Germanwings, has acknowledged that Lubitz had broken off his training in 2009 but says there was nothing in the pilot's background to suggest he was a risk

Categories: Politics, International.

Top Comments

Disclaimer & comment rules
  • Stevie

    Terrorist!
    Like all white people of dubious religion.

    Much like the Muslims, really...l

    Mar 28th, 2015 - 11:43 am 0
  • Conqueror

    Dimwit!
    Like all brainwashed latams lacking honesty, morality, respect.

    Much like arab muslims. Larcenous, mendacious, necrophiliac, psychotic. The world needs a 'cure' for latam. How does one go about 'eliminating' a disease? Biological, chemical, radiological 'cures'?

    Mar 28th, 2015 - 04:17 pm 0
  • ChrisR

    This is a very difficult problem to tackle with any certainty.

    In the UK the police checking on firearms applications / renewals are empowered by the applicant to check with their doctor over any concerns to the suitability of possessing lethal weapons.

    I suppose the answer could be found by a similar requirement for pilots, BUT consider the argie pilots, how could we tell: they all lie and steal - they have to if they want to keep their money from the “government” of thieves.

    As for Muslim pilots the problem is obvious.

    Only one thing for it: pilotless airplanes.

    Mar 28th, 2015 - 05:18 pm 0
Read all comments

Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!