The theory emerged just hours after police investigating the disaster announced they had made a 'significant discovery' during a four-hour search of Lubitz's flat, which he is said to have shared with a girlfriend. Officers refused to reveal details of the potential breakthrough but insisted it was not a suicide note.
It was also revealed that the fitness fanatic had suffered from depression and ‘burnout’ which had held up his career. But, incredibly, he passed all his psychological assessments and was considered fit to fly.
In a blunt admission, Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa which owns the budget airline, admitted Lubitz had slipped through the safety net with devastating consequences.
‘The pilot had passed all his tests, all his medical exams,’ he said. ‘He was 100 per cent fit to fly without any restrictions. We have at Lufthansa, a reporting system where crew can report – without being punished – their own problems, or they can report about the problems of others without any kind of punishment. All the safety nets we are all so proud of here have not worked in this case.’
Yesterday, as repercussions of Tuesday’s tragedy sent shockwaves through the airline industry:
- Airlines across Europe reviewed safety rules and insisted that no pilot should be left alone in the cockpit;
- Police urgently probed the background of Lubitz amid rumours that his personal life was seriously troubled;
- Detectives said they had made a ‘significant discovery’ during a four-hour search of his flat, but insisted it was not a suicide note.
A police spokesman said: ‘We wanted to search to see if we could find something that would explain what happened. We have found something which will now be taken for tests. We cannot say what it is at the moment but it may be very significant clue to what has happened. We hope it may give some explanations.'
Airline chiefs confirmed Lubitz, who won an award for ‘outstanding’ aviation skills and dubbed himself ‘Flying Andy’, took several months off work in 2008 and had to retrain to join Germanwings.
Culled from UK Daily Mail
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