Co-pilot of Germanwings 'wanted to destroy plane'...

[Surya Gayatri]

Last edited Thu Mar 26, 2015, 10:36 AM - Edit history (1)

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


Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz - pictured here on his social media profile - is not known to have any links to terrorism


Under guard: Police keep the media away from the house where pilot Andreas Lubitz lived in Montabaur, Germany, after it was revealed he was responsible for the death of all 150 people on board the Airbus A320

"The co-pilot of the Germanwings flight that crashed into the French Alps took sole control of plane and intentionally started the descent, officials say.

French prosecutors, citing information from the cockpit voice recorder said the pilot had just left the cockpit and had been unable to re-enter it."

French Special Prosecutor is still speaking as I write this.

He says that the "suicide" hypothesis should be considered.

Will update as the BBC site fleshes out story.

ETA:

"French prosecutors, citing information from the cockpit voice recorder said the co-pilot took sole control of plane and intentionally started its descent.

The pilot had just left the cockpit and was locked out.

Neither of the names of the pilot or co-pilot have been released.

The co-pilot was alive until the final impact, the prosecutors added.

The Airbus 320 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf hit a mountain on Tuesday after a rapid eight-minute descent."

French prosecutor says the sound of the co-pilot's breathing is audible up to moment of impact, but not a word is heard from him after the pilot leaves the cockpit.

Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the "black box" voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit.

The co-pilot, now named as Andreas Lubitz, was alive until the final impact, the prosecutors added.

"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.

"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."

French Prosecutor refuses to credit "terrorist" theories for the moment.