THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE LIFE WE ARE TOLD MANY THINGS WHICH ARE NOT TRUE. TODAY AS WELL DEPENDING ON WHICH TV CHANNEL WE SWITH, WHICH RADIO STATION WE TUNE OR WHICH PAPER WE READ WE GET THE TRUTH OR MISCONCEPTIONS. ONE CLEAR EXAMPLE HERE IS THE CASE OF GERMANWINGS AIRBUS A320 – FLIGHT 4U9525 – FLYING FROM BARCELONA TO DUSSELDORF, WHICH CRASHED INTO THE FRENCH ALPS.
LET US IMAGINE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED ON FLIGHT 4U9525 WAS THIS WAY. BOTH PILOTS STARTED THEIR DAY AS USUAL, GREETING EVERYONE SINCE THEY LOVED THEIR JOB AND THEY WERE BOTH WELL-MANNERED PEOPLE. “THE PLANE´S COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER TOLD US US PILOTS SPOKE IN “NORMAL, CHEERFUL, COURTEOUS WAY” FOR AROUND FIRST 20 MINUTES OF TAPE” (REUTERS. MARCH 2015). WE ALL KNOW WE ALL FEEL REALLY HAPPY WHEN THINGS GO WELL AND WE START SOMETHING OFF. IN THE CASE OF THOSE TWO PILOTS IT IS MORE THAN CLEAR THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS GOOD, SINCE THEY HAD AN EVERYDAY CONVERSATION IN AN EASY-GOING WAY FOR THE FIRST 20 MINUTES. THERE IS NO WAY A PILOT COULD HAVE GONE ON A NICE CONVERSATION WITH A COLLEAGE IF HE WAS THINKING OF DESTROYING THE PLANE.
LET US IMAGINE 4 MINUTES AFTER THE PILOT WENT OUT OF THE CABIN THE FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS STOPPED WORKING, THAT IS, MR. LUBITZ DID NOT “INTENTIONALLY OVERRIDE THE SYSTEM” (THE GUARDIAN. MARCH 25, 2015), BUT RATHER THE COMPUTING SYSTEMS THEMSELVES FAILED. “A GERMAN NEWSPAPER QUOTES A PILOT AT GERMANWINGS SAYING THAT THE PLANE THAT CRASHED WAS UNPOPULAR WITH CREWS BECAUSE IT WAS KNOWN FOR TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, WRITES JUSTIN HUGGLER IN BERLIN”. “IT WAS “ONE OF OUR MOST FREQUENTLY GROUNDED PLANES”, THE UNNAMED PILOT TOLD WESTDEUTSCHE ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG” (PEACE AND FREEDOM. POLICY AND WORLD IDEAS).
LET US IMAGINE THE PILOT WENT OUT OF THE LAVATORY 6 MINUTES AFTER LEAVING THE CABIN. LET US IMAGINE BY THE TIME THE PILOT STARTED SLAMMING THE COCKPIT DOOR THE CO-PILOT HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO DISABLE THE ENTRY FEATURE FOR “EXTRAORDINARY” SAFETY REASONS. LET US IMAGINE HE DECIDED TO DISABLE IT BECAUSE THE SITUATION WAS SO UTTERLY DESPERATE THAT HE, LIKE ANYONE IN HIS SHOES, DID NOT EVEN HAVE HALF A SECOND TO WASTE IN SUCH TERRIBLE MOMENTS.
LET US IMAGINE THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUCH TECHNICAL FAILURE THAT AS A RESULT OF THIS THE CO-PILOT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SECONDS TO CREATE NEITHER A GROUND LINK NOR THE CHANCE TO USE THE INSTRUMENTAL LANDING SYSTEM (ILS), SINCE THE ILS WAS OUT OF ORDER. LET US IMAGINE THE SYINCHRONY BETWEEN THE PILOT GOING OUT OF THE COCKPIT, THE CO-PILOT TAKING OVER THE CONTROLS AND THE AIRCRAFT MONITORING SYSTEMS STARTING TO BREAK DOWN WAS PURE COINCIDENCE. ALL THESE CIRCUMSTANCES FRAMING THIS TRAGIC EPISODE COULD BE UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE REASONS BEHIND THIS CRASH. UNDOUBTEDLY, ALL THESE AIRCRAFT DEFICIENCIES, IF THEY REALLY OCCURRED LIKE WE THINK THEY DID, AFFECTED MR. LUBITZ ACTION PROTOCOL, AS IT WOULD HAVE HAD THE SAME EFFECT ON ANY OTHER PILOT IN THE SAME UNCONTROLLED CIRCUMSTANCES AS WELL. IF THE ACTION PROTOCOL WAS FORCED TO BE CHANGED DUE TO A TECHNICAL FAILURE REGARDING THE FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS THEN EVERY ACTION CARRIED OUT BY MR. LUBITZ WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTHING MORE THAN AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE, PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE GIVEN THE SITUATION.
