Germanwings Co-pilot Rehearsed Rapid Descent Before The Crash

Andreas Lubitz may have practiced a rapid descent during a previous flight, according to Bild. French investigators reportedly said that the Germanwings co-pilot attempted a controlled descent earlier in the day, the Germany-based newspaper indicated.

The Airbus 320 crashed into the French Alps on March 24 killing everyone on board after the German pilot deliberately crashed it into the mountain. The plane was on its way to Dusseldorf from Barcelona.

Andreas Lubitz - image credit: theguardian.com

An interim report is set to be released by French authorities showing the initial results of the investigation. Sources with access to the investigation told Bild that Lubitz attempted a controlled long descent without any “aeronautical reason.”

Data from the data flight recorder or the “black box” indicated that the rapid descent happened when the plane was on its way to Barcelona from Dusseldorf. Lubitz was known to have gone through depression prior to the ill-fated flight.

German prosecutors also revealed last month that the co-pilot practiced a number of suicide methods as well as the security of plane cockpit doors. The voice recorder of the Germanwings flight also showed that the pilot was locked out of the cockpit by Lubitz before the plane crashed.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday May 06 2015, 6:14 AM EDT. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0