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| Co-Pilot in Germanwings Crash Hid Medical Condition From Employer, Documents Show | Co-Pilot in Germanwings Crash Hid Medical Condition From Employer, Documents Show |
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| DÜSSELDORF, Germany — Documents show that Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who is believed to have deliberately crashed a Germanwings jet into the French Alps on Tuesday, had a medical condition that he hid from his employer, prosecutors in Düsseldorf, Germany, said on Friday. | |
| The documents, which were found in his home, included a torn-up doctor’s note allowing him time off from work because of an illness. | The documents, which were found in his home, included a torn-up doctor’s note allowing him time off from work because of an illness. |
| The German investigators said they had not found a suicide note or “any indication of a political or religious” nature among the documents secured in Mr. Lubitz’s apartment. “However, documents were secured containing medical information that indicates an illness and corresponding treatment by doctors,” prosecutors said in a statement. | The German investigators said they had not found a suicide note or “any indication of a political or religious” nature among the documents secured in Mr. Lubitz’s apartment. “However, documents were secured containing medical information that indicates an illness and corresponding treatment by doctors,” prosecutors said in a statement. |
| Investigators have been combing through his background, including whether he might have had a history of depression or psychological problems. They are looking into Mr. Lubitz’s family background, and whether he had financial troubles or difficulties in his personal relationships. | Investigators have been combing through his background, including whether he might have had a history of depression or psychological problems. They are looking into Mr. Lubitz’s family background, and whether he had financial troubles or difficulties in his personal relationships. |
| Mr. Lubitz, 27, is believed to be responsible for slamming Germanwings Flight 9525 into a mountainside in the French Alps on purpose, killing all 150 on board, while en route from Barcelona, Spain, to Düsseldorf. Prosecutors are examining several theories, including that the crash was a suicide or a mass murder. | Mr. Lubitz, 27, is believed to be responsible for slamming Germanwings Flight 9525 into a mountainside in the French Alps on purpose, killing all 150 on board, while en route from Barcelona, Spain, to Düsseldorf. Prosecutors are examining several theories, including that the crash was a suicide or a mass murder. |
| On Thursday, the French prosecutor leading the investigation said the evidence from the cockpit voice recorder suggested that Mr. Lubitz, a former flight attendant with a passion for flying, had locked the pilot out of the cockpit and deliberately set the plane on its lethal descent. | On Thursday, the French prosecutor leading the investigation said the evidence from the cockpit voice recorder suggested that Mr. Lubitz, a former flight attendant with a passion for flying, had locked the pilot out of the cockpit and deliberately set the plane on its lethal descent. |
| The crash claimed victims from more than a dozen countries, including Germany, Spain and the United States. | The crash claimed victims from more than a dozen countries, including Germany, Spain and the United States. |
| Carsten Spohr, the chief executive of Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, said on Thursday that Mr. Lubitz had passed the company’s health checks with “flying colors.” | Carsten Spohr, the chief executive of Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, said on Thursday that Mr. Lubitz had passed the company’s health checks with “flying colors.” |
| “He was 100 percent flightworthy without any limitations,” Mr. Spohr said. | “He was 100 percent flightworthy without any limitations,” Mr. Spohr said. |
| But he said there had been an instance six years ago when Mr. Lubitz took a break from his training for several months. He said that if the reason was medical, German rules on privacy prevented the sharing of such information. Mr. Spohr said the revelation of Mr. Lubitz’s actions had left him stunned. | But he said there had been an instance six years ago when Mr. Lubitz took a break from his training for several months. He said that if the reason was medical, German rules on privacy prevented the sharing of such information. Mr. Spohr said the revelation of Mr. Lubitz’s actions had left him stunned. |
| Some international airlines responded to the crash by introducing new rules requiring that two crew members always be present in the cockpit, after the French prosecutor revealed that Mr. Lubitz had locked the plane’s pilot out of the cockpit before starting the deadly descent. The airlines that said they were instituting a two-person rule in the cockpit included Air Canada, easyJet and Norwegian Air Shuttle. | Some international airlines responded to the crash by introducing new rules requiring that two crew members always be present in the cockpit, after the French prosecutor revealed that Mr. Lubitz had locked the plane’s pilot out of the cockpit before starting the deadly descent. The airlines that said they were instituting a two-person rule in the cockpit included Air Canada, easyJet and Norwegian Air Shuttle. |
