1 00:00:02,135 --> 00:00:04,504 NARRATOR: Aircraft debris litters the French Alps. 2 00:00:04,571 --> 00:00:07,073 HEIKE (Archive): This is a tragic moment for Lufthansa, 3 00:00:07,140 --> 00:00:11,144 and it's really a dark day in our history. 4 00:00:11,211 --> 00:00:14,180 NICOLA: People want answers quickly. 5 00:00:14,247 --> 00:00:17,550 NARRATOR: The fatal flight path of Germanwings 9525 6 00:00:17,617 --> 00:00:19,486 seems inexplicable. 7 00:00:19,552 --> 00:00:21,354 ROMAIN: Completely under control right up until the end. 8 00:00:21,421 --> 00:00:23,022 HANS: What was the reason for it? 9 00:00:23,089 --> 00:00:24,257 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, this is Marseille. 10 00:00:24,324 --> 00:00:26,359 Come in, please. 11 00:00:26,426 --> 00:00:27,961 ♪ 12 00:00:28,027 --> 00:00:30,363 ROMAIN: What's going on? 13 00:00:30,430 --> 00:00:33,333 NARRATOR: Black box data points to a shocking possibility. 14 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:34,567 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Lubitz! 15 00:00:34,634 --> 00:00:36,836 ROMAIN: As a safety investigator you, you think: 16 00:00:36,903 --> 00:00:38,071 How could this happen? 17 00:00:38,138 --> 00:00:39,873 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Open this damn door! 18 00:00:39,939 --> 00:00:43,910 NARRATOR: One so dark it's almost beyond belief. 19 00:01:01,861 --> 00:01:07,667 ♪ 20 00:01:07,734 --> 00:01:12,172 NARRATOR: It's a sunny morning at Barcelona Airport in Spain. 21 00:01:12,238 --> 00:01:15,742 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: After-start checklist. Anti-ice. 22 00:01:15,809 --> 00:01:18,878 FO. LUBITZ: Anti-ice off. CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Rudder trim. 23 00:01:18,945 --> 00:01:21,648 FO. LUBITZ: Rudder trim is zero. 24 00:01:21,714 --> 00:01:24,184 NARRATOR: The crew of Germanwings Flight 9525 25 00:01:24,250 --> 00:01:27,921 is preparing for departure. 26 00:01:27,987 --> 00:01:31,491 Most of the 144 passengers are from Germany and Spain, 27 00:01:31,558 --> 00:01:34,160 drawn by the airline's low fares. 28 00:01:34,227 --> 00:01:37,797 HANS: Germanwings was founded in 2002. 29 00:01:37,864 --> 00:01:41,167 It's part of Lufthansa Group. 30 00:01:41,234 --> 00:01:46,806 It always has been a low-cost carrier serving European routes. 31 00:01:46,873 --> 00:01:48,641 NARRATOR: A group of German high school students 32 00:01:48,708 --> 00:01:50,777 who've just finished a cultural exchange 33 00:01:50,844 --> 00:01:52,779 is on the flight to Dusseldorf. 34 00:01:52,846 --> 00:01:55,048 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Seat forward, please. 35 00:01:55,114 --> 00:01:56,749 CHILD: Mama. MARIA: Yeah. 36 00:01:56,816 --> 00:01:59,052 NARRATOR: Singer Maria Radner is traveling with her husband 37 00:01:59,118 --> 00:02:01,988 and young son. 38 00:02:02,055 --> 00:02:03,756 The rising opera star just completed 39 00:02:03,823 --> 00:02:06,626 a string of performances in Spain. 40 00:02:06,693 --> 00:02:11,264 KLAUS (translated): I was very proud of Maria. 41 00:02:11,331 --> 00:02:13,833 It made me so happy that she had chosen a profession 42 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:16,669 that she truly loved, making music 43 00:02:16,736 --> 00:02:19,405 and using her beautiful voice to bring people joy. 44 00:02:24,477 --> 00:02:25,612 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Flight attendants, 45 00:02:25,678 --> 00:02:28,348 please take your seats for takeoff. 