Germanwings crash: Co-pilot Lubitz ‘hid illness’

The co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing a Germanwings airliner into the French Alps hid details of an illness, German prosecutors say.

Torn-up sick notes were found in the homes of Andreas Lubitz, they say, including one for the day of the crash, which killed 150 passengers and crew.

The illness was not named, amid reports Mr Lubitz had mental health problems.

Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings, has announced new rules to ensure pilots are never left alone in the cockpit.

Data from the voice recorder suggests Mr Lubitz purposely started an eight-minute descent into the mountains while keeping the pilot locked out of the flight deck.

There were no survivors when Flight 4U 9525 crashed in a remote mountain valley on Tuesday while en route from Barcelona in Spain to Duesseldorf in Germany.

Internal aviation authority documents quoted by German media suggest the co-pilot suffered depression and required ongoing assessment.

Prosecutors say there was no evidence of a political or religious motive for his actions and no suicide note has been found.

The search for bodies and debris continued on Friday

What is depression?

Depression is more than just feeling a bit down for a few days. It is an illness which, at its most severe, can leave people feeling that life is no longer worth living. It can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, sleeplessness and constant tiredness which may last for months and months.

People with depression can also feel anxious, irritable and agitated on a daily basis but it affects everyone differently and only in rare cases is it a reason for violence against others.

If people admit their symptoms and talk to someone about their feelings, depression can usually be treated but the biggest barrier to getting help is often stigma and the fear of disclosing mental health problems.

BBC