New evidence has emerged suggesting that Lufthansa/Germanwings may have withheld information regarding the mental state of Andreas Lubitz prior to the crash last week. We reported that French officials believed Lubitz had crashed the Germanwings Airbus intentionally, and now that belief seems to be holding true.
The previous reports surrounding the crash and subsequent investigation had unearthed treatment for Lubitz to help him combat "suicidal tendencies," but these treatments were in the past. Lufthansa had assured the public that the 28 year old copilot had passed his physical and psychiatric exam prior to being hired by the airline.
According to CNN, email communication between Lubitz and Lufthansa regarding the continuation of his flight training clearly stated that Lubitz had suffered from "a previous episode of severe depression." However, Lufthansa officials had clearly stated that the young man was one hundred percent fit to fly.
It is speculated that Lubitz may have been afraid he was about to lose his pilot's license. His girlfriend admits that he had some mental issues, but she told investigators she didn't realize the extent of his problems. If Lubitz felt he was about to lose his wings as a pilot, he may have indeed made the decision to crash the plane on purpose to avoid the embarrassment that may have come along with such a measure.
Now, the question of whether Lufthansa purposely withheld information from investigators regarding Lubitz' mental issues is a big one. The public wants answers as to why this young man suddenly locked his pilot out of the cabin, and while refusing to listen to pleas from the crew and passengers to spare their lives, crashed the giant airliner into the Alps last week.
Lufthansa has carefully addressed the press and public, saying that it is not backing down on its previous statement that Lubitz was fit to fly. However, now that the evidence of depression is public knowledge, they were quick to add that including that information was a "swift and seamless clarification" to previous statements.
The officials have made it quite clear that the company is cooperating fully with the investigation. Documents, emails, and other information has been shared with prosecutors and investigators in hopes that some answers may be reached soon.
In the meantime families of the victims are still waiting for closure to this awful tragedy.