46 00:02:28,414 --> 00:02:29,916 NARRATOR: Captain Patrick Sondenheimer 47 00:02:29,983 --> 00:02:32,318 is a former Lufthansa First Officer 48 00:02:32,385 --> 00:02:37,156 who recently transferred to Germanwings. 49 00:02:37,223 --> 00:02:40,426 HANS: That was a good opportunity to change from 50 00:02:40,493 --> 00:02:44,364 co-pilot, be upgraded as a captain and fly for Germanwings 51 00:02:44,430 --> 00:02:46,099 on the European route. 52 00:02:46,165 --> 00:02:47,901 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: You have control? 53 00:02:47,967 --> 00:02:51,037 FO. LUBITZ: I have control. 54 00:02:51,104 --> 00:02:52,639 NARRATOR: First Officer Andreas Lubitz, 55 00:02:52,705 --> 00:02:54,841 who has been with the airline for just over a year, 56 00:02:54,908 --> 00:02:56,476 will handle the flying. 57 00:02:56,543 --> 00:02:59,178 HANS: As a co-pilot, you're learning every hour, 58 00:02:59,245 --> 00:03:01,080 every day on every flight. 59 00:03:01,147 --> 00:03:04,651 ♪ 60 00:03:04,717 --> 00:03:06,753 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Cleared for takeoff zero-seven-right, 61 00:03:06,819 --> 00:03:08,421 Germanwings 9525. 62 00:03:08,488 --> 00:03:15,662 ♪ 63 00:03:15,728 --> 00:03:17,730 FO. LUBITZ: Takeoff thrust. 64 00:03:24,637 --> 00:03:26,039 NARRATOR: It's a routine takeoff 65 00:03:26,105 --> 00:03:29,442 on an ordinary Tuesday morning. 66 00:03:29,509 --> 00:03:35,381 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: 80 knots. FO. LUBITZ: Crosscheck. 67 00:03:35,448 --> 00:03:38,585 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: V-1. Rotate. 68 00:03:42,689 --> 00:03:45,959 NARRATOR: Just after 10 a.m., Germanwings Flight 9525 69 00:03:46,025 --> 00:03:48,361 gets airborne. 70 00:03:48,428 --> 00:03:50,029 HANS: Two, three minutes after takeoff 71 00:03:50,096 --> 00:03:55,268 they must have broken cloud and been climbing out into the sun. 72 00:03:55,335 --> 00:03:58,938 FO. LUBITZ: Autopilot on? CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Autopilot on. 73 00:04:01,808 --> 00:04:03,977 NARRATOR: They're heading northeast over the Gulf of Lyon 74 00:04:04,043 --> 00:04:06,579 towards the French Alps. 75 00:04:06,646 --> 00:04:11,050 They should be in Dusseldorf in just over two hours. 76 00:04:11,117 --> 00:04:13,052 Twenty-seven minutes into the flight, 77 00:04:13,119 --> 00:04:17,123 the plane reaches its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet. 78 00:04:20,927 --> 00:04:23,396 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Marseille, Germanwings 9525. 79 00:04:23,463 --> 00:04:26,399 I'm at flight level 380. 80 00:04:26,466 --> 00:04:28,968 NARRATOR: Air traffic control in Marseille tracks the plane 81 00:04:29,035 --> 00:04:31,771 as it crosses France. 82 00:04:31,838 --> 00:04:33,106 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Good morning, Germanwings. 83 00:04:33,172 --> 00:04:35,508 Direct to IRMAR. 84 00:04:35,575 --> 00:04:40,346 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Direct to IRMAR. Merci. Germanwings 9525. 85 00:04:40,413 --> 00:04:45,118 HANS: IRMAR is a well-known waypoint in the French Alps, 86 00:04:45,184 --> 00:04:49,255 a point you over fly when you do this route 87 00:04:49,322 --> 00:04:52,825 and then you don't talk to ATC any longer 88 00:04:52,892 --> 00:04:56,329 until they tell you to start your descent. 