A French prosecutor says a Germanwings co-pilot appears to have crashed the plane deliberately and refused to talk before the crash. Sky News
Disaster ... debris of the crashed Germanwings passenger jet is scattered on the mountain side near Seyne-less-Alpes, French Alps. Picture: AP Photo/Fabrice Balsamo, Gendarmerie Nationale Source: AFP
- Prosecutor says copilot Andreas Lubitz, 28, deliberately crashed plane
- Lubitz locked pilot Patrick Sonderheimer out of cockpit before initiating descent
- Prosecutors have ruled out terrorism
- Airline says 'copilot's actions leave us speechless'
- It may take more than a week to retrieve bodies from the Alps
THE Germanwings copilot locked the captain out of the cockpit and "deliberately" crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing all 150 on-board, the French prosecutor said.
The copilot, named as 28-year-old Andreas Lubitz, appeared to "show a desire to want to destroy" the plane, Marseille Prosecutor Brice Robin said.
"The copilot was alone at the controls," said Mr Robin, presenting information gathered from the "black box" recorder that records sounds and conversations from the cockpit.
"He ... refused to open the door of the cockpit to the pilot and deliberately began the descent of the plane."
Mr Robin added: "The intention was to destroy the plane. Death was instant."
The screams of passengers could be heard at the end of the audio.
Copilot ... the Germanwings copilot has been identified as 28-year-old Andreas Lubitz of Montabaur, Germany. Picture: Twitter Source: Supplied
Lubitz was identified as a German citizen who was not known to have any links to terrorism or extremists, Mr Robin said, adding that German authorities were expected to provide additional information on his background and private life later this week.
The pilot has been identified as German father-of-two, Patrick Sonderheimer, who had more than 6000 hours of flying time and been a Germanwings pilot since May 2014.
Mr Robin could not say why the pilot left or why he could not get back in but apparently was attempting to smash the door down as it plunged from cruising height of 38,000ft to the crash moment eight minutes later.
He said the copilot turned the "flight monitoring system" button to initiate the plane's descent and spoke "not a single word" during the last 10 minutes before the plane crashed.
The passengers were unaware of their imminent demise "until very last moment" and "died instantly", the prosecutor said.
He said screams could be heard on the recordings only in the final seconds.
Authorities ... Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin (centre) and General David Galtier (right) announce their investigation findings. Picture: AFP/Franck Pennant Source: AFP
The recording showed that the pilot and copilot talked normally and "courteously" for the first 20 minutes of the flight after it took off from Barcelona.
Mr Robin said the pilot could be heard pushing his chair back before going to use the bathroom.
"Then we hear the pilot ask the copilot to take the controls and a seat being pulled back and a door closing. We can assume he left to answer nature's call," Mr Robin said.
"The copilot is left alone at the controls. We hear several calls from the pilot asking for entry into the cockpit. There is no response from the copilot."
CVR ... the Cockpit Voice Recorder (black box) of the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed in the French Alps. Picture: AFP/France's Bureau of Investigation and Analysis Source: AFP
CVR ... the Cockpit Voice Recorder (black box) of the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed in the French Alps. Picture: AFP/France's Bureau of Investigation and Analysis Source: AFP
Mr Robin said there were "normal" breathing sounds from Lubitz throughout the rest of the flight that indicated he was conscious.
Lubitz said nothing during the final descent, which lasted about 10 minutes.
"Absolute silence inside the cockpit. Nothing, no word during the last 10 minutes," Mr Robin said.
Copilot's home ... media swarmed the home of Germanwings copilot Andreas Lubitz in Montabaur, Germany. Picture: AFP/Patrik Stollarz Source: AFP
Home ... police keep media away from the house where Andreas Lubitz lived in Montabaur, Germany. Picture: AP Photo/Michael Probst Source: AP
Air traffic controllers tried to contact the plane in the last few minutes before the crash, but received no reply from the cockpit.
Mr Robin said there is no indication this was an act of terrorism but stopped short of declaring it a suicide, adding that it was a "legitimate" question to ask.
Authorities are likely to treat the crash as a mass murder investigation.
Mr Robin confirmed only one black box recorder had been found but they had 32 minutes of the one found and analysed.
Passengers on the ill-fated Germanwings plane only realised something was wrong in the final few minutes, a French prosecutor says. Sky News
French investigators concluded the copilot had refused to open the cabin door and actioned the button for making the descent, as opposed to it being a mechanical autopilot action.
"This was a voluntary choice to destroy this plane … we ask the German authorities to ask more about the German pilot, his family and his environment," he said.
Germanwings tweeted a response to the shocking revelations: "We are shaken by the upsetting statements of the French authorities."
Mr Robin said the task to recover bodies from the Alps could take more than a week.
Lufthansa chief executive, Carsten Spohr, the parent company of Germanwings, said he was "stunned" by suggestions Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane during a press conference following Mr Robin's startling announcement.
"It leaves us absolutely speechless," he said. "I wouldn't not have been able to imagine that the situation would have got even worse."
He said the pilot did nothing wrong by leaving the cockpit, adding that European regulations don't require that a second crew member be in the cockpit if the pilot leaves.