ANDREAS LUBITZ, 27, LOVED LIFE BECAUSE HE TOOK CARE OF HIMSELF, ENJOYING JOGGING AND GETTING THE MEDICINES HE NEEDED LIKE MILLIONS OF NORMAL PEOPLE WORLDWIDE DO. “SOMEONE WHO HAS A PASSION FOR GLIDERS AND COMPETITIVE RUNNING, AND WHO EXCHANGES PLEASANTRIES AT THE START OF THE FLIGHT” DOES NOT DO SUCH THING. HERE IS A LIST OF SIGNS WHICH COULD HELP US DECODE THIS TRAGEDY (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.WORLD NEWS. MARCH 28, 2015).
1. LET US IMAGINE BY THE TIME THE PILOT SLAMMED THE COCKPIT DOOR THE CO-PILOT HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO DISABLE THE COCKPIT SWITCH DOOR SINCE IT WAS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND IT WAS A MATTER OF SECONDS TO TRY AND MAKE A SOMEHOW SAFE LANDING SOMEWHERE. LET US BE CLEAR HERE. AT THIS POINT, WHEN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GET INTO THE COCKPIT, THE CO-PILOT WAS ALREADY STRUGGLING THROUGH CHAOTIC SECONDS TO MAKE A SAFE LANDING, SINCE HE SAW THE PLANE WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL AND COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE BUT DESCEND. MR. LUBITZ TRIED HIS BEST UNTIL THE VERY LAST SECONDS TO SAVE EVERYONE.
LET US IMAGINE EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION OCCURRED. “SOMEONE SAID THAT THEY WERE LOSING AIR PRESSURE, THAT THEY HAD NO MASKS, THAT EVERYONE WAS DEAD BEFORE THE FINAL IMPACT”. NO PILOT, WHO HAD WANTED TO CRASH A PLANE WOULD HAVE STAYED UNTIL THE VERY END TRYING TO GET THROUGH AN EXTREME EMERGENCY LANDING. “AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ASKS CABIN TO ENTER 7700 DISTRESS CODE INTO TRANSPONDER. THERE IS NO RESPONSE, AND THE PLANE TAKES PRIORITY OVER ALL OTHERS FOR EMERGENCY LANDING” (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL-WORLD NEWS. MARCH 26, 2015). LET US IMAGINE THAT IF THE TRANSPONDER HAD BEEN WORKING PROPERLY MR. LUBITZ WOULD HAVE ENTERED THE 7700 DISTRESS CODE BUT AS THE TRANSPONDER HAD PROBABLY BROKEN DOWN MR. LUBITZ WAS UNABLE TO SEND ANY EMERGENCY SIGNALS. THE PLANE TOOK OFF FROM BARCELONA AT 10:01 A.M LOCAL TIME AND BEGAN AN UNPLANNED AND UNEXPLAINED DESCENT AT 10:31” (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.WORLD NEWS. MARCH 28, 2015). AT 10:41 A.M IT CRASHED. FOR SURE THAT WAS AN UNPLANNED DESCENT. LET US IMAGINE MR. LUBIT DESCENDED “TO 100 FEET, ITS LOWEST SETTING” (REUTERS.EDITION U.S. MARCH 26, 2015) BECAUSE THE 4U9525 FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS BROKE DOWN, AND WHEN SUCH THING HAPPENS THE SENSIBLE THING TO DO IS TO DESCEND TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE SETTING THE SOONER THE BETTER TO DO AN EMERGENCY LANDING SO THAT EVERY PASSENGER CAN GET OUT OF THE PLANE BEFORE IT BLOWS UP. LET US NOT FORGET THE SAYING EMERGENCY