89 00:04:56,396 --> 00:04:59,532 ♪ 90 00:04:59,599 --> 00:05:01,734 FO. LUBITZ: If you need to go to the bathroom, now's your chance. 91 00:05:01,801 --> 00:05:10,610 ♪ 92 00:05:10,677 --> 00:05:13,012 NARRATOR: Four minutes later, the controller in Marseille 93 00:05:13,079 --> 00:05:16,249 notices something odd. 94 00:05:16,315 --> 00:05:17,950 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, Marseille. 95 00:05:18,017 --> 00:05:20,687 Confirm what cruising altitude you're cleared for. 96 00:05:20,753 --> 00:05:24,891 NARRATOR: Flight 9525 is descending without permission. 97 00:05:24,957 --> 00:05:28,094 HANS: Well if the air traffic controller sees an airplane 98 00:05:28,161 --> 00:05:32,598 leaving its assigned altitude, of course he wants to know why, 99 00:05:32,665 --> 00:05:36,436 because he hasn't give him clearance to descend. 100 00:05:36,502 --> 00:05:40,673 So he of course wants to inquire, why are you descending? 101 00:05:40,740 --> 00:05:41,808 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, this is Marseille. 102 00:05:41,874 --> 00:05:45,445 Come in please. We've got a problem here. 103 00:05:45,511 --> 00:05:49,348 Germanwings unresponsive, descending rapidly. 104 00:05:49,415 --> 00:05:52,385 HANS: It must be a big surprise seeing this airplane descending 105 00:05:52,452 --> 00:05:56,489 without any communication. 106 00:05:56,556 --> 00:05:58,291 NARRATOR: The plane is dropping steadily. 107 00:05:58,357 --> 00:06:03,429 In just minutes, it's lost ten thousand feet. 108 00:06:03,496 --> 00:06:05,264 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, come in. Do you read me? 109 00:06:05,331 --> 00:06:11,037 ♪ 110 00:06:11,104 --> 00:06:13,773 MARIA: Are we landing already? 111 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:16,509 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: It seems odd. We shouldn't be. 112 00:06:16,576 --> 00:06:26,419 ♪ 113 00:06:26,486 --> 00:06:29,255 NARRATOR: The control center is now in emergency mode. 114 00:06:29,322 --> 00:06:32,024 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Now approaching 25,000 feet. 115 00:06:32,091 --> 00:06:34,160 HANS: So maybe they need help? 116 00:06:34,227 --> 00:06:37,096 They are in an emergent descent or something? 117 00:06:37,163 --> 00:06:38,264 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, this is Marseille. 118 00:06:38,331 --> 00:06:39,532 Come in, please. 119 00:06:39,599 --> 00:06:42,602 HANS: But to help the crew they need to have contact 120 00:06:42,668 --> 00:06:45,138 to the crew. 121 00:06:45,204 --> 00:06:47,106 NARRATOR: The Airbus is hurtling downwards 122 00:06:47,173 --> 00:06:52,478 at maximum operating speed, an astonishing 350 knots. 123 00:06:52,545 --> 00:06:54,113 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, come in! 124 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:57,116 Lima-Echo-X-ray relay from Marseille. 125 00:06:57,183 --> 00:07:01,120 I need you to try and contact Germanwings 9525. 126 00:07:01,187 --> 00:07:03,356 What is their situation? 127 00:07:03,422 --> 00:07:05,625 HANS: And there was even another airplane 128 00:07:05,691 --> 00:07:10,429 that tried to relay air traffic control's requests. 129 00:07:10,496 --> 00:07:14,033 PILOT: 9525, how do you read? 130 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:16,469 HANS: But there was no answer. 