Airline knew of pilot’s depression

Stuff reports:

Lufthansa has admitted for the first time it knew Andreas Lubitz, the German co-pilot who deliberately crashed a passenger jet in the Alps, suffered from serious depression. The airline had previously confirmed that Lubitz had taken an extended break from training, but refused to say why. …

Lufthansa, Germanwings’ parent company, last night admitted that Lubitz had told the airline’s flight training school that he suffered a serious episode of depression in 2009, citing emails between the pilot and the flight school.

German prosecutors said on Monday (local time) that Lubitz’s medical files show he underwent a prolonged course of therapy for “suicidal tendencies” before getting his pilot’s licence.

Lufthansa did not comment on his suicidal tendencies yesterday, but has previously said that German confidentiality rules meant that the company had no knowledge of Lubitz’s medical records.

Watch the law suits start to fly now – and with good reason.

It is becoming clear this was not an unpreventable tragedy.