MEASURES FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. WELL, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, LIKE IT IS IN OUR BOOK, THEN MR. LUBITZ HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO ADJUST “THE ALTITUDE SETTING ON THE AIRBUS A320, SENDING IT PLUNGING FROM ITS CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 38,000 FEET AT A RATE OF 3,000 FEET A MINUTE”. IN OUR BOOK MR. LUBITZ DID NOT CHOOSE A FAST DESCENT. IT WAS A FAST ONE BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL. “BETWEEN 10:30:52 AND 10:30:55 YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AUTOPILOT WAS MANUALLY CHANGED FROM 38,000 FEET TO 100 FEET AND 9 SECONDS LATER THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DESCEND, PROBABLY WITH THE “OPEN DESCENT” AUTOPILOT SETTING, “FREDRIK LINDAHL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SWEDISH TRACKING SERVICE SAID BY EMAIL” (REUTER.EDITION U.S. MARCH 26, 2015). LET US IMAGINE THE AIRBUS A320 TOOK “A LONG TIME TO DESCEND FROM ITS CRUISING ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 38,000 FEET” BECAUSE CHANGES ON THE FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS WERE NOT DONE 100%. LET US IMAGINE THAT WHEN MR. LUBITZ REACHED ALTITUDE OF 100 FEET IS WHEN UNINTENTIONALLY FAST DESCENT BEGAN BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS UTTERLY OUT OF CONTROL. LET US IMAGINE MR. LUBITZ DID NOT CRASH IT BUT RATHER HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO SAVE EVERYONE. LET US IMAGINE THE UNINTENTIONAL FAST DESCENT TOOK HIM 8 MINUTES WHICH “IS A LONG TIME FOR A DESCENT IN AN UNCONTROLLED FASHION,” AS MIKE DANIEL, AN INTERNATIONAL AVIATION-SAFETY CONSULTANT BASED IN SINGAPORE TOLD TIME (TIME. MARCH 26, 2015). IN OUR OPINION MR. LUBITZ WAS ON AN IMPOSSIBLE MISSION, THAT IS, HE TRIED TO MAKE DESCENT AS LONG AS HE COULD SINCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS OUT OF CONTROL. THERE WAS NOT MUCH HE COULD DO EXCEPT MAKE IT LAST LONGER, LIKE MIKE DANIEL SAID. THIS IS ONE OF THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF INFORMATION TO UNVEIL WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AND WHY. ALL THESE MEASURES IMPLEMENTED BY MR. LUBITZ SHOULD BE TRANSLATED AS DESPERATE EMERGENCY ONES SINCE IN OUR OPINION HE WAS PILOTING A BROKENDOWN PLANE DOOMED TO THE WORST OF FATES. WE THINK THAT IF MR. LUBITZ HAD PLANNED ON CRASHING THE PLANE HE WOULD NOT HAVE DESCENDED TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE SETTING, 100 FEET.
2. LET US IMAGINE THE CB (CITIZENS BAND RADIO) FROM THE AIRBUS A320 BROKE DOWN. “THE AIRBUS A320 BEGAN TO DESCEND FROM CRUISING ALTITUDE AFTER LOSING RADIO CONTACT WITH GROUND CONTROL AND SLAMMED INTO THE REMOTE MOUNTAIN” (WESTERN DAILY PRESS. MARCH 26 ,2015).
