Captain Patrick Sondheimer decided to visit the restroom and asked his co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz to take over so he may step out. The trust between pilot and co-pilot is usually very strong, and Sondheimer felt confident to leave the cockpit. Minutes later, all hell broke loose, and now the black box is revealing chilling details leading to the final moments of the ill-fated Germanwings Flight 4U 9525, which was crashed into the French Alps, claiming the lives of all 150 passengers aboard.
On Tuesday, March 24, 150 people boarded Flight 9525 in Barcelona, and looked forward to a safe trip to Düsseldorf. The flight experienced a slight 20 minute delay, but nothing urgent was reported during the delay, per officials.
The flight was only in the air for 30 minutes when a rapid descent was noted by concerned air-traffic controllers, who issued a distress signal and then another. No response given. At 10:40 a.m. local time, the air-traffic center lost contact with Flight 9525 - less than 90 minutes later, news of the crashed Airbus was reported by new agencies across the world. What happened on the Germanwings flight? How did a plane that just recently departed and reached 38,000 feet suffer a rapid descent leading to the tragic crash?
Officials arrived at the scene, where a high-ranking official called the crash site a “picture of horror.” There, they found the cockpit voice recorder box, and hoped to understand what happened in the final moments.
On the box, officials could hear Lubitz’s ragged breathing, but no response as the captain is heard banging on the door, demanding the co-pilot open the door. A code typically used to override a locked cockpit failed, because Lubitz reportedly engaged a double lock inside of the cockpit. Marseille Prosecutor Brice Robin spoke at a press conference, and said the steps indicate deliberate actions conducted by Lubitz.
Per Robin, the captain turned on autopilot before leaving the cockpit for a presumed bathroom break. The dial for the control is a manual operation, and while it will lower the altitude, anything further would require someone to “deliberately turn it.”
The prosecutor grimly reported the dial would need to be turned “many times to descend.”
As the plane underwent the rapid descent, foreign media outlets are reporting Sondheimer demanded Lubitz open the cockpit door several times, including screaming “open the damn door!” There was never an answer from Lubitz, and officials said seconds before the crash, the helpless cries of passengers were heard, and then the tragic ending.
There is speculation that Lubitz suffered from depression and may have been prescribed anti-depressants. Some sources are reporting the co-pilot suffered worsening eyesight - either from a physical or mental degradation.
The investigation into the crash will be a long road ahead as officials try to piece together what happened before, during and after the crash. The airliner will also face scrunity to determine why Lubitz was flying, and to what degree are they screening pilots. They are also reviewing Lubitz’s history in detail.
The families of the passengers and pilot are being remembered, as relatives and friends struggle with the details of the crash. 16 parents and guardians are grieving over the loss of their children, as students from the Joseph-König school in Haltern am See were returning from an exchange program in Spain. Officials report two babies and an unnamed opera star also perished in the crash.
U.S. officials said there does not seem to be a link of terrorism to the crash, and acknowledged three Americans were on the plane. Two of the three were a mother and daughter from Virginia, the third has not been identified at this time.
This tragic story is not over. The investigation will be long, hard and painful. Viral Global News extends their deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of all affected by this tragedy. We will follow this story as information is released.
