Co-pilot Lubitz is thought to have intentionally crashed the Germanwings airliner into a French mountainside, killing himself and his 149 passengers, and fresh evidence uncovered during a search of his home shows that he was suffering from a medical condition, write William Boston and Andrea Thomas for the Wall Street Journal.
Medical notes point to concealed condition
No evidence was discovered of a political or religious motive for his apparent decision to down the plane, nor was there a suicide note. Medical notes discovered in the apartment show that Lubitz had been excused from work for a period of time which included the day of the Germanwings crash.
Prosecutors in Düsseldorf say that sickness notes were found torn up, supporting the view that he concealed his condition from his employer.
Germany’s Federal Aviation Office confirmed that the pilot needed regular medical checks, due to a condition detailed on his medical certificate. A spokesman could not tell the press whether the condition was mental or physical.
French prosecutors believe that Lubitz crashed the Germanwings plane on purpose after locking the captain out of the cockpit, however his motives for doing so remain unclear. His employer Lufthansa claim that they were not aware of any reason for him to have done so, and those who saw Lubitz recently said that he did not appear unduly burdened.
German media reports psychological issues
Reports surfaced in the German media that Lubitz had been suffering from a psychological condition, but the police refused to comment. Lubitz did take a break in his pilots training after it began in 2008, but Lufthansa said it had “no indication of burnout” or any other psychological issues.
“We don’t have the physical and mental health files of our people. Those are with doctors,” said a Lufthansa spokesman. “We have only the formal view that somebody fulfilled the needed requirements.”
Lubitz was “without a doubt a credible person with a clean background,” the spokesman continued, before stating that Lufthansa would now consider the possibility of updating its screening procedures.
Neighbors claimed to have seen the former Germanwings co-pilot on the street in his uniform, and one that he was a “very shy” man. The mystery around his motives for allegedly causing the Germanwings crash remains, and a supposed psychological condition remains a rumor as things stand.