| All German airlines will introduce that requirement, the German aviation association said on Friday. | All German airlines will introduce that requirement, the German aviation association said on Friday. |
| Thomas Winkelmann, the head of Germanwings, however, expressed doubt that such a rule would have prevented Tuesday’s crash. | Thomas Winkelmann, the head of Germanwings, however, expressed doubt that such a rule would have prevented Tuesday’s crash. |
| “I ask myself, when a person is so bent on committing a criminal act, whether that is preventable if for example a stewardess or steward is in the cockpit,” Mr. Winkelmann told the German public broadcaster ZDF on Thursday. | “I ask myself, when a person is so bent on committing a criminal act, whether that is preventable if for example a stewardess or steward is in the cockpit,” Mr. Winkelmann told the German public broadcaster ZDF on Thursday. |
| “The suffering and pain this catastrophe has caused is immeasurable,” he was quoted as saying in a message posted on Twitter by Germanwings on Friday. “No words can express it and no amount of consolation is sufficient.” | “The suffering and pain this catastrophe has caused is immeasurable,” he was quoted as saying in a message posted on Twitter by Germanwings on Friday. “No words can express it and no amount of consolation is sufficient.” |
| Investigators are still trying to understand why the pilot left the cockpit, although most airlines allow it during noncritical phases of flight. There are no regulations requiring that a second crew member be present in the cockpit when one pilot leaves, usually for physiological reasons. The French prosecutor, Brice Robin, said it was reasonable to assume the pilot left the cockpit to use the toilet. | Investigators are still trying to understand why the pilot left the cockpit, although most airlines allow it during noncritical phases of flight. There are no regulations requiring that a second crew member be present in the cockpit when one pilot leaves, usually for physiological reasons. The French prosecutor, Brice Robin, said it was reasonable to assume the pilot left the cockpit to use the toilet. |
| Members of a flight crew would typically use a numeric code to open the door if someone in the cockpit could not or would not let them in. The pilot would have known the code, Mr. Spohr said. However, the co-pilot could have activated a switch that prevents the door from opening for five minutes, or he could have found some other way to block the door, Mr. Spohr said. | Members of a flight crew would typically use a numeric code to open the door if someone in the cockpit could not or would not let them in. The pilot would have known the code, Mr. Spohr said. However, the co-pilot could have activated a switch that prevents the door from opening for five minutes, or he could have found some other way to block the door, Mr. Spohr said. |
| Mr. Robin said that the Germanwings flight had begun prosaically, with polite exchanges between the two pilots as the flight began its course to Düsseldorf. | Mr. Robin said that the Germanwings flight had begun prosaically, with polite exchanges between the two pilots as the flight began its course to Düsseldorf. |
| However, about a half-hour into the flight, he said that Mr. Lubitz appeared to have locked out the pilot of the plane and did not let him back in, prompting the pilot to demand access. Investigators, citing the plane’s voice recorder, said they could hear the sound of someone trying to break down the door. | However, about a half-hour into the flight, he said that Mr. Lubitz appeared to have locked out the pilot of the plane and did not let him back in, prompting the pilot to demand access. Investigators, citing the plane’s voice recorder, said they could hear the sound of someone trying to break down the door. |
| Mr. Robin said the plane’s voice recorder showed that Mr. Lubitz was breathing normally in the moments leading up to the crash, indicating that he had deliberately crashed the plane. | Mr. Robin said the plane’s voice recorder showed that Mr. Lubitz was breathing normally in the moments leading up to the crash, indicating that he had deliberately crashed the plane. |
| The State Department confirmed on Thursday that a third American, Robert Oliver, had been on board the aircraft. | The State Department confirmed on Thursday that a third American, Robert Oliver, had been on board the aircraft. |
| Mr. Oliver, 37, had been working for more than four years for Desigual, a fashion company based in Barcelona, where he was tasked with steering the company’s expansion in Germany, including finding locations for new shops. Another Desigual employee, Laura Altamira, also died in the crash. | Mr. Oliver, 37, had been working for more than four years for Desigual, a fashion company based in Barcelona, where he was tasked with steering the company’s expansion in Germany, including finding locations for new shops. Another Desigual employee, Laura Altamira, also died in the crash. |
| Mr. Oliver was married and had two children. His father had moved to Spain more than 40 years ago, said Cristina Gispert, a spokeswoman for Desigual. | Mr. Oliver was married and had two children. His father had moved to Spain more than 40 years ago, said Cristina Gispert, a spokeswoman for Desigual. |