A breathtaking view of an airplane wing over a fog-covered autumn landscape at sunrise in Germany. Credits : pexels photo
The chilling final words of the pilot who intentionally crashed a plane into the Alps, killing all 150 people aboard, have been revealed.
On March 24, 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 took off from Barcelona, Spain, for what was meant to be a routine flight to Düsseldorf, Germany.
Less than an hour after takeoff, the plane crashed into the French Alps at 430 MPH, killing all 150 passengers and crew.
An investigation revealed that the crash was deliberate, caused by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz. He locked the pilot out of the cockpit and disabled the emergency access system.
The flight, which departed Barcelona at 10 AM, saw Captain Patrick Sondenheimer leave the cockpit an hour later to use the bathroom. Once he left, Lubitz locked the door, altered the altitude from 38,000 feet to 100 feet, and initiated a rapid descent into the mountains.
The plane’s last communication with air traffic control occurred about 30 minutes after takeoff. The final moments of the flight were reconstructed using the aircraft’s black box recorder.
A transcript from the black box revealed that Lubitz told Sondenheimer he was ready to take over the controls “at any time.” Shortly after takeoff, Lubitz told the captain, “You can go now.”
Around 28 minutes into the flight, Sondenheimer informed Lubitz that he was in charge of radio communications, before the sound of the cockpit door closing was heard.
Lubitz quickly took control of the plane, changing its altitude and ignoring air traffic control’s urgent attempts to communicate as it rapidly descended.
He remained silent for the rest of the flight, while Sondenheimer desperately banged on the door, unable to enter the cockpit due to Lubitz overriding the emergency access codes.
As the plane continued to plunge, Sondenheimer was heard shouting, “Open the damn door,” attempting to break it down. The recording then captured the horrifying sounds of passengers screaming before the plane crashed into the mountainside, killing everyone on board.
The investigation revealed that Lubitz had been suffering from severe depression and suicidal tendencies. Despite being declared unfit to fly by his doctor, he concealed this information from his employer.
Lubitz’s former girlfriend revealed that he had chillingly warned her about his actions before the crash.
He reportedly told a German newspaper, “One day I will do something that will change the whole system, and then all will know my name and remember it.” She added, “I never knew what he meant, but now it makes sense.”
The crash led to changes in cockpit rules to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Lubitz’s family denies that he caused the crash deliberately, instead claiming that he had fallen unconscious before the plane crashed.
A documentary on the crash, Germanwings: What Happened on Flight 9525?, is available to stream on SkyGo.
