Germanwings Airbus crash 24 March #1

[gregjrichards]

If this is Europe time then its in 35 minutes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/world/europe/germanwings-crash-andreas-lubitz.html?_r=0

Prosecutors in Düsseldorf planned to hold a news conference around 12 p.m. to provide an update on their investigation.

Thank you SophieRose for this information it is much appreciated.

 

[Elley Mae]

Bingo, Elley......bingo!

Honestly it would not surprise me to hear that this was his goal from the beginning of pilot training. jmo

 

[Lyra500]

This is an article about relatives visiting accident sights.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32071094

It does appear that those relatives and friends who want to may be taken closer to the crash site, although one would assume not to the part where the recovery work is still being done.

The relatives will reportedly travel as a group to a point near the disaster in the mountainous terrain. Part of the crash site will remain closed off to everyone except the investigators and emergency workers tasked with clearing the area up.

 

[Sonya610]

If this is Europe time then its in 35 minutes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/world/europe/germanwings-crash-andreas-lubitz.html?_r=0

Prosecutors in Düsseldorf planned to hold a news conference around 12 p.m. to provide an update on their investigation.

Britain is 5 hours, I believe Germany is 6 from the East Coast.

I am finding articles that appear to be a recent press conference but all in Deutch.

 

[Elley Mae]

snippets

The paper claimed that Lubitz had been designated as "not suitable for flying" by his instructors at Lufthansa's training school in Arizona around the time that he halted his pursuit of a pilot's license in 2009.

The report added that investigators were examining whether Lubitz was suffering from a "personal life crisis", including the possibility that there were problems in his relationship with his girlfriend.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/0...-co-pilot-homes-as-questions-surround-mental/

 

[gregjrichards]

Britain is 5 hours, I believe German is 6 from the East Coast.

I am finding articles in German that appear to be a recent press conference but all in Deutch.

At the moment the UK is four hours ahead of New York time the clocks go forward an hour this weekend.

 

[SophieRose]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...ckpit-of-plane-downed-in-france-10134724.html

One friend claimed Mr Lubitz became increasingly withdrawn over the past year.
"Flying was his life," the anonymous person told Reuters. "He always used to be a quiet companion, but in the last year that got worse."

 

[they'll get you]

MOST TRUSTED PROFESSIONS.

1. Firefighters
1. Paramedics
3. Rescue volunteers
4. Nurses
5. Pilots
6. Doctors
7. Pharmacists
8. Veterinarians
9. Air traffic controllers
10. Farmers


http://www.readersdigest.com.au/most-trusted-professions-2013

 

[Gin]

Hmmm ... then maybe Australia does not have the dob-in-a-mate reporting yet, as the person who stated this is the chairman of Strategic Aviation Solutions, analyst Neil Hansford, in my country.

Emirates, do you know if we have specific confidential reporting on pilot colleagues who are having issues?

Seems that we don't have a few things ... like 2 people in the cockpit at all times. Bit of a worry. :scared:

JMO-Dunno. I did a cursory search and came up with this: http://panaircrew.org/
They are supported by Quantas.

Also, this article: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/bus...ssure-passengers/story-e6frg95x-1227281148087

"Pilots also have access to confidential counselling services and safety reporting channels.
A Qantas spokesman said safety was a top priority at the airline."

 

[SouthAussie]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...ckpit-of-plane-downed-in-france-10134724.html

One friend claimed Mr Lubitz became increasingly withdrawn over the past year.
"Flying was his life," the anonymous person told Reuters. "He always used to be a quiet companion, but in the last year that got worse."

It is a concern to hear that flying was his life, when he was only flying for about 35 hours a month. That would only be a couple of short 4-hour shifts each week. What did he do with the rest of his time? Maybe spent some time at the glider flying club? It left a lot of time for living inside his own head.

 

[SophieRose]

Germanwings orders 'get ready to be surprised' adverts be removed from London Underground stations hours after crash

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...ound-stations-hours-after-crash-10138230.html

A spokeswoman for Transport for London (TfL) said Germanwings asked for the adverts to be removed on Tuesday just hours after news of the disaster in the French Alps broke.

The adverts feature an air stewardess standing next to the Germanwings logo and the slogan: “Get ready to be surprised. Visit Germany.”