131 00:07:16,536 --> 00:07:20,239 NARRATOR: The plane has dropped below seven thousand feet. 132 00:07:20,306 --> 00:07:23,209 The towering mountains loom closer. 133 00:07:23,276 --> 00:07:25,912 It's been ten minutes with no radio contact, 134 00:07:25,978 --> 00:07:27,847 an eternity for controllers. 135 00:07:27,914 --> 00:07:30,550 HANS: He's powerless. There's nothing he can do about it. 136 00:07:30,616 --> 00:07:32,285 He just has to watch. 137 00:07:32,351 --> 00:07:37,023 It must be absolutely devastating. 138 00:07:37,089 --> 00:07:39,692 AUTOMATION: Pull up. Too low. Terrain. 139 00:07:39,759 --> 00:07:44,430 ♪ 140 00:07:44,497 --> 00:07:46,532 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: We've lost contact. 141 00:07:46,599 --> 00:07:51,370 NARRATOR: The plane is now too low to be detected by radar. 142 00:07:52,872 --> 00:07:54,874 AUTOMATION: Pull up. Too low. 143 00:08:06,285 --> 00:08:11,090 HANS: The airplane really crashed at a very high speed. 144 00:08:11,157 --> 00:08:15,161 It was very important that police forces 145 00:08:15,228 --> 00:08:20,399 get access to the accident site immediately. 146 00:08:20,466 --> 00:08:22,468 NARRATOR: Rescuers race to find the crash site 147 00:08:22,535 --> 00:08:26,038 of Germanwings Flight 9525. 148 00:08:26,105 --> 00:08:28,541 At the same moment, the world's attention turns 149 00:08:28,608 --> 00:08:31,377 to these remote peaks in the French Alps. 150 00:08:31,444 --> 00:08:33,980 NICOLA: The news about this plane crash spread very quickly 151 00:08:34,046 --> 00:08:38,050 on social media. I mean Twitter just lit up. 152 00:08:38,117 --> 00:08:41,721 NARRATOR: Nicola Clarke is a reporter for the New York Times. 153 00:08:41,787 --> 00:08:44,023 NICOLA: Bits and pieces immediately started coming out, 154 00:08:44,090 --> 00:08:47,126 people asking questions on social media 155 00:08:47,193 --> 00:08:51,063 almost simultaneous with the news alerts. 156 00:08:51,130 --> 00:08:52,498 NARRATOR: It takes an hour for searchers 157 00:08:52,565 --> 00:08:57,203 to spot the first remains of Flight 9525. 158 00:08:57,270 --> 00:09:02,308 Hope of finding survivors quickly fades. 159 00:09:02,375 --> 00:09:05,678 NICOLA: The first helicopters that flew over the site 160 00:09:05,745 --> 00:09:08,414 found just sort of an aircraft obliterated 161 00:09:08,481 --> 00:09:13,352 and, you know, just shattered into small bits and pieces. 162 00:09:13,419 --> 00:09:15,821 It was pretty immediate that they concluded 163 00:09:15,888 --> 00:09:19,992 that there couldn't possibly have been any survivors. 164 00:09:20,059 --> 00:09:22,428 NARRATOR: Among the dead, sixteen young students 165 00:09:22,495 --> 00:09:24,330 who will never return home to their families 166 00:09:24,397 --> 00:09:28,467 in Haltern, Germany. 167 00:09:28,534 --> 00:09:31,504 The death of opera singer Maria Radner and her young family 168 00:09:31,570 --> 00:09:33,773 is another devastating loss. 169 00:09:33,839 --> 00:09:38,311 KLAUS (translated): You're overwhelmed by it. 170 00:09:38,377 --> 00:09:40,079 You cannot think about anything 171 00:09:40,146 --> 00:09:43,316 other than the death of your children. 172 00:09:49,021 --> 00:09:52,625 NARRATOR: The enormity of the crash quickly sinks in. 173 00:09:52,692 --> 00:09:54,894 It's the worst air disaster on French soil 174 00:09:54,961 --> 00:09:57,129 in more than three decades. 175 00:09:57,196 --> 00:10:00,032 The aviation community needs an explanation. 