3. LET US IMAGINE A GERMANWINGS TECHNICIAN DID NOT DO HIS JOB THOROUGHLY. LET US IMAGINE THAT INSTEAD OF CARRYING OUT THE CHANGE IN PROCEDURE REGULATORS ORDERED REGARDING COMPUTERS HE DID NOT. LET US IMAGINE GERMANWINGS PILOTS KNEW THAT THE PLANES THEY WERE PILOTING WERE NOT IN THE BEST OF CONDITIONS. LET US IMAGINE THEY KNEW THAT BECAUSE RUMORS SAID THAT SOME AIRCRAFT TECNICIANS WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR SALARIES, AND THEREFORE THESE DISSATISFIED AIRCRAFT TECHNICIANS WERE NOT DOING THEIR JOB 100% AS THEY SHOULD. LET US IMAGINE THAT THAT WAS THE CASE AND THAT ONE OF THE TWO AIRCRAFT TECHNICIANS, SAY THE YOUNG ONE, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF IMPLEMENTING A CHANGE IN PROCEDURE IN THE FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS TO THE PLANE THAT CRASHED DID A POOR JOB. LET US IMAGINE THIS DISASTROUS FAILURE BY THIS YOUNG AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS CARRIED OUT BEFORE MONDAY 23 AND THAT IT ALL LED TO A BREAKDOWN OF THE FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS. CONSEQUENTLY, IF ALL THAT HAPPENED THEN, WE COULD UNDERSTAND WHY “SOME GERMANWINGS PILOTS AND CABIN CREW HAVE REFUSED TO FLY FOLLOWING THE CARRIER´S UNEXPLAINED CRASH IN THE FRENCH ALPS. (TIME. MARCH 26, 2015). THE FOLLOWING QUOTE, APART FROM BEING SELF-EXPLANATORY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION TO HELP US ALL UNVEIL THE TRUTH BEHIND THIS TRAGIC NIGHTMARE: “IN DECEMBER, HOWEVER, REGULATORS ORDERED A CHANGE IN PROCEDURE AFTER COMPUTERS ON A SIMILAR JET – ALSO OPERATED BY LUFTHANSA BETWEEN SPAIN AND GERMANY – PUSHED IT DOWNWARDS AS IT TRIED TO LEVEL OFF, FORCING PILOTS TO INTERVENE (REUTERS.EDITION U.S. MARCH 25, 2015).
TESTING THE WATERS BEFORE AN AIRCRAFT TAKES OFF IS SUPPOSED TO BE MANDATORY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS USUALLY THE CASE THAT BIG COMPANIES UNINTENTIONALLY HIRE A BLACK SHEEP. WHEN ONE OF THESE BLACK SHEEP HAPPENS TO BE WORKING IN AN AIRCRAFT COMPANY THEN WE ARE ALL IN TROUBLE, WE AS PASSENGERS AND THE COMPANY ITSELF, BECAUSE THE COMPANY IS DOING ITS JOB TRUSTING EVERY WORKER ON THE JOB THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN FEELS LAZY AND DOES HIS JOB, SAY JUST 70%? THE ANSWER IS THIS QUOTE: “U.S. DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE JAMES CLAPPER TOLD AN AVIATION-SECURITY CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER THAT THE DANGER OF “MALICIOUS INSIDERS WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY IS EVEN SCARIER” THAN THE THREAT FROM POTENTIAL SUICIDE ATTACKS ON PLANES WITH EXPLOSIVES” (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.WORLD NEWS. MARCH 28, 2015). THIS IS THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION AS TO THIS WHOLE TRAGEDY.
4. MR. LUBITZ WAS A VERY WELL-BALANCED, HEALTHY PERSON WHO MANAGED TO RISE TO THE OCCASION. “PETER RUECKER, A FRIEND OF MR. LUBITZ FROM HIS HOME AIR CLUB, LSC WESTERWALD, SAID HE DIDN´T BELIEVE HE WAS CAPABLE OF SUCH A THING “AS FLYING WAS HIS DREAM”. HE SAID “HE WAS A VERY CALM, A VERY PRECISE YOUNG MAN” (THE TELEGRAPH. APRIL 3, 2015). HIS NORMAL BREATHING UNTIL THE VERY LAST SECOND OF HIS LIFE SHOWS US THE TEMPERANCE AND BALANCE OF A BRAVE, GREAT PILOT AND PERSON AS HE WAS. “AMID THE CACOPHONY MR. LUBITZ REMAINED SILENT, THE PROSECUTOR SAID. THE ONLY SOUND COMING FROM THE CO-PILOT, MR. ROBIN SAID, WAS HIS BREATHING. THE PROSECUTOR MARVELED AT HOW IT DIDN´T WAVER AS THE A320 ENTERED THE FINAL STAGES OF ITS COLLISION COURSE” (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.WORLD NEWS. MARCH 28, 2015). THIS IS ANOTHER REALLY SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF INFORMATION TO UNCODE THIS WHOLE SITUATION. MR. LUBITZ DID NOT SAY A SINGLE WORD, “MR. ROBIN SAID, ADDING: “IT´S NOT THE BREATHING OF SOMEONE WHO IS HAVING A HEART ATTACK”. PILOTS ARE BRAVE HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE TRAINED TO TACKLE EXTREME SITUATIONS, EVEN THE WORST ONES LIKE THIS CASE, AND THEY ARE TRAINED TO BEHAVE AS MR. LUBITZ DID, THAT IS, BEING RIGHT THERE UNTIL THE VERY END, TRYING TO MAKE IT THROUGH, WITHOUT HAVING AN ATTACK OF NERVES. NO PILOT IS TRAINED TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES. QUITE THE CONTRARY THEY ARE GROOMED TO ACT AS MR. LUBITZ DID, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EVERYTHING WE HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED, WHICH PROBABLY HAPPENED.
