Last month signified ten years since the Germanwings Flight 9525 tragedy, an incident that shook European and global aviation to its core.
On the morning of 24 March, 2015, Flight 9526 departed from Barcelona-El Prat airport en route to Düsseldorf. Flight 9526 later crashed into the French Alps, killing all 150 passengers.
Families of all 150 victims travelled to the crash site near Le Vernet for a private ceremony last month.
In other sites such as Barcelona, and Haltern am See, a German town which was home to 18 victims, similar memorials were held.
Blue Skies Without a Cloud in the Sky
Germanwings flight 4U 9525 took off from Barcelona El Prat airport at 10:01 on 24 March, 2015, with 6 crew members and 144 passengers aboard.
The flight travelled over the Mediterranean towards southeastern France, climbing to 38,000ft (11,600m).
At 10:30 the plane made its final contact with air traffic control, with everything appearing to be normal.
Shortly after, in recordings recovered from the plane’s black box, captain Patrick Sondenheimer left the cockpit, perhaps to go to the toilet, and left copilot Andreas Lubitz to take over radio communications.
Seconds later, the plane’s selected altitude was changed from 38,000ft to 100ft, with the plane beginning to descend.
Calls from air traffic controllers went unanswered.
“Terrain, Terrain, Pull Up, Pull up" preceded the end of the recording.
The Investigation: Unsettling Truths
Following the disaster, France’s civil aviation authority conducted a thorough investigation into the crash.
The results concluded that the copilot, Lubitz, deliberately caused the crash in an act of suicide.
The relevation proved shocking, leading to significant regulatory changes.
Andreas Lubitz, a twenty eight year old German national, had a history of severe depression and had previously been deemed unfit to fly by doctors.
Lubitz’ troubled history managed to slip through cracks in the system; the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, previously questioned Lubitz’ mental fitness as a pilot.
Lubitz’s Medical History: A Tragedy In the Making
In the summer of 2010, Lubitz was enrolled in a training program through Lufthansa Airlines.
Lubitz applied for a U.S. pilot’s licence to continue training in Arizona, where weather conditions allow trainees to fly all year round. However, Lubitz needed a medical certificate to fly.
FAA documents released in the aftermath of the accident show that Lubitz ticked “no” in an online application question about undergoing treatment for mental disorders.
However, a later copy of the questionnaire showed Lubitz’ changed his response to “yes”. This followed a later examination finding Lubitz positive for treatment, just a year earlier.
According to Doctor Warren Silberman, former head of the FAA’s medical certification unit, the administration declined to give Lubitz medical certification, but offered him a chance to “clarify things”.
Lubitz later was given certification due to a translated letter from his psychologist in Germany, when Lubitz was hired as a copilot by Germanwings.
In the aftermath of the crash, it was found that Lubitz was being treated for suicidal tendencies at the time, and was given notes for sick leave by doctors, including a medical exemption on the day of the crash.
It was also discovered Lubitz was taking medication at the time, including Escitalopram; a medication that raises risks of suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
Shifting Standards: Aviation Shifts After the Crash
The revelation that the crash was an act of suicide, rather than one of terrorism or a freak accident.
In response to the incident, the European Aviation Safety Agency mandated comprehensive psychological evaluations for commercial pilots before beginning employment.
The EASA also strengthened existing psychological evaluations, as well as requiring drug and alcohol testing for its pilots and cabin crew.
At the time, many airlines, as well as aviation authorities, mandated a policy requiring at least two authorised individuals to be in the cockpit at all times; a law which was eventually eased or discontinued by some airlines.
Ten years later, the Germanwings Flight 9525 tragedy remains a stark reminder of aviation’s vulnerabilities. While certain screenings have helped improve safety, gaps in oversight persist.
More recent incidents highlight ongoing challenges in properly investigating plane crashes and implementing reforms, with almost half of incidents in recent years lacking investigation and a final report.
Without transparency, rigorous enforcement, and updated safety measures, history risks repeating itself with innocent lives hanging in the balance.
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