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On March 24, 2015, a flight departed Barcelona without reaching its scheduled destination. Instead, the aircraft was involved in a devastating crash in the French Alps, killing everyone on board. Germanwings Flight 9525 was one of the most tragic incidents in air travel history. However, it wasn't until the cause of the crash was uncovered that the true gravity of this catastrophe came to light. What initially seemed like a dreadful accident turned out to be a horrific crime of epic proportions.
Click on the gallery to learn the details of what happened on that fateful day.
On March 24, 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 took off from El Prat Airport in Barcelona, bound for Düsseldorf in Germany, carrying 150 individuals on board.
The Airbus 320 took off on its planned route over the sea towards France. The pilot monitored the plane's climb for the first 30 minutes, until it reached an altitude of 38,000ft (11,600m).
The pilot stepped out of the cockpit to use the bathroom, leaving the plane in the hands of the co-pilot.
The 27-year-old co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, should have had no problem keeping the flight on track during the pilot's short absence.
However, something happened in the cockpit when Lubitz was left alone. Flight records indicate that as soon as the pilot left, Lubitz adjusted the plane's altitude and began to slowly descend the aircraft.
Within a few minutes, air traffic controllers noticed the loss of altitude and made unsuccessful attempts to contact the cockpit. They continued trying to talk to Lubitz while noticing that he was increasing the plane's speed. He didn't respond.
At this point, the pilot returned from the bathroom and rang the bell to the cockpit, which is always locked for security reasons. However, Lubitz did not answer him or unlock the door.
The cockpit recorder captured the pilot's attempt to break down the door after a few minutes of silence from Lubitz. Lubitz's steady breathing can be heard throughout the recording.
The passengers grew anxious and frightened when they noticed something was going wrong. The voice recorder picked up screams.
The plane continued its descent, and the safety system warned that the plane was approaching the ground.
Soon after, the Germanwings aircraft crashed into the French Alps, a mere 11 minutes after Lubitz was left alone in the cockpit.
The aircraft accident occurred in a remote area of the Trois-Évêchés mountain range, located northwest of Nice.
When the plane vanished from the radar of air traffic controllers, a swift search mission was launched.
In under half an hour, a mountain rescue team was dispatched to the location of the crash.
Upon witnessing the smoldering crash site, it became evident that a plane had collided with the mountain at high velocity, resulting in no survivors.
Soon after, it was reported that Andreas Lubitz might have intentionally crashed the plane, which stunned the world.
Shortly after the crash, German authorities visited Andreas Lubitz's residence in Montabaur to search for potential evidence or motive relating to the crash.
The investigation was launched within a few days of the tragic event occurring.
It was discovered that Lubitz had a history of severe depression. A few years earlier he had taken a break from his pilot training to undergo treatment for his mental health. It was reported that he had suffered from a serious depressive episode and considered taking his own life. After working with a psychiatrist for several months and taking antidepressant medication, he was cleared to return to training.
Investigators discovered a doctor's note in Lubitz's trash during the home search. The note stated that he was not fit for work and excused him on the day of the crash. This finding indicated that Lubitz was aware of his issues but still chose to report for duty. The investigation confirmed that he had premeditated the plane crash. The records from his previous flights indicated that he had purposely practiced lowering the plane's altitude multiple times when he was alone in the cockpit.
Out of the 150 individuals onboard, 72 were German and 51 were Spanish. The remaining casualties were a mix of 16 different nationalities.
A group of high school students and teachers participating in a Spanish language exchange program were among the victims, who were flying back home to Germany.
Investigators successfully located one of the airplane's black boxes, enabling them to reconstruct the events that transpired during the crucial 40-minute journey.
Upon the investigation of the wreckage, experts concluded it had been a strong collision. It's believed the aircraft struck the mountain at a speed of 700 km/h (430 mph), causing instant death to all those on board.
As more information came to light, the theory that the crash was caused by the co-pilot gained credibility.
One damning fact was that the plane's altitude was suddenly changed from 38,000 ft to 100 ft while Lubitz was alone in the cockpit. Experts confirmed that this change could only be done manually and deliberately.
In addition, the descent was carefully controlled, which ruled out the possibility that the crash was caused by Lubitz's lack of ability.
The tragedy prompted global media and leaders to quickly express their solidarity with the families and friends of the victims.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, cockpits were fortified to ensure maximum security. However, after the Germanwings tragedy, concerns over potential threats from inside the cockpit arose. In response, several airlines implemented regulations prohibiting pilots from being unaccompanied in the cockpit. These measures were introduced in the aftermath of the accident.
Lufthansa, the company that owns Germanwings, the budget airline, chose to give €75,000 (US$85,000) to each of the families of the victims, and €10,000 (US$11,300) to close relatives.
Some families tried to sue Lufthansa and the flight school attended by Lubitz, but it was concluded that they were not at fault for the accident.
In 2017, an artist from Germany placed a significant sculpture at the location of the accident known as Sonnenkugel, or "Sunsphere." The artwork consists of 149 adorned panels, representing each individual who tragically lost their life in the crash. However, one panel was deliberately excluded for Lubitz, the 150th passenger aboard the aircraft.
Sources: (BBC) (GQ)
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On March 24, 2015, a flight departed Barcelona without reaching its scheduled destination. Instead, the aircraft was involved in a devastating crash in the French Alps, killing everyone on board. Germanwings Flight 9525 was one of the most tragic incidents in air travel history. However, it wasn't until the cause of the crash was uncovered that the true gravity of this catastrophe came to light. What initially seemed like a dreadful accident turned out to be a horrific crime of epic proportions.
Click on the gallery to learn the details of what happened on that fateful day.