 

[catatonia]

Wow, had to catch up on more than 15 pages. Thank you for all your input, thoughts and research!

If terrorists knew there was a way to gain entry into the cockpit I'm sure they would once again use this method. There would be nothing stopping them from putting a weapon to the throat of a child for instance and insisting somebody give the code. Right now they cannot gain entry. IMO it's the best we got. I fear a Terrorist more than an unstable Pilot/Co-Pilot. Thankfully it's rare. Very rare. That's all i got. Sadly.

But wouldn't this scenario also apply if both pilots were in the cockpit while some terrorist (assumed they manage to smuggle a weapon on board) wants to get into it, as the crew -IIRC- also knows the code!?

I wonder if it's possible he was on medication but didn't take it, maybe a mood stabilizer of some sort?

I am also wondering if he may have been on meds which made him (pure speculation) schizophrenic or triggered suicical thoughts as a side effect? It's a double-edges sword with some antidepressants, not everyone responses well or as expected to them. He could have had some sort of mental blackout when the pilot left the cockpit, giving in to voices telling him to crash the plane, but with the little information officially confirmed, I think all one can do is speculate.

None of this stuff about depression, relationship problems, whatever helps to explain why he chose to kill the 149 people on board. It could be something like notoriety, but there has to be some other reason he chose this method to go out by. These other problems might be triggers, but triggered what, is the question for me.

But there's better ways of staging a suicide to look like an accident, also without killing 149 other people. He could have gone up on a solo flight in a small aircraft. Surely he knew the extent of investigation into such a crash and how hard it would be to cover up.

I do not think that his intention was to stage anything at all but rather to make a statement (to whomever).

 

[Ellmau]

BBC currently saying it wasn't a suicide note.

 

[Ellmau]

BBC quotes Dutch Telegraph says the mountain Lubitz crashed into was one where he liked to go gliding.

 

[fabvab]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...ckpit-of-plane-downed-in-france-10134724.html

One friend claimed Mr Lubitz became increasingly withdrawn over the past year.
"Flying was his life," the anonymous person told Reuters. "He always used to be a quiet companion, but in the last year that got worse."

I wondered also if his depression worsened after spending a great deal of his youth dreaming/planning to become a pilot...maybe he expected to be more than a co-pilot flying these smaller planes and it wasn't happening.

 

[SouthAussie]

A European aviation medical specialist on TV says that he would see a pilot with depression about once a year. More often he would see pilots who were struggling with sleep issues, stress issues.

He did say that he thought pilots with mild depression would be able to continue flying. Serious depression would mean grounding.

He feels that airlines need to put more resources into doctor services for pilots – that the facility is not accessed enough.

 

[Sonya610]

The adverts feature an air stewardess standing next to the Germanwings logo and the slogan: “Get ready to be surprised. Visit Germany.”

I realize it is in bad taste to find humor in this....but that advert is morbidly hilarious.

I wonder if they will end up changing the GermanWings name. If anyone recalls, ValuJet changed their name to Airtran after the crash in a Florida swamp that supposedly lead to passengers being eaten by alligators.

 

[Isabelle]

Possible the piece of paper found could be glassine paper?

 

[Hatfield]

Maybe he knew that on a two hour flight, that there was a possibility the FO would have to go to the restroom? Saw him drink coffee that morning or the FO had a standing behavior with co-pilots like "he always takes the plane up to cruising level, discusses the landing, puts it on cruise and uses the restroom"? Maybe he wanted to do this on his last flight and the FO didn't take a break? Or the one before that..

Can't wait for the significant evidence to be released, pdq. His involvement came out asap. (NYT)

It is interesting to wonder how he got the captain out of the cockpit. Maybe he knew of some switch or setting he could throw in the cockpit that would force the captain to go reset a breaker just outside the cabin?

Its a question for someone who may know this airplaine. Is there some switch or something he knew about that would force the captain to leave the cockpit to reset a breaker or something?

 

[Sonya610]

Its a question for someone who may know this airplaine. Is there some switch or something he knew about that would force the captain to leave the cockpit to reset a breaker or something?

Several articles say the captain went to use the bathroom.

If he did slip the captain something (like visine in his coffee) to bring on an illness that would explain why they were chatting normally during the beginning of the flight and then they got quiet as the captain started to feel sick.