Alps crash pilot had suicidal tendencies before getting licence
Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who deliberately crashed the Germanwings Airbus into the French Alps, was in therapy for suicidal tendencies before getting his pilot’s licence, Germany’s state prosecutor has said.
Lubitz, 27, was being treated by a psychotherapist said Christoph Kumpa.
Mr Kumpa added: “He being treated by psychotherapist for what is documented as being suicidal tendencies at that time.”
He said there had also been several visits to doctors right up until the time of the crash, but these did not involve suicidal tendencies.
Dusseldorf prosecutors said that Andreas Lubitz received psychotherapy “with a note about suicidal tendencies” for several years before becoming a pilot.
No suicide note “or anything like that” was found in searches of Lubitz’s German residences, Mr Kumpa said.
There was also nothing in his personal, family or professional background to provide any hints “about his motivation”, Mr Kumpa added.
He also said that Lubitz had not been suffering from any “medical illness”.
Black-box cockpit voice recorder evidence has indicated that Lubitz deliberately put the Airbus A320 aircraft into a descent after locking out the captain and refusing to let him back again.
All 150 people were killed in the subsequent crash last Tuesday.
