Authorities believe they have identified the remains of the Germanwings co-pilot who apparently crashed the plane into the French Alps and killed all 150 people aboard last week, according to a new report.
The German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, citing unnamed French investigators, reported that remains of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz were identified on Saturday using DNA matching. The 27-year-old Lubitz’s remains could yield important clues about the reasons for the crash, including whether he was using drugs or on depression medications, forensic scientists told Der Spiegel.
Lubitz was alone the cockpit of the Airbus A320 when the plane struck a mountainside in the French Alps, authorities have said. A French prosecutor said Lubitz intentionally flew the plane into the ground, even as the captain, who was outside the cockpit, banged on the door demanding to be let back in and passengers screamed in terror.
In the days since the crash it has emerged that Lubitz had undisclosed mental health issues and also sought treatment for vision problems that may have affected his ability to fly a plane.
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