Germanwings Co-pilot Wanted to Make His Name Known Worldwide

A picture made available 27 March 2015 shows Andreas Lubitz, co-pilot of Germanwings flight 4U9525, running during the Aerportrace in Hamburg, Germany, 13 September 2009. Photo: EPA

The Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who is suspected of intentionally crashing the plane in the French Alps, wanted to change the whole system and everyone to remember his name.

This was revealed by an ex-girlfriend of Lubitz, who also pointed to his increasing problems as the reason for them to split, the German newspaper Bild informs.

She confirmed his mental problem as a possible motivation for Lubitz to crash the plane, as he feared that he will be declared unfit and disallowed from flying.

These developments come as the police uncovered two torn-up sick notes, including one for the day of the crash, which reveal that the co-pilot had been concealing a mental illness from his employer.

According to internal aviation authority information, Lubitz had suffered a serious depressive episode in 2009, which interrupted his training for year and a half.

It was also revealed that Lubitz knew the region of the crash site, which he visited regularly on gliding holidays, the BBC reports.

He was “passionate” and “obsessed” with the Alps, as he had gone on family holidays in the region since the age of 9.

So far the investigation has uncovered neither political nor religious motives for the co-pilot's actions and similarly no suicide notes have been found.

Meanwhile, the European Aviation Safety Agency called on airlines to implement new safety measures, including the requirement that two crew members should be present in the cockpit at all times.

It was revealed that the pilot had gone out of the cockpit, but was not allowed back in, giving Lubitz opportunity to initiate the descent, killing himself and all remaining 149 people on board.

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