176 00:10:00,099 --> 00:10:03,235 HANS: Was it an incapacitation of the pilot? 177 00:10:03,302 --> 00:10:06,472 Was it an, a technical malfunction? 178 00:10:06,539 --> 00:10:09,675 What was the reason for it? 179 00:10:09,742 --> 00:10:13,679 NICOLA: Accidents like this take on a magnitude 180 00:10:13,746 --> 00:10:15,815 and a life of their own. 181 00:10:15,881 --> 00:10:18,884 People want answers quickly. 182 00:10:18,951 --> 00:10:21,220 NARRATOR: The disturbing answers will come more quickly 183 00:10:21,287 --> 00:10:23,289 than anyone imagines. 184 00:10:27,793 --> 00:10:29,829 NARRATOR: The medieval village of Seyne-les-Alpes 185 00:10:29,895 --> 00:10:31,630 has become a makeshift operations center 186 00:10:31,697 --> 00:10:35,801 for the investigation into the Germanwings disaster. 187 00:10:35,868 --> 00:10:39,939 Arnaud Desjardin leads the investigation for the BEA, 188 00:10:40,006 --> 00:10:43,275 the French accident investigation agency. 189 00:10:43,342 --> 00:10:45,077 ARNAUD: Keep personal effects separate from the other debris, 190 00:10:45,144 --> 00:10:46,979 please. 191 00:10:47,046 --> 00:10:50,750 ARNAUD: We knew it was going to be a big job, 192 00:10:50,816 --> 00:10:52,818 big job meaning you would have to coordinate 193 00:10:52,885 --> 00:10:56,455 not only with Airbus and so on, but there was going to be 194 00:10:56,522 --> 00:11:01,227 a big political issue, a big international investigation. 195 00:11:01,293 --> 00:11:04,663 ARNAUD: If there's any sign of the black boxes, let me know. 196 00:11:04,730 --> 00:11:07,299 NARRATOR: Desjardin hopes his team can quickly recover 197 00:11:07,366 --> 00:11:09,335 the plane's flight recorders. 198 00:11:09,402 --> 00:11:12,038 They could hold crucial evidence. 199 00:11:12,104 --> 00:11:13,806 But combing through the wreckage is proving to be 200 00:11:13,873 --> 00:11:16,842 a heart-wrenching task. 201 00:11:16,909 --> 00:11:19,945 ARNAUD: The hardest thing I, I find personally to find 202 00:11:20,012 --> 00:11:25,117 is toys, little dolls, or teddy bears, you know, 203 00:11:25,184 --> 00:11:28,687 that belonged to a, to a child. 204 00:11:31,891 --> 00:11:34,160 NARRATOR: At BEA headquarters near Paris, 205 00:11:34,226 --> 00:11:36,896 Romain Bevillard joins the investigation. 206 00:11:36,962 --> 00:11:40,132 ROMAIN: We need the weather charts, now. 207 00:11:40,199 --> 00:11:42,334 ROMAIN: My part was to gather some facts 208 00:11:42,401 --> 00:11:44,170 on the accident itself, 209 00:11:44,236 --> 00:11:46,272 but at the same time to coordinate 210 00:11:46,338 --> 00:11:48,240 with the judicial authorities, 211 00:11:48,307 --> 00:11:52,978 with our counterparts from Germany, from Spain. 212 00:11:53,045 --> 00:11:54,213 NARRATOR: It's standard procedure 213 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,349 to check if weather conditions might be a factor. 214 00:11:57,416 --> 00:12:00,119 In the Alps, the weather can change in an instant. 215 00:12:00,186 --> 00:12:04,023 ROMAIN: Southern Alps, 10:40 a.m. 216 00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:06,625 ROMAIN: At this stage, you're just trying to understand 217 00:12:06,692 --> 00:12:09,528 what went wrong and what happened. 218 00:12:09,595 --> 00:12:11,931 NARRATOR: But on this morning in this part of the range, 219 00:12:11,997 --> 00:12:14,800 flying conditions were nearly perfect. 220 00:12:14,867 --> 00:12:18,471 ROMAIN: Definitely not a weather problem. 