Thread: Germanwings plane crashes in southern France, 148 feared dead: officials

Marseille prosecutor says co-pilot put plane into a dive

The co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings A320 “voluntarily” put the aircraft into a dive and was alive until the moment of impact, the Marseilles prosecutor said citing a transcript of the last 30 minutes of the cockpit voice recorder.

The first 20 minutes of conversation between the pilot and co-pilot was amicable, then the co-pilot took over when the pilot left to make a “natural call”.

At this point, the co-pilot accelerated the plane’s descent using the keys of the monitoring system. The prosecutor described it as a “voluntary” action.

In the remaining 10 minutes there are a number of appeals by the pilot to get access to the cockpit but there was no access, the prosecutor said. The pilot knocks on the door but there is not response. There is the sound of breathing from the co-pilot until impact.

''http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/mar/26/germanwings-plane-crash-investigation-press-conference-live-updates-4u9525

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

I cannot find any report as to the nationality or religion of the pilots. Given the recent disclosure this may well be germane.

Andreas Günter Lubitz . . .

German , probably Protestant as he is from Rheinland Pfalz.

Pretty sure the Press will get onto this and tell the world the Co-pilot was speaking

Allahu Akbar until impact

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

Pretty sure the Press will get onto this and tell the world the Co-pilot was speaking

Allahu Akbar until impact

To be sure.
If not amongst the press corps, the general public and officialdom - the expected fashion these days.

Less we forget about the very European radical groups that exist today, calling for change and a history of instigating terror in one form or another.

Apparently only the US mandates 2 people in the cockpit at all times. I'm guessing that will change worldwide in short order.
Not surer if it would have made a difference though, assuming a Hostie was in the cockpit, what could she have done?
If she tried anything the co pilot could have just put the plane into a terminal dive?

Maybe its time to remove the security door .
More chance of overpowering someone if a few passengers help remove an errant pilot or passenger trying to bring a plane down.

shocked into speechlessness.
All family and friends of the victims have my sympathy.
Pure tragic.

Originally Posted by klong toey

Maybe its time to remove the security door .

Alternatively we could all learn to fly and take it in turns to pilot the plane.

BBC World Service - World Update, How Can a Pilot Get Locked Out of the Cockpit?


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32063587

The co-pilot of the Germanwings plane that crashed into the French Alps on Tuesday appeared to want to "destroy the plane", French officials said.
Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the "black box" voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit.
He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out.
Mr Robin said there was "absolute silence in the cockpit" as the pilot fought to re-enter it.
Air traffic controllers made repeated attempts to contact the aircraft, but to no avail, he said.
Passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added.
The co-pilot, now named as Andreas Lubitz, 28, was alive until the final impact, the prosecutor said.
Follow the latest developments on our live page
The Airbus 320 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf hit a mountain, killing all 144 passengers and six crew, after an eight-minute descent.
"We hear the pilot ask the co-pilot to take control of the plane and we hear at the same time the sound of a seat moving backwards and the sound of a door closing," Mr Robin told reporters.
Graphic
He said the pilot had probably gone to the toilet.
"At that moment, the co-pilot is controlling the plane by himself. While he is alone, the co-pilot presses the buttons of the flight monitoring system to put into action the descent of the aeroplane.
"This action on the altitude controls can only be deliberate."
He added: "The most plausible interpretation is that the co-pilot through a voluntary act had refused to open the cabin door to let the captain in. He pushed the button to trigger the aircraft to lose altitude. He operated this button for a reason we don't know yet, but it appears that the reason was to destroy this plane."
He said the co-pilot was "not known by us" to have any links to extremism or terrorism.
But he said German authorities were expected to give further information on his background and private life later.
Passengers were not aware of the impending crash "until very last moment" when screams could be heard, Mr Robin said, adding that they died instantly.
Meanwhile, relatives and friends of the victims are due to visit the area of the crash.
Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings, arranged two special flights for families and friends on Thursday - one from Barcelona and one from Duesseldorf - to Marseille, and both groups will travel on by road. Separately, some relatives who did not want to fly are travelling by bus from Barcelona.
The second "black box" - that records flight data - has still not been found.
Grey line
Other incidents thought to be caused by deliberate pilot action
29 November 2013: A flight between Mozambique and Angola crashed in Namibia, killing 33 people. Initial investigation results suggested the accident was deliberately carried out by the captain shortly after the first officer (also known as the co-pilot) had left the flight deck.
31 October 1999: An EgyptAir Boeing 767 went into a rapid descent 30 minutes after taking off from New York, killing 217 people. An investigation suggested that the crash was caused deliberately by the relief first officer but the evidence was not conclusive.
19 December 1997: More than 100 people were killed when a Boeing 737 travelling from Indonesia to Singapore crashed. The pilot - suffering from "multiple work-related difficulties" - was suspected of switching off the flight recorders and intentionally putting the plane into a dive.

