confirmed,
state prosecutor says:
http://www.sta-duesseldorf.nrw.de/be...lugabsturz.pdf


it basically says he was sick at the very day of the flight, but hid this fact from his employer and others.

There is so much speculation being repeated as fact. Many of the conclusions that have been drawn are likely scenarios, but are not by any means certain.

There is no direct evidence that the "captain" was locked out or that the key code was used twice.

There is no direct evidence that it was the captain that was trying to enter the cockpit, or if he was alone, or under duress.

The ES data may have been spoofed; it comes from an unofficial source.

No doubt the official statements strongly suggest that the F/O brought down the aircraft, but there are some loose ends that need to be tied up before this conclusion can be relied on.

Status
 

I flew to Brussels and back yesterday and it occurred to me that I was now viewing the pilots as a possible threat for the first time.

So my thought process in the last 20 odd years has gone from:

1. Admiration and considering trying to become a commercial pilot (got PPL etc).
   
2. 9/11 happened and the job market was affected along with T&Cs eroded and working conditions negatively affected - I felt sympathy for pilots and glad that I didn't become one.
   
3. Some suspicion.

How this will affect pilots in general (and their mental health) if public opinion turns from admiration to suspicion within a generation? Status is extremely important to many people, hopefully this won't result in any repeats.

What happened to the FDR? Did they find it already?
Aren't they looking for it anymore? Is a "noise of normal breathing" in the CVR enough to get all conclusions?

Ok - there is some new information that would explain a sound motiv behind the Co Pilots actions:

A search of the said First Officers appartment revealed a medical doctors statement, that he is medically unfit to go to work and that he would be so for a longer period of time. He decided to keep this to himself and not inform his employer, as it would be evident, that they would suspend him from flight duties indefinately. This confrontation was devastating for him, being an enthusiastic Aviator from a very early age and he felt his life ruined. Instead of staying home, as the doctor prescribed, he decided to fatefully go flying in this state of mind...

There is also much fact being repeated as fact.
For those that are willing to listen.
The state of this man's mental health worries me, that he was still able to fly. And to kill.
The innocent travelling public need better protection.
imho.

Counseling and support
 

We have this kind of system in my profession of Medicine. On a state wide basis such formal networks exist, staffed by such Samaritans that you mentioned. They are peers who volunteer for this on a part time basis. Anonymity and discretion are guaranteed. Unfortunately such networks cost money to administer and I am doubtful that any entity in Aviation (FAA, airlines, unions) would be eager to pay for it.

wheelsright
 

Really ?Are you sure ?

Regarding the issue of torn-up sick notes, perhaps it is now time for compulsory reporting of these medical issues where people are unfit for work, especially in such critical professions as this?

kwh, Yes, I should have said 'if they had prior knowledge of his condition'.
Difficult to believe that he could have disappeared off work without questions being asked.

I have a beautiful daughter aged 28, diagnosed bipolar; just returned home after three weeks in hospital after her third suicide attempt. Desperately trying her best to conquer the demons of her mind. It's an awful illness, yet to wait for a discovery of cure.

Latest news just about wraps it all up.

Now all that remains to be seen is the nature of the knee jerk reactions, and how quickly EASA will shut the gate now that the horse has bolted!

As a passenger, my suggestion would be that you hold yourself in check and think about how many thousands of flights happen each day without a hitch. Just because 1 FO apparently has decided to deceive and destroy should not mean we now look at all pilots with suspicion. I booked my next flight yesterday and had not a second thought about doing so and will not have a single doubt in my mind when I board the plane that the pilot is anything but competent and professional.

QDMQDMQDM, thanks for you post. I had to work with a psychotic chap for some years. Exactly what you say and for me it looks like it may be very relevant here. Depression itself is not really the issue here, it is the psychotic side of human nature.

What I remember from Germany: there is a bit lack of understanding of mental illness, or psychiatric injuries, or psychotic behavior. Its all put in just one big bowl by the psychiatrists and they probably just prescribe drugs: fatal if you get the wrong stuff! Makes some mentally ill people really crazy and a lot worse - they change from depressive to psychotic because of the wrong drug. Then the psychologists only see the family background and childhood and they have no idea of endocrine disorders. Even worse, in Germany all needs to be absolutely perfect. The cars , the houses, the streets and of course your profession and career. That must be big pressure on people with understandable little problems. With that pressure the problems get bigger. Some people just have a psychotic predisposition, it depends on the stress and pressure from the outside if this time bomb is triggered at some stage in their life - usually between the age of 15 and 35. Often this predisposition never comes out and never will be discovered. This week it looks like the hole World became aware of one persons very tragic mental rush hour.

Let's hope all friends and relatives of the victims, including the co-pilot family, all witnesses and rescue staff on site, get the help they need in the next days, months and years to come.

Mental Illness
 

Depression is a mental illness. This should have put a big question mark over his suitability to fly a commercial or any other type of aeroplane. It would seem to me that Lufthansa/German Wings are culpable. They knew he had been ill and yet allowed him to take charge of a Commercial Aircraft and the lives of 150 people.

Andy, In the UK it is.
Andy later clarified:

Hopefully a full medical analysis will occur to see if he may have been using anti-depressive drugs of any kind. There are many research reports currently on problems with violent acts embarked upon after ceasing usage of some of the popular brands.

If, when all is finalised, it turns out that the accident was caused by a seriously mentally ill man hiding his condition from his employers because he feared for his career our industry will need to enable doctors to directly report serious concerns.

@ FWRWATPLX2...
 

I couldn't agree more!

If I had taken these tests I probably would not have become an airline pilot because I would have most likely flunked them.

Been flying commercially now for 37 years some of it flying a Dash 7 and a Dash 8 for commuter airlines prior to flying the FK28, 3 years of that based in France (LFPO) for a French carrier so I know how it works in France and how complicated it was then to become an airline pilot in that country.

Since then I went back to a very good corporate gig and I'm glad I left the airline world and I certainly don't have any regrets either.

Some of my friends stayed with the airlines but with all the ups and downs in that industry (pay cuts, mergers and companies closing down) and 9/11 some of them are completely fed up with their work environment are so looking forward to retirement.

It is just not that fun for them anymore and these guys are pilots that loved to fly, they had the passion in their blood and becoming an airline pilot was their dream and now they couldn’t care less about going to work.

Unfortunately for us and upcoming pilots, the industry changed so much in the last 25 years and I don't think it is going to get any better in the future.

Yes, and if the industry expect pilots to declare their fitness truthfully, the employers are gonna have to put measures in place to ensure that those declaring themselves unfit are financially protected.