221 00:12:18,537 --> 00:12:20,306 ♪ 222 00:12:20,372 --> 00:12:23,509 NARRATOR: The investigation is just hours old, 223 00:12:23,576 --> 00:12:25,711 but Germany's biggest airline is already under 224 00:12:25,778 --> 00:12:28,013 intense pressure. 225 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,516 HEIKE (Archive): This is a tragic moment for Lufthansa, 226 00:12:30,583 --> 00:12:34,620 and it's really a dark day in our history. 227 00:12:34,687 --> 00:12:37,690 NARRATOR: The town of Haltern, Germany, is in mourning. 228 00:12:37,756 --> 00:12:43,696 MAYOR (Archive, translated): You can sense a state of shock all around. 229 00:12:43,762 --> 00:12:47,533 It's pretty much the worst thing anyone could imagine. 230 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,602 NARRATOR: The deadly crash comes just two months 231 00:12:49,668 --> 00:12:52,671 after a terrorist killing spree claims seventeen lives 232 00:12:52,738 --> 00:12:54,773 in and around Paris. 233 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:59,912 Many now fear that the terrorists have struck again. 234 00:12:59,979 --> 00:13:02,848 NICOLA: One of the reasons that people speculated 235 00:13:02,915 --> 00:13:05,951 that this might be a terrorism event 236 00:13:06,018 --> 00:13:09,922 was simply the proximity to the attacks 237 00:13:09,989 --> 00:13:11,557 on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper 238 00:13:11,624 --> 00:13:14,693 that left really all of France in a state of shock. 239 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:23,369 ♪ 240 00:13:23,435 --> 00:13:25,905 ROMAIN: Is this the radar track from air traffic control? 241 00:13:25,971 --> 00:13:27,940 Let's get it set up right away. 242 00:13:28,007 --> 00:13:29,909 NARRATOR: Investigators turn to radar data 243 00:13:29,975 --> 00:13:35,915 in the hope of discovering if a bomb blast is a possible cause. 244 00:13:35,981 --> 00:13:40,319 ROMAIN: Let's see how this plane was flying. 245 00:13:40,386 --> 00:13:41,587 NARRATOR: They study the flight path, 246 00:13:41,654 --> 00:13:44,523 noting altitude, time and direction. 247 00:13:44,590 --> 00:13:50,362 What they find is a straight, controlled path downwards. 248 00:13:50,429 --> 00:13:54,567 ROMAIN: Completely under control right up until the end. 249 00:13:54,633 --> 00:13:56,702 ROMAIN: It was looking like a normal descent. 250 00:13:56,769 --> 00:13:59,271 It's just that it was not happening at let's say 251 00:13:59,338 --> 00:14:02,007 the proper time. 252 00:14:02,074 --> 00:14:05,511 NARRATOR: The data strongly suggests no bomb. 253 00:14:05,578 --> 00:14:07,746 ROMAIN: If we had a bomb onboard the aircraft, 254 00:14:07,813 --> 00:14:11,383 we would probably have seen evidence of in-flight breakup 255 00:14:11,450 --> 00:14:16,188 and we may have lost radar information. 256 00:14:16,255 --> 00:14:17,823 NARRATOR: The wreckage confirms it. 257 00:14:17,890 --> 00:14:20,659 Recovery crews are finding thousands of small pieces 258 00:14:20,726 --> 00:14:22,861 in a fairly confined area. 259 00:14:22,928 --> 00:14:24,430 ARNAUD: I don't think so. 260 00:14:24,496 --> 00:14:26,732 NARRATOR: A bomb blast would send large pieces falling 261 00:14:26,799 --> 00:14:28,934 over a much wider space. 262 00:14:29,001 --> 00:14:30,836 ARNAUD: This is not a bomb blast. 