First the speculation was that he had converted to Islam and committed an act of Jihad. Now it appears that his act may have been a result of depression.
Maybe, maybe not. It now seems to have been established that he was being treated for depression, and had apparently hidden his condition quite well. For the sake of argument, let's say he was and was taking an anti-depressant. Most mentally ill people are not homicidal, but ironically, certain anti-psychotic, anti-depressant, and anti-anxiety drugs can induce such behavior and are labeled with such a warning. Top Ten Legal Drugs Linked To Violence
For a partial list of persons committing mass murder while on these drugs, go to A Brief History of Psychotropic Drugs Prescribed to Mass Murderers
Although it is coming out that he was being treated for depression, we do not know for sure what if any medication Lubitz may have been taking. People who are depressed usually commit suicide, not mass homicide.
For a more thorough understanding of depression, go to The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) web site for a brief overview
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Germanwings co-pilot's torn sick note, romantic breakup provide clues in crash probe
Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz ripped up a doctor’s note excusing him from work on the day he crashed a crowded passenger plane into a mountain, prosecutors said Friday, while a German newspaper said the man may have just gone through a breakup with his girlfriend.Prosecutors in Germany reported Friday that Lubitz was being treated for a medical illness that he hid from his employer. Investigators found torn-up doctor's notes, including one excusing him from work on the day of the crash, and other documents in searches at the home of Lubitz's parents and at an apartment he maintained in Dusseldorf. The evidence could provide clues as to why he apparently deliberately crashed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps Tuesday morning, killing all 150 people on board.
Prosecutor's spokesman Ralf Herrenbrueck said in a written statement that a doctor's note for the day of the crash "support[s] the current preliminary assessment that the deceased hid his illness from his employer and colleagues."
Herrenbrueck said investigators did not find a so-called "Suicide Note" or a letter claiming evidence of a political or religious background leading up to the event.
But the documents seized were of a medical content, that indicated "an existing disease and appropriate medical treatment," he said.
Such sick notes from doctors excusing employees from work are common in Germany and issued even for minor illnesses.Herrenbrueck didn't reveal details of what illness Lubitz was suffering from.
Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, refused to comment on the new information.
The news about the sick notes came as questions were raised about whether the 27-year-old was mentally fit to be at the controls of the tragic flight--and if a break-up triggered his criminal actions.
On Friday, the German newspaper Bild, citing police and airline sources, published what it claimed were details of Lubitz's medical records. The paper claimed that Lubitz had been designated as "not suitable for flying" by his instructors at Lufthansa's training school in Arizona around the time that he halted his pursuit of a pilot's license in 2009.
Bild reported that Lubitz spent 18 months receiving psychiatric treatment, was diagnosed with a "severe depressive episode," and received what it called a "special regular medical examination." The report added that investigators were examining whether Lubitz was suffering from a "personal life crisis," including the possibility that there were problems in his relationship with his girlfriend.
The new report came one day after French prosecutors stunned the world by announcing their conclusion that Lubitz had deliberately crashed the Airbus A320 in the Alps Tuesday morning. In the process, investigators said, Lubitz deliberately locked the more experienced captain out of the cockpit and switched the aircraft's autopilot to its lowest descent setting while ignoring frantic calls from air traffic controllers.
Pilot Patrick Sonderheimer frantically tried to get back in the cabin. Bild reported the pilot tried to break into the cockpit with an axe.
Late Thursday, investigators removed items from an apartment kept by Lubitz in Dusseldorf, the doomed flight's planned destination, as well as from the home of his parents in the town on Montabaur in western Germany. British media reported that Lubitz split time between the two addresses and may have shared the apartment with his girlfriend. The Daily Telegraph reported that at one point, a man was led out of the Montabaur home, accompanied by police who used their jackets to shield him from the waiting media.
Late Thursday, the Daily Mail quoted a Dusseldorf police spokesman as saying investigators had found an item that "may be a very significant clue" in Lubitz's apartment. The spokesman did not elaborate on what the item was, but said it had been taken away for testing and was not a suicide note. He added, "we hope it may give some explanations."
The Bild report may shed new light on a relatively mysterious period in Lubitz's training to become a pilot. Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr told reporters Thursday that Lubitz had taken a break from his training, but did not explain why.
"He passed all the subsequent tests and checks with flying colors," Spohr said. "His flying abilities were flawless."
On Thursday, the German magazine Der Spiegel quoted friends of Lubitz as saying the pilot had taken a break from training because of depression and burnout. After completing his training, Lubitz spent an 11-month waiting period working as a flight attendant before becoming a co-pilot with Germanwings, Lufthansa's budget subsidiary, in September 2013. Spohr said such a waiting period is not unusual at Lufthansa.
The chairman of the glider club Lubitz frequented as a teenager in Montabaur told the Associated Press he rejected the French prosecutors' conclusion.
"I don't see how anyone can draw such conclusions before the investigation is completed," Klaus Radke said.
Another club member, Peter Ruecker, who had know Lubitz since his teen years, described him as "happy he had the job with Germanwings and he was doing well ... He was very happy. He gave off a good feeling."
"He seemed very enthusiastic" about his career, Ruecker added. "I can't remember anything where something wasn't right."
Source Fox News
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