MR. LUBITZ WAS A RUNNER. HE WAS INTERESTED IN MUSIC AND HAD MANY FRIENDS. LET US IMAGINE MR. LUBITZ WAS AN OUTSTANDING PILOT AND A GOOD PERSON, WHO TRIED TO SAVE ALL PASSENGERS AND THE AIRCRAFT TOO. LET US IMAGINE HE WENT THROUGH AN ASPHYXIATING NIGHTMARE ALL BY HIMSELF, ONCE THE FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS STOPPED WORKING AND THE AIRCRAFT DID NOTHING ELSE BUT DESCEND IN AN UNCONTROLLED MODE, SINCE THE CONTROLLED ONE PROBABLY DID NOT WORK. “A NEIGHBOUR TOLD THE GERMAN NEWSPAPER RHEIN-ZEITUNG: “HIS BIG DREAM WAS TO BECOME A PILOT. HE PURSUED AND ACHIEVED HIS GOAL WITH VIGOUR, AND HE WAS FRIENDLY. WE OFTEN SAW HIM GO JOGGING PAST THE HOUSE” (WESTERN DAILY PRESS .MARCH 27, 2015). “HE WAS AN OPEN, ENGAGED, HELPFUL MAN WITH AN ENORMOUSLY POSITIVE PRESENCE,” ELKE BONN, HEAD OF THE KINDERGARTEN ATTENDED BY HIS TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, TOLD THE MAGAZINE BUNTE. SHE ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD HELPED OUT AT PARTIES AND DELIBERATELY SWITCHED TO SHORTER FLIGHTS A YEAR AGO SO HE COULD SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY”. “SPEAKING TO THE FRENCH NEWS OUTLET EUROPE 1, A FORMER COLLEAGUE NAMED ONLY AS “DIETER” DESCRIBED THE CAPTAIN MR. LUBITZ AS “ONE OF OUR BEST PILOTS”. “HE WAS VERY RELIABLE – I´M 100% CONVINCED HE DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PREVENT THE CRASH” (THE GUARDIAN. MARCH 30, 2015). “THE CO-PILOT DIDN´T BEHAVE IN A PECULIAR OR EXTREME MANNER, AND PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM HAVE EXPRESSED SHOCK AT THIS WEEK´S EVENTS. “HE´S NOT THE TYPE OF GUY WHO WOULD TRY AND KILL OTHER PEOPLE – ABSOLUTELY NOT,” A NEIGHBOUR SAID YESTERDAY. ANOTHER TOLD ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT MR. LUBITZ DIDN´T SMOKE AND TOOK CARE OF HIMSELF”. “HE WAS REALLY JUST A VERY NORMAL, NOT VERY REMARKABLE NICE YOUNG MAN,” SAID KLAUS RADKE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FLYING CLUB, NEAR MONTABAUR IN GERMANY, WHERE MR. LUBITZ HAD LEARNT TO FLY” (BBC NEWS. MARCH 27, 2015).