A top man of Lufthansa is speaking live on TV. He confirmes that it was the Co-Pilot to present knowledge.

The man is close to tears and losing his self control. He just cannot understand and he was a pilot himself.

Originally Posted by klong toey

Maybe its time to remove the security door .
More chance of overpowering someone if a few passengers help remove an errant pilot or passenger trying to bring a plane down.

You are probably right; apart from many pilots disliking the idea of being locked in the cockpit it does seem people are more likely to fight back these days as indicated by one or two incidents although I do not remember them specifically.

Originally Posted by can123

Originally Posted by klong toey

Maybe its time to remove the security door .

Alternatively we could all learn to fly and take it in turns to pilot the plane.

Going to check my travel insurance if death by pilot isn't covered i think parachuting is.
Life jacket under the seat,i can swim but need help flying.

Originally Posted by Takeovers

There is no policy of Lufthansa or any european airline to have a second person in the cockpit at any time. There was no known deviation of protocols.

The speaker is CEO of Lufthansa.

He would not call running a plane with 150 persons on board into the ground suicide. His personal opinion, not a legal one.

Nonetheless, if one wishes to end their life, why take random innocents with you?

Apparently, the co-pilot was an average German family man with a tempered character and work history.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Nonetheless, if one wishes to end their life, why take random innocents with you?

Apparently, the co-pilot was an average German family man with a tempered character and work history.

You have answered your own question.

Tin foil hat time, me thinks. Hypnosis?

They've been showing a pic of the co pilot in San Franciso, he looks gay although this hasn't been mentioned, maybe if this is the case it was the self loathing that made him commit suicide bit harsh to take another 150 with you though.

Originally Posted by buriramboy

They've been showing a pic of the co pilot in San Franciso, he looks gay although this hasn't been mentioned, maybe if this is the case it was the self loathing that made him commit suicide bit harsh to take another 150 with you though.

....and what does a gay look like?

Here he is ....

Originally Posted by buriramboy

They've been showing a pic of the co pilot in San Franciso, he looks gay although this hasn't been mentioned, maybe if this is the case it was the self loathing that made him commit suicide bit harsh to take another 150 with you though.

Forgot to login as 'Blue' again, eh?

Originally Posted by buriramboy

They've been showing a pic of the co pilot in San Franciso, he looks gay although this hasn't been mentioned, maybe if this is the case it was the self loathing that made him commit suicide bit harsh to take another 150 with you though.

He was heard breathing.

Breathing hard? Extreme snuff addict?

Originally Posted by ENT

He was heard breathing.

Breathing hard? Extreme snuff addict?

It was explicitly said breathing normally. Indicating no heavy stress, no health problems. He was calm and controlled.

i'm keeping my opinions to myself
but
according to the rag the daily mail, in an otherwise uninspired article

Before training as a pilot, Lubitz worked as cabin crew with Lufthansa.

Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was 'on suicide mission' parents learn | Daily Mail Online

Originally Posted by blue

Before training as a pilot, Lubitz worked as cabin crew with Lufthansa.

No. When he had finished training as a pilot he was not immediately hired as pilot but did some intermediate time as cabin crew, which is not unusual for Lufthansa or German Wings.

Jeez so now gays are self loathing and Kamikaze pilots.