"What has happened here is a tragic individual event," he said. "We are trying to deal with an enigma."
Mr Spohr said he has confidence in the screening and training of Lufthansa and Germanwings pilots, but they will need to be re-examined.
Press conference ... Germanwings CEO Thomas Winkelmann (right) and Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr arrive for a press conference in Cologne, western Germany. Picture: AFP/Roberto Pfeil Source: AFP
Asked whether the copilot killed himself, he said: "We can only speculate what might have been the motivation of the copilot. In a company that prides itself on its safety record, this is a shock. We select cockpit personnel carefully."
He said Lubitz had passed all psychological tests required to begin training and underwent regular physical examinations.
Lufthansa confirmed that since the September 11, 2001, hijacked aircraft terror attacks, cockpit doors cannot be opened from the outside. If a pilot leaves the cockpit it is standard practice a cabin crew member steps in to leave two people in the cockpit at all times.
Comment ... Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr faces the media. Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images Source: Getty Images
Last night's announcement came as 12 bus loads of relatives of the victims, including three buses with Spanish relatives, arrived at Le Vernet, the village closest to the crash site.
There they signed condolence books and said prayers in a small makeshift chapel attached to a resort complex. They walked across a field with a heavy gendarme escort as officials pointed out the immediate mountain behind which the wreckage of the aircraft is scattered.
Grieving ... students mourn in front of the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium secondary school in Haltern am See, western Germany, after 16 students died in the Germanwings plane disaster. Picture: AFP/Sascha Schuermann Source: AFP
The visit came as authorities began collecting the remains of the victims and taking them via helicopter to a makeshift base nearby for later identification. Mr Robin said the chain of identification had begun now.
Yesterday the New York Times was the first to report one of the pilots was not in command when the aircraft went down.
Although the black box flight retrieved from the wreckage did not make it clear why he left and could not regain entry as the Airbus A320 aircraft steadily descended.
Relatives of the Germanwings plane crash victims leave Spain for France where they are expected to inspect the crash site. Julie Noce reports.
French aviation officials gave an extensive briefing of the latest facts yesterday about finding "usable sounds and voices" on the flight recorder but made no mention of this stunning claim.
"The guy outside is knocking lightly on the door and there is no answer," an unnamed investigator told the Times, citing the recordings. "And then he hits the door stronger and no answer. There is never an answer."
"You can hear he is trying to smash the door down," the investigator added.
Rescue mission ... rescue workers continue their search operation into a third day near the site of the Germanwings plane crash. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Source: Getty Images
A spokesman for Lufthansa, whose budget arm Germanwings operated the flight, yesterday said the carrier was aware of the Times story, adding: "We have no information from the authorities that confirms this report and we are seeking more information. We will not take part in speculation on the causes of the crash."
Germanwings meanwhile said it had cancelled one flight on Wednesday and was using 11 planes from other carriers for about 40 flights after some of its crew members had refused to fly.
Recovery effort ... rescue workers are seen looking for the wreckage from the crashed Germanwings flight in the southern French Alps. Picture: AP Photo via French Interior Ministry Source: AP
Crash site ... rescue workers sort through the debris at the plane crash site near Seyne-less-Alpes, France. Picture: AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani Source: AP
The development came as the leaders of Germany, France and Spain made first-hand inspections of the investigation operations at the foothills of the crash site and from the air for the first time since the aircraft inexplicably crashed on Tuesday.
It also came as authorities made the first grim retrievals of bodies from the crash site.
Search teams ... rescuers prepare to board an helicopter of the French Gendarmerie on an air base in Seyne-less-Alpes, French Alps. Picture: AFP/Bpris Horvat Source: AFP
Parent company Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr described the crash as incomprehensible and said Lufthansa has never lost a plane during the cruise stage of flight.
"This represents the darkest hours in the 60-year history of our Lufthansa group. We are still in a state of shock," he said after the crash.
France's leader Hollande, Germany's Angela Merkel and Mariano Rajoy from Spain personally thanked search teams and met residents in the villages of Le Vernet and Seyne-less-Alpes, where the salvaging operations have been set up.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr announced that a special flight has been organised to bring the relatives and friends of the Airbus A320 victims to an assistance centre near the crash site, at a press conference in Barcelona, on Wednesday. The flight will depart from Barcelona going to Marseille at 8:45 (07.45 GMT) on Thursday morning and, upon their arrival, French authorities will assist the families and friends. Spohr was optimistic on finding the reason behind the crash through the analysis of the data recorders, saying he is very sure the cause will be identified once both data recorders have been retrieved. Flight 4U 9525 crashed in the French Alps while en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf on Tuesday March 24. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the aircraft has been brought to the French Air Investigation Bureau (BEA), however, officials are still searching for the black box which should contain flight data.
Lufthansa has also arranged for two flights to leave from Spain and Germany today to take family members of the victims of the crash to southern France.
"This will have the support of the French authorities who will be able to bring the relatives and friends of the victims to a family assistance centre near the crash site which is still locked off and will remain locked off," Mr Spohr said.
He added: "I just returned from meeting the relatives and friends of those who lost their lives yesterday and this meeting is hard to describe in words, it was very, very emotional for all of us."
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