MR. LUBITZ AND HIS COLLEAGES HAD A RAPPORT. “OTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT MR. LUBITZ´S BEHAVIOUR SEEMED NORMAL IN THE MONTHS BEFORE THE CRASH. FELLOW GERMANWINGS PILOT FRANK WOITON, WHO ALSO LIVES IN MONTABAUR, SAID HE HAD FLOWN WITH MR. LUBITZ 3 WEEKS AGO AND HAD LEFT HIM IN SOLE CHARGE OF THE CONTROLS. “HE TALKED ABOUT HIS TRAINING AND HOW HAPPY HE WAS. HE SAID THAT HE WANTED TO FLY LONG-HAUL AND BECOME A CAPTAIN. HE HAD MASTERED FLYING AND WAS IN CONTROL. THAT´S WHY I ALSO LEFT HIM ALONE IN THE COCKPIT TO GO TO THE TOILET” (THE GUARDIAN. MARCH 28, 2015). “IN THE GERMAN TOWN OF MONTABAUR, ACQUAINTANCES AND NEIGHBOURS WHO HAD SEEN MR. LUBITZ GROW UP SAID HE WAS IN HIS LATE TWENTIES AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF DEPRESSION WHEN THEY SAW HIM LAST AUTUMN”. “HE WAS HAPPY HE HAD THE JOB WITH GERMANWINGS AND HE WAS DOING WELL”, SAID A MEMBER OF A GLIDER CLUB, PETER RUECKER, WHO WATCHED HIM LEARN TO FLY. “HE GAVE OFF A GOOD FEELING. HE WAS A TRUSTED PILOT AND AVIATION AUTHORITIES CONSIDERED HIM A “POSITIVE EXAMPLE” (WESTERN DAILY PRESS. MARCH 26, 2015).
“FRENCH AIR ACCIDENT EXPERTS SAID THAT “…THEN HE CALMLY STEERED FLIGHT 4U9525 INTO A MOUNTAIN…”(THE GUARDIAN. MARCH 28, 2015). NOBODY, NO PILOT WHO WANTED TO CRASH A PLANE OR WHO FELT SUICIDAL WOULD STEER AN AIRCRAFT CALMLY. A SUICIDAL PERSON WOULD HAVE RATHER DONE IT VIOLENTLY. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD MR. LUBITZ WANTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE, WHICH WE DO NOT BELIEVE. A MENTALLY ILL PILOT WHO WANTS TO PUT AN END TO HIS LIFE DOES NOT CONFIRM THE NEXT NAVIGATIONAL WAYPOINT, ENDING WITH A CALL-SIGN AND “THANK YOU”” (REUTERS. EDITION U.S. MARCH 25, 2015). DISTURBED PEOPLE NEVER BEHAVE THAT WAY BECAUSE THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO.
LET US IMAGINE MR. LUBITZ TOOK THAT BREAK OF A YEAR AND A HALF WHILE TRAINING DUE TO A BURNOUT. MANY PEOPLE GO THROUGH THAT AND GET OVER IT LIKE MR. LUBITZ DID. ON TOP OF THAT, ANYONE, NO MATTER WHO OR UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS, EVEN A PILOT, IS FREE TO TAKE A BREAK WHENEVER HE CONSIDERS IT NECESSARY. WHO SAID THAT WE ARE ALL THE SAME? NOBODY, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT. WHO SAID THAT WE, 7 BILLION DIFFERENT PEOPLE, ARE TO HAVE CONTINUING CAREERS WITH NO BREAKS IN BETWEEN? NOBODY, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT TRUE. ANYONE WHO THINKS OTHERWISE HAS MENTAL CONSTRICTIONS, WHICH MAKE HIM MUD THE WATERS WHERE HE SHOULD NOT. ALL THIS IS BACKED UP BY LUFTHANSA PROFESSIONALS´ QUOTES LIKE THIS ONE: “THE CO-PILOT, MR. LUBITZ, BROKE OFF HIS TRAINING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT LUFTHANSA CARSTEN SOPHR SAID THIS WAS NOT UNUSUAL, HIGHLIGHTING THAT THE AIRLINE PICKS ITS CREW VERY CAREFULLY AND SUBJECTS THEM TO PSYCHOLOGICAL VETTING” (REUTERS. EDITION U.S. MARCH 26, 2015). LET US IMAGINE MR. LUBITZ GOT TO KNOW ABOUT SOME COLLEAGUES WHO STRUGGLED THROUGH SOME UNWILLING DESCENTS BECAUSE OF A FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS FAILURE. LET US IMAGINE ONCE MR. LUBITZ KNEW ABOUT THESE SCARY SITUATIONS SOME OF HIS COLLEAGUES HAD TO FACE MR. LUBITZ STARTED HAVING NIGHTMARES AT NIGHT, BEING HIS EXACT WORDS SOMETHING LIKE: “WE ARE GOING DOWN!!”