On March 24, 2015, a Germanwings airplane flying from Barcelona to Düsseldorf crashed into the French Alps. All 150 people on board – 144 passengers and 6 crew members – died.
What Happened on the Plane?
The pilot left the cockpit for a moment. The co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, then locked the cockpit door. The pilot tried to get back in, but the strong door, made safer after the 9/11 attacks, wouldn’t open. Lubitz remained silent inside as the plane flew towards the mountains. The last sounds heard were passengers screaming as the plane hit the ground at full speed.
What We Learned About Lubitz:
Investigators found that Lubitz had papers saying he was too sick to work. He had also looked up how to harm himself and how cockpit doors worked. He had a history of feeling very sad and thinking about ending his life. He had even been treated for mental health problems before and had issues with his eyesight, which made him worry. The U.S. had previously not given him a pilot’s license.
How People Reacted and What Changed:
Investigators believed Lubitz was suffering from a severe mental illness. They also wondered if Germany’s privacy laws, which kept medical information secret from employers, were a problem. After the crash, many people called for stricter mental health checks for pilots. Airlines in many countries, including Germany, started a new rule: there must always be at least two people in the cockpit.
The People Who Died:
The 150 people on the plane were from many different countries, mostly Germany and Spain. Among them were 16 students and their two teachers who were coming back from a school trip. Their hometown in Germany called it “the worst day ever.”
Remembering the Victims:
Services were held to honour those who died, and their bodies were returned to their families.
Compensation for Families:
Even though Lufthansa, the airline’s parent company, wasn’t legally blamed because Lubitz hid his illness, they offered money to the families. They paid each family up to about $103,000 USD, plus more for their grief and suffering.
What We Learned from This Tragedy:
The Germanwings crash is a sad reminder of how serious hidden or untreated mental health problems can be. It also led to new safety rules in flying, highlighting the importance of both airplane safety and the mental well-being of people in important jobs.
Reference: The True Crime File – Kim Daly
