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Here’s What We Know About the Germanwings Co-Pilot Andreas Lubitz

3 minute read

Andreas Lubitz liked pop music, jogging and, of course, flying.

On Thursday, French prosecutors claimed that Lubitz, who friends say was “rather quiet,” “polite” and “fun,” intentionally crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 on Tuesday, killing himself and the 149 other individuals onboard.

Investigators raided Lubitz’s apartment along with his parents’ home in Montabaur, Germany, this week, as they clamored to shed some light on why or what drove the 27-year-old co-pilot to commit mass murder.

Germany’s Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said there is no evidence to suggest that the co-pilot had any links to a terrorist organization.

“According to the current state of knowledge and after comparing information that we have, he does not have a terrorist background,” said Maiziere.

Officials from Germanwings’ parent company, Lufthansa, said Lubitz had completed all the criteria required to pilot a commercial aircraft and appeared to be both mentally and physically fit. A security probe last vetted Lubitz in January; however, nothing unusual appears to have come up during the routine inquiry, reports the Associated Press.

Witness Scenes From the Plane Crash in the French Alps

Flowers are left in front of the monument in homage to the victims of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 in Le Vernet, southeastern France, March 27, 2015.
Flowers are left in front of the monument in homage to the victims of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 in Le Vernet, southeastern France, March 27, 2015. Alberto Estevez—EPA
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy pay respect to victims in front of the mountain where a Germanwings jetliner crashed in Le Vernet, France, March 25, 2015.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy pay respect to victims in front of the mountain where a Germanwings jetliner crashed in Le Vernet, France, March 25, 2015. Christophe Ena—AP
A search and rescue worker at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed in the French Alps, above the town of Seyne-les-Alpes, southeastern France, March 25, 2015.
A search and rescue worker at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed in the French Alps, above the town of Seyne-les-Alpes, southeastern France, March 25, 2015.Guillaume Horcajuelo—EPA
Helicopters of the French gendarmerie and emergency services fly over Seyne-les-Alpes as they resume works to recover the bodies and the remains of the Airbus A320 that crashed the previous day in the Alps, March 25, 2015.
Helicopters of the French gendarmerie and emergency services fly over Seyne-les-Alpes as they resume works to recover the bodies and the remains of the Airbus A320 that crashed the previous day in the Alps, March 25, 2015.Alberto Estevez—EPA
French military personnel walk up the mountainside near Seyne, France on March 25, 2015.
French military personnel walk up the mountainside near Seyne, France on March 25, 2015.Peter Macdiarmid—Getty Images
German Airbus A320 Crashes In Southern French Alps
Gendarmerie and French mountain rescue teams arrive near the site of the Germanwings plane crash near the French Alps on March 24, 2015Patrick Aventurier—Getty Images
FRANCE-GERMANY-SPAIN-AVIATION-ACCIDENT
French emergency services workers and members of the French gendarmerie gather in Seyne, south-eastern France, on March 24, 2015, near the site where a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed in the French Alps.Boris Horvat—AFP/Getty Images
An aerial photo shows what appears to be wreckage from the crash of a Germanwings plane in the French Alps, between Barcelona and Digne, March 24, 2015.
An aerial photo shows what appears to be wreckage from the crash of a Germanwings plane in the French Alps, between Barcelona and Digne, March 24, 2015.Duclet Stephane—ZUMAPRESS.com
Relatives of passengers of the Germanwings plane crashed in French Alps are seen at the Terminal 2 of the Barcelona El Prat airport on March 24, 2015 in Barcelona.
Relatives of passengers of the Germanwings plane crashed in French Alps are seen at the Terminal 2 of the Barcelona El Prat airport on March 24, 2015 in Barcelona. David Ramos—Getty Images
A worker from a Swissport, a Service Company who is handling for Germanwings airlines, works inside an office in the Barcelona airport, March 24, 2015.
A worker from a Swissport, a Service Company who is handling for Germanwings airlines, works inside an office in the Barcelona airport, March 24, 2015. Emilio Morenatti—AP
People stand in front of candles and flowers placed in front of the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium in Haltern, Germany, March 24, 2015.
People stand in front of candles and flowers placed in front of the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium in Haltern, Germany, March 24, 2015. Imago/Zumapress

“The pilot has passed all his tests, all his medical exams, “ Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa’s CEO, told CNN. “All the safety nets we’re so proud of here, have not worked in this case.”

Lubitz, a lifelong aviation enthusiast, first enrolled in the Lufthansa’s pilot program in 2008 and trained in Germany and Arizona. The 27-year-old later joined Germanwings as a pilot in 2013 and logged 630 flight hours on the A320 before this week’s crash.

On Thursday, Lufthansa confirmed that the co-pilot had briefly interrupted his training course about six years ago. The airline said they are still investigating what may have led to that brief hiatus.

German tabloids have inferred that Lubitz might have suffered from some type of psychological breakdown during that time. Other reports have suggested that Lubitz might have recently been reeling from relationship problems with his girlfriend.

Regardless, aviation experts say pilots are thoroughly tested and other crew members are supposed to remain vigilant when it comes to making sure their fellow pilots are fit to fly.

“Every time they fly, there’s always another pilot doing an assessment. So if one pilot thinks another pilot is going weird, that pilot has a responsibility to report that,” Jason Middleton, an aviation professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, tells TIME. “Weirdos and people with mental illnesses are pretty well filtered out.”

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