. LET US IMAGINE THIS FEARFUL STATE OF MIND EVOLVED INTO AN ANXIETY EPISODE WHICH TRIGGERED RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND (LIKE IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ANY HUMAN BEING GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES), AND FORCED HIM TO GET SOME MEDICATION. LET US IMAGINE THE REASON WHY HE ENDED UP HAVING EYESIGHT PROBLEMS WAS PSYCHOSOMATIC, BECAUSE OF THE ANXIETY HE WAS GOING THROUGH. LET US IMAGINE THAT ANXIETY EPISODE WAS THE RESULT OF SOME DESCENT SCARY CIRCUMSTANCES SOME OF HIS COLLEAGUES TOLD HIM ABOUT. “IT EMERGED ON FRIDAY THAT MR. LUBITZ HAD VISITED DUSSELDORF UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL ON 10 MARCH, FOR WHAT THE HOSPITAL WOULD ONLY DESCRIBE AS “DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION”. CITING PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY, A BRIEF HOSPITAL STATEMENT SAID IT WOULD NOT REVEAL ANY FURTHER DETAILS, BUT INSISTED THAT MEDIA REPORTS THAT HE HAD BEEN TREATED FOR DEPRESSION THERE HAD BEEN FALSE. THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED THAT THE TREATMENT HAD BEEN FOR EYESIGHT PROBLEMS. HE SOUGHT TREATMENT FOR VISION PROBLEMS” (THE GUARDIAN. MARCH 30, 2015). WE ALL KNOW MR. LUBITZ SUFFERED FROM A DETACHED RETINA. LET US IMAGINE HIS DETACHED RETINA HAD PHYSICAL CAUSES, LET US IMAGINE THESE PHYSICAL CAUSES WERE THE NIGHTMARES AND LACK OF SLEEP WHICH LED TO STRESS, AND STRESS TRIGGERED POOR VISION. INDEED, HEALTH AND LIFE ARE CIRCLES THEMSELVES. GIVEN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES MR. LUBITZ FEARED LOSING HIS JOB WITH GERMANWINGS (LIKE ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING WOULD). WE CAN ALL IMAGINE, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, AS WE DO BELIEVE IT SO, THAT MR. LUBITZ MUST HAVE BEEN UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE. HOWEVER, THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THAT PRESSURE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH DRIVING A PILOT TO CRASH A PLANE. LET US IMAGINE THAT MR. LUBITZ WAS WRONGLY DIAGNOSED WITH A “SEVERE DEPRESSIVE EPISODE” (THE GUARDIAN. WORLD NEWS. MARCH 28, 2015) BY A PSYCHIATRIST, BUT INSTEAD HE WAS JUST BURNOUT. THE DUSSELDORF HOSPITAL WHERE MR. LUBITZ WAS RECENTLY TREATED DENIED THAT HE HAD BEEN TREATED FOR DEPRESSION. LET US IMAGINE THE FIRST ANXIETY EPISODE GREW BIGGER DUE TO THE DETACHED RETINA EPISODE LATER ON, BUT FINALLY HE GOT OVER IT ALL AND RESUMED ONCE HE WAS FIT TO FLY. LET US IMAGINE THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TAKE SOME ANXIETY PILLS, AS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DO, FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, AND BECAUSE OF THAT THEY ARE SAID TO HAVE GONE THROUGH A PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT. WE ALL KNOW THAT PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT TERMINOLOGY STIGMATIZES ANYONE AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE THIS WAY. STIGMATIZING HUMAN BEINGS SUCH WAY IS JUST NEITHER FAIR, HEALTHY NOR TRUE.
