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Friday 27 March 2015

Killer Alps Pilot Lubitz, Depressed And Was In 'Love Split' Before He Deliberately Crashed Plane Killing 150 - German Police Make 'Significant Discovery' At His Apartment

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Pilot Andreas Lubitz (left) might have been suffering a 'personal crisis' at the time of the fatal Germanwings crash, it was claimed last night. Reports from Germany suggested the 28-year-old was struggling to cope after a failed relationship when he deliberately ploughed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps, killing his 149 passengers. The theory emerged just hours after police investigating the disaster announced they had made a 'significant discovery' during a four-hour search of Lubitz's flat. Officers refused to reveal details of the potential breakthrough but insisted it was not a suicide note. Yesterday, Lubitz's boss admitted he had slipped through the 'safety net' and should never have been flying. Right, German detectives remove computer equipment from Lubitz's family home in a small town north of Frankfurt.


Pilot Andreas Lubitz might have been suffering a 'personal crisis' at the time of the fatal Germanwings crash, it was claimed last night.
Reports from Germany suggested the 28-year-old was struggling to cope after a failed relationship when he deliberately ploughed the Airbus A320 into the mountainside, killing his 149 passengers.
The theory emerged just hours after police investigating the disaster announced they had made a 'significant discovery' during a four-hour search of Lubitz's flat, which he is said to have shared with a girlfriend.
Officers refused to reveal details of the potential breakthrough but insisted it was not a suicide note. 
Yesterday, Lubitz's boss admitted he had slipped through the ‘safety net’ and should never have been flying.
It was also revealed that the fitness fanatic had suffered from depression and ‘burnout’ which had held up his career.
But, incredibly, he passed all his psychological assessments and was considered fit to fly. 
Prosecutors revealed chilling recordings from the doomed aircraft showing that piano teacher’s son Lubitz locked his captain out of the cockpit so he could crash the plane into an alpine ravine.
In audio files extracted from the plane's cockpit voice recorder - discovered on Wednesday at the remote crash site - the captain was heard growing increasingly distressed as he tried to force his way back into the flight deck.
Prosecutors said the screams of passengers aware of their fate could be heard in the final seconds.
In a blunt admission, Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa which owns the budget airline, admitted Lubitz had slipped through the safety net with devastating consequences.
‘The pilot had passed all his tests, all his medical exams,’ he said. ‘He was 100 per cent fit to fly without any restrictions. 
'We have at Lufthansa, a reporting system where crew can report – without being punished – their own problems, or they can report about the problems of others without any kind of punishment. 
'All the safety nets we are all so proud of here have not worked in this case.’
Yesterday, as repercussions of Tuesday’s tragedy sent shockwaves through the airline industry:
  • Airlines across Europe reviewed safety rules and insisted that no pilot should be left alone in the cockpit;
  • Police urgently probed the background of Lubitz amid rumours that his personal life was seriously troubled;
  • Detectives said they had made a ‘significant discovery’ during a four-hour search of his flat, but insisted it was not a suicide note.
Last night police raided Lubitz’s family home in a small town north of Frankfurt and an apartment in Dusseldorf, taking away a computer, laptop and other files. Lubitz is understood to have split his time between the two addresses.
A police spokesman said: ‘We wanted to search to see if we could find something that would explain what happened.
'We have found something which will now be taken for tests. We cannot say what it is at the moment but it may be very significant clue to what has happened. We hope it may give some explanations.' 
Airline chiefs confirmed Lubitz, who won an award for ‘outstanding’ aviation skills and dubbed himself ‘Flying Andy’, took several months off work in 2008 and had to retrain to join Germanwings.  
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Slipped through the net: Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had suffered from depression and ‘burnout’ which had held up his career
Slipped through the net: Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had suffered from depression and ‘burnout’ which had held up his career
Potential breakthrough: Detectives carry boxes from Lubitz's apartment on the outskirts of Dusseldorf. It emerged that a 'significant discovery' had been made at the address, but police would not give further detail
Potential breakthrough: German detectives carry evidence boxes from the 28-year-old's apartment on the outskirts of Dusseldorf on Thursday
Potential breakthrough: German detectives carry evidence boxes from the 28-year-old's apartment on the outskirts of Dusseldorf on Thursday
Police said they had 'found something' that would now be taken for tests, adding it may be a 'clue' as to what happened to the doomed jet
Police said they had 'found something' that would now be taken for tests, adding it may be a 'clue' as to what happened to the doomed jet
German detectives were also pictured carrying computer equipment from Lubitz's family home in a small town north of Frankfurt
German detectives were also pictured carrying computer equipment from Lubitz's family home in a small town north of Frankfurt

AIRLINES INTRODUCE BANS ON PILOTS BEING LEFT ALONE IN COCKPIT

A string of airlines last night introduced emergency rules to prevent pilots ever being left alone in the cockpit.
In an attempt to prevent a repetition of the Germanwings disaster, a senior crew member will stay on the flight deck if one of the pilots is not there.
The Civil Aviation Authority urged airlines to review their rules to avoid the pilot or co-pilot being alone at the controls.
Flybe, easyJet, Emirates, Thomas Cook, Norwegian Air and Virgin Atlantic all said they would make this company policy.
The CAA ‘advises’ another staff member should stand in if one of the pilots has to leave to get a drink or go to the toilet.
But until now, one person was deemed sufficient and having a second person at all times was ‘voluntary’. However, the latest tragedy will heap pressure on airlines that do not follow the advice. 
A CAA statement said: ‘Following the details that have emerged regarding the tragic Germanwings incident, we are co-ordinating closely with colleagues at the European Aviation Safety Agency and have contacted all UK operators to require them to review all relevant procedures.’
The authority added that it had made the change ‘in the light of the latest developments in France’ that revealed the pilot of flight 9525 was locked out of the cockpit.
While the CAA said the switch will remain voluntary, an industry insider said: ‘There is some industry chatter about the policy becoming mandatory.’
Budget carrier easyJet was one of the first to announce the change. A spokesman said: ‘easyJet can confirm that, with effect from March 27, it will change its procedure which will mean that two crew members will be in the cockpit at all times.’ A crew member will temporarily enter the cockpit if the pilot or co-pilot needs the toilet.
Tour operator Thomas Cook said: ‘We are adapting our procedures to ensure there will always be two people in the cockpit.’
Ryanair, Flybe, Monarch and Jet2, which flies from the Midlands, the North and Scotland, said they already had policies to ensure two crew are in the cockpit at all times.
Monarch’s spokesman added: ‘We also have an “eyes-on” rule requiring cabin crew to enter the cockpit during the cruising stage to check on the pilot and co-pilot.’
BMI Regional declined to comment, while a British Airways spokesman said: ‘It’s not something we’re going to get drawn into. It’s not that we’ve not decided; we’re choosing not to comment.’ The airline said it classed cockpit seating as a security issue and never discussed such matters.
Virgin Atlantic said having two people on the flight deck at all times was ‘common practice’ but it is now ‘formalising’ this.
But while most airlines have rushed to comply with the CAA advice, pilots’ union Balpa accused the authority of ‘jumping to a solution’ that could ‘create different risks’.
Lufthansa, parent company of Germanwings, was also undecided last night. A spokesman said: ‘So far, no decision has been taken to change the procedure … but we will look into it. So far, we trust our procedure.’
Flying with two people constantly in the cockpit is standard practice in the US. Long-haul flights usually have more than two crew on board who are capable of flying the plane.


Via- Dailymail


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