​​Crazy Pilot

On March 24, 2015, a Germanwings Airbus A320-211 was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. There were 144 passengers and 6 crew members on board.

About 30 minutes after takeoff, while the aircraft was flying over the Alps, the captain left the cockpit to use the lavatory. However, he was unable to get back in because the cockpit door had been locked. He began knocking and calling out to the first officer, but there was no response.

At that point, the aircraft began to descend. The captain then tried to force the door open. However, he was unsuccessful, because after 9/11 these doors had been specially reinforced to prevent unauthorized access to the cockpit. The aircraft continued descending, while the first officer remained silent, ignoring both the captain’s shouts and the air traffic controllers’ calls.

Ten minutes after the descent began, at an altitude of 2,000 meters, the Airbus crashed into the mountains and was destroyed. Everyone on board was killed. The crash occurred on French territory, and the French authorities led the investigation.

Investigators were able to reconstruct the sequence of events thanks to the recordings from the flight recorders. They could hear the captain trying to get into the cockpit, the passengers’ screams, and the breathing of the first officer. This indicated that he was conscious and acting deliberately.

Investigators focused on the background of the first officer, Andreas Lubitz. He was 27 years old at the time of the crash. He had been serving as an Airbus A320 first officer for less than a year, since June 26, 2014. His total flight time was 919 hours. Investigators found no suicide note either at his home or on his computer. However, his browser history contained numerous searches about methods of suicide and about the design of the cockpit door.

In 2008, Lubitz suspended his training at flight school after being diagnosed with severe depression. He later returned after his condition improved. In December 2014, Lubitz was involved in a car accident, after which he developed problems with his vision and spine. Because of his psychological condition and these injuries, he was being treated by doctors, including psychiatrists. However, he concealed his health problems from the airline. At the same time, he told doctors that he had been grounded during treatment and dreamed of returning to flying as soon as possible.

Lubitz suffered from insomnia. He was also tormented by the fear that he would soon go blind and that this could lead to the loss of his pilot’s license. In an attempt to deal with his worsening eyesight, he visited more than 40 doctors. Before his final flight, Andreas wrote a note outlining three possible courses of action: “find the inner strength to work and keep living,” “fight stress and insomnia,” and “let myself go,” ending with the words, “I will decide on Sunday.” The flight number was also written on the paper.

As a result of the investigation, recommendations were issued to aviation authorities worldwide to introduce new rules for the regular screening of pilots and to require doctors to report immediately if a pilot’s mental health could pose a threat to public safety. In addition, aviation authorities in Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and Germany introduced new rules requiring the constant presence of two people in the cockpit throughout the flight. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency also recommended that similar rules be adopted by all airlines.

Andreas Lubitz was buried in secret. His grave does not bear his full name, only the shortened form - Andy.