ALL LUFTHANSA SPOKESPEOPLE AND LUFTHANSA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ARE DOING THEIR JOB REMARKABLY WELL, AS WE ALL EXPECTED. BOTH LUFTHANSA AND GERMANWINGS ARE SUFFERING A LOT WITH THIS TRAGEDY. DEFINITELY, NONE OF US WANT THIS TRAGEDY TO HAPPEN EVER AGAIN. CONSEQUENTLY, AFTER EVALUATING THE WHOLE SITUATION THESE TWO MEASURES SHOULD BE ADOPTED IMMEDIATELY:
1. WHATEVER CHANGES AN AIRCRAFT TECNICIAN IMPLEMENTS ON THE FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEMS, THEY SHOULD BE CHECKED ONCE AGAIN BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN FOR SAFETY REASONS. THAT WILL BE WORTH DOING IT, AND THE MONEY IT COSTS WORTH SPENDING.
2. ALL AIRCRAFT TECHNICIANS´SALARIES SHOULD BE RAISED, BUT EVERY AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN SHOULD BE HIGHLY PREPARED FOR THE JOB. MORAL VIRTUES SHOULD BE HIGHLY VALUED IN ANY AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN, SINCE TOO MANY LIVES COULD BE AT STAKE
HAVING SAID ALL THIS, LET US BE CAUTIOUS, AND LET US ADMIT THE PILOT WOULD NOT HAVE ASKED MR. LUBITZ TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT IF MR. LUBITZ HAD SHOWN ANY SIGNS OF DEPRESSION. DEPRESSION IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN HIDE. WHAT WE CANNOT DO IS BE DEVIOUS AND DISTORT ANDREAS´ TRUTH. LET US IMAGINE HE WAS A BRILLIANT PILOT WHO STRUGGLED THROUGH LIKE A HERO TO THE VERY LAST SECONDS TO SAVE THE 149 PEOPLE FROM DEATH. WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET ANYONE MUD MR. LUBITZ´S WATERS. ANDREAS LUBITZ LED AN HONOURABLE LIFE AND WAS WORKING FOR A WELL-REGARDED AIRLINE LIKE GERMANWINGS WAS AND IS STILL, DESPITE THIS UNFORTUNATE YET ISOLATED INCIDENT.
AFTER ALL THESE ARGUMENTS THE CONCLUSION WE DRAW IS THAT MR. LUBITZ DID NOT CRASH IT DELIBERATELY. ANDREAS LUBITZ WAS A PERSON WHO NEVER SHOWED VIOLENCE TOWARDS ANYONE AND ALWAYS BEHAVED WELL. NO PILOT WHO HAD WANTED TO CRASH A PLANE WOULD HAVE BEEN PILOTING IT UNTIL THE FINAL STAGES, SUFFERING THE IMPACT OF IT ALL, LIKE NOBODY CAN IMAGINE, SINCE HE WAS IN THE FRONTLINE, IN THE LINE OF DUTY FOR THE BEST AND FOR THE WORST TOO. “NO RESPONSE OF CO-PILOT; ALL WE CAN HEAR IS THE SOUND OF BREATHING UNTIL IMPACT, SUGGESTING THE CO-PILOT WAS ALIVE UNTIL IMPACT” (THE TELEGRAPH. APRIL 3, 2015). TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IT IS CRUCIAL TO GIVE BACK TO MR. LUBITZ WHAT HE REALLY DESERVES. THIS DOCUMENT IS A MEANS OF DOING IT SO BY PAYING TRIBUTE TO MR. LUBITZ FOR HIS BRAVERY AND PROFESSIONAL APPROACH UNTIL THE FINAL STRETCH. LET US ALL THINK TWICE BEFORE GOING AGAINST SOMEONE WHO IS DEAD, SOMEONE WHO CANNOT DEFEND HIMSELF AND SOMEONE WHO WAS A VICTIM LIKE THE OTHER 149 PASSENGERS ON BOARD AS WELL. MR. LUBITZ DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME, BUT HE HAD ENOUGH COURAGE. HE HAD THE COURAGE OF A HERO WHO GRAPPLES WITH A GIGANTIC MISFORTUNE UNTIL THE VERY END. GOD RESTS MR. LUBITZ´S AND THE OTHER 149 PASSENGERS´ SOULS AND TRUTH BE TOLD!
