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As the world learned the unthinkable – that the downed Germanwings A320 appeared to have been deliberately crashed by its co-pilot – aviation authorities around the world scrambled to deal with the security quandary posed by this latest air tragedy.
Audio recordings from the cockpit indicated that the 27 year old co-pilot had calmly and methodically set the plane’s controls for rapid descent while the captain was locked out of the cockpit.
The last eight minutes of the recovered cockpit flight recorder revealed the man’s steady, measured breathing as he ignored queries from flight control, an altitude alarm from the plane’s dashboard, and finally the desperate shouts of the captain outside.
German police said they may have made a significant discovery at the home of Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who may have deliberately killed 150 passengers and crew by crashing an Airbus A320 in the French Alps.
Officers searching Mr Lubitz’s flat on the outskirts of Dusseldorf said they found something that may offer a clue as to what happened to the downed jet.
German detectives were pictured carrying evidence from another property – a $750,000 home in Montabaur, a town 65 kilometres from Bonn, that the pilot is believed to have shared with his parents.
No motive has yet been offered by investigators, but in Germany reports have emerged that Lubitz had previously experienced psychiatric problems and may have been rocked by a deep personal crisis following recent relationship problems.
Brice Robin, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, said the ‘‘most plausible and probable interpretation for us is that the co-pilot, by a voluntary abstention, refused to open the door to the cockpit to the flight captain and activated the button to start descent. There was a deliberate desire to destroy this plane.’’
The captain locked out of the cockpit reportedly used an axe to try to force his way back in to the armoured door, Bild Zetung reported.
Fairfax Media understands that Prime Minister Tony Abbott has convened a meeting on Saturday of the National Security Committee of cabinet, where Transport Minister Warren Truss will present an update on the implications of the crash for Australian aviation, and canvas whether action is required to improve Australian airline safety regulations in the light of the tragedy.
A report on Friday in Germany’s biggest selling daily newspaper, Bild Zeitung, claimed Mr Lubitz was experiencing a personal crisis following relationship problems with his girlfriend.
Friends said Mr Lubitz suffered a breakdown six years ago, described by one as a ‘‘burnout’’, but he had recovered and otherwise appeared to be incredibly normal.
He had passed all psychological and physical tests and was deemed ‘‘100 per cent fit to fly’’.
He was also recently commended for ‘‘setting a positive example’’ for pilots when he was listed on a prestigious American pilot database that requires candidates to prove they don’t have certain medical conditions.
Citing an anonymous source within Lufthansa, the newspaper said it had been briefed on Lubitz’s medical records which showed that his training at the Lufthansa Flight School in Arizona was interrupted for several months in 2009 due to psychological issues.
The Bild Zeitung report has not been confirmed by official sources.
He underwent psychiatric treatment for 18 months and repeatedly failed to advance to higher levels in his pilot training because of depression, even though he had successfully completed the course.
His records at the German aviation authority, Luftfahrt Bundesamt, indicate psychological problems and his records were marked with the code ‘‘SIC’’ which stands for ‘‘specific regularly occurring medical examinations’’ performed by a doctor, Bild Zeitung said.
The latest tragedy appears to be an unintended consequence of security measures introduced after the plane hijackings of 9/11, mandating strengthening and automatic locking of cockpit doors.
Pilots have to pass a physical examination administered by an FAA-authorised medical examiner.
Lufthansa chief Carsten Spohr said its air crew were picked carefully and subjected to psychological vetting.
‘‘No matter your safety regulations ... there is no way to rule out such an event,’’ he said.
Kelsey Munro, Nick Miller, Peter Hartcher, Rachel Olding, Miriam Steffens, The Telegraph