263 00:14:30,903 --> 00:14:34,106 NARRATOR: Investigators are desperate for a lead. 264 00:14:34,173 --> 00:14:36,675 They wonder if the Marseille air traffic controllers 265 00:14:36,742 --> 00:14:38,877 have any information that might help explain 266 00:14:38,944 --> 00:14:41,580 the strangely steady flight path. 267 00:14:41,647 --> 00:14:43,616 ROMAIN: A very straight line. 268 00:14:43,682 --> 00:14:47,152 ROMAIN: The ATC controller is not an eyewitness, 269 00:14:47,219 --> 00:14:49,822 but he may be the last person who talked to the, 270 00:14:49,888 --> 00:14:53,926 to the crew or who could notice anything unusual. 271 00:14:53,993 --> 00:14:55,728 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, Marseille. 272 00:14:55,794 --> 00:15:01,000 Confirm what cruising altitude you're cleared for. 273 00:15:01,066 --> 00:15:04,036 Germanwings, this is Marseille. Come in please. 274 00:15:04,103 --> 00:15:06,972 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: I'd never seen that before. 275 00:15:07,039 --> 00:15:08,707 ROMAIN: So after they confirmed the waypoint, 276 00:15:08,774 --> 00:15:11,477 you never heard from them again? 277 00:15:11,543 --> 00:15:13,112 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Not a word. 278 00:15:13,178 --> 00:15:14,346 NARRATOR: The controllers are just as baffled 279 00:15:14,413 --> 00:15:16,982 as the investigators. 280 00:15:17,049 --> 00:15:19,752 ROMAIN: They indicated to us that they tried to call 281 00:15:19,818 --> 00:15:22,154 the Germanwings flight crew eleven times. 282 00:15:22,221 --> 00:15:23,355 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, this is Marseille. 283 00:15:23,422 --> 00:15:24,390 Come in, please. 284 00:15:24,456 --> 00:15:25,924 ROMAIN: And they never got any answers. 285 00:15:25,991 --> 00:15:28,160 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, come in. Do you read me? 286 00:15:28,227 --> 00:15:30,129 ARNAUD: And the fact that the crew did not respond 287 00:15:30,195 --> 00:15:34,933 to ATC control was intriguing and it was really unusual. 288 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:36,935 NARRATOR: Investigators struggle to understand 289 00:15:37,002 --> 00:15:42,441 Germanwings's mysterious descent into the mountains. 290 00:15:42,508 --> 00:15:45,711 ROMAIN: Have we got through to maintenance yet? 291 00:15:45,778 --> 00:15:49,348 They wonder if a mechanical failure might be to blame. 292 00:15:52,217 --> 00:15:56,188 Something the crew could not control. 293 00:15:56,255 --> 00:16:00,426 The A320 is one of the most popular planes in the sky. 294 00:16:00,492 --> 00:16:04,029 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Anti-ice. FO. LUBITZ: Anti-ice off. 295 00:16:04,096 --> 00:16:05,664 NARRATOR: Investigators worry the Airbus 296 00:16:05,731 --> 00:16:07,866 may have a hidden flaw. 297 00:16:07,933 --> 00:16:09,168 FO. LUBITZ: Rudder trim is zero. 298 00:16:09,234 --> 00:16:12,371 NICOLA: If there is some kind of a technical problem, 299 00:16:12,438 --> 00:16:14,306 especially an aircraft like the A320, 300 00:16:14,373 --> 00:16:16,642 they want to know as quickly as possible 301 00:16:16,709 --> 00:16:20,713 and get that resolved in order to eliminate that risk 302 00:16:20,779 --> 00:16:23,716 for the rest of the flying public. 303 00:16:23,782 --> 00:16:26,585 NARRATOR: One theory fits the strange flight path: 304 00:16:26,652 --> 00:16:28,854 loss of cabin pressure. 305 00:16:28,921 --> 00:16:30,656 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: We got a problem here. 306 00:16:30,723 --> 00:16:33,525 Germanwings unresponsive, descending rapidly. 307 00:16:33,592 --> 00:16:35,327 HANS: When the airplane depressurizes 308 00:16:35,394 --> 00:16:38,163 and the pilots do not get enough oxygen, 309 00:16:38,230 --> 00:16:41,100 they will suffer from hypoxia. 310 00:16:41,166 --> 00:16:43,635 In other words, they will lose consciousness 311 00:16:43,702 --> 00:16:44,970 in a very short time, 312 00:16:45,037 --> 00:16:47,773 depending on the altitude of the airplane. 313 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:49,875 At flight level 3-8-0, 314 00:16:49,942 --> 00:16:53,746 they will lose consciousness within about 10 to 15 seconds. 315 00:16:53,812 --> 00:16:55,781 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, come in! 316 00:16:55,848 --> 00:16:58,851 NARRATOR: Hypoxia would explain the radio silence. 317 00:16:58,917 --> 00:17:02,521 It would not be the first time it happened. 318 00:17:02,588 --> 00:17:07,693 In 2005, a Boeing 737 ran into trouble en route to Athens. 319 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,729 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Helios 522, do you read? 320 00:17:10,796 --> 00:17:12,931 All radio contact was lost after 321 00:17:12,998 --> 00:17:17,169 the crew became incapacitated by a lack of oxygen. 322 00:17:17,236 --> 00:17:19,304 NICOLA: The pilots never regained consciousness 323 00:17:19,371 --> 00:17:21,473 and that flight ultimately crashed 324 00:17:21,540 --> 00:17:24,243 when the plane ran out of fuel. 325 00:17:25,711 --> 00:17:28,080 ♪ 326 00:17:28,147 --> 00:17:29,982 NARRATOR: Now investigators want to know 327 00:17:30,048 --> 00:17:33,619 if the same thing happened over the French Alps. 328 00:17:33,685 --> 00:17:36,288 ARNAUD: Hypoxia was a very likely possibility. 329 00:17:46,098 --> 00:17:48,100 NARRATOR: Investigators discover that Germanwings 330 00:17:48,167 --> 00:17:50,369 looked into a mechanical issue with the plane 331 00:17:50,436 --> 00:17:53,338 the day before it crashed. 332 00:17:53,405 --> 00:17:55,374 Were mechanics concerned about something 333 00:17:55,441 --> 00:17:58,577 that could have caused a loss of cabin pressure? 334 00:17:58,644 --> 00:18:02,147 ♪ 335 00:18:02,214 --> 00:18:07,419 ROMAIN: There was a problem, the left nose gear door. 336 00:18:07,486 --> 00:18:10,456 NARRATOR: They soon learn the answer is no. 337 00:18:10,522 --> 00:18:13,425 ROMAIN: Nah. That wouldn't have anything to do with this crash. 338 00:18:13,492 --> 00:18:16,261 HANS: Faulty landing gear door is not an issue at all because it's 339 00:18:16,328 --> 00:18:19,231 well outside the pressurized area of the airplane. 340 00:18:19,298 --> 00:18:22,201 ♪ 341 00:18:22,267 --> 00:18:24,470 ROMAIN: We saw that the aircraft was maintained 342 00:18:24,536 --> 00:18:28,106 according to a proper maintenance program. 343 00:18:28,173 --> 00:18:30,876 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: V-1. Rotate. 344 00:18:30,943 --> 00:18:32,945 ROMAIN: We were quite confident that the aircraft was in a, 345 00:18:33,011 --> 00:18:36,281 in a good structural condition when it took off. 346 00:18:36,348 --> 00:18:39,284 NARRATOR: So far, evidence has ruled out severe weather 347 00:18:39,351 --> 00:18:41,320 and a midair bombing. 348 00:18:41,386 --> 00:18:44,590 There are no red flags in the maintenance records. 349 00:18:44,656 --> 00:18:46,825 Investigators are still in the dark. 350 00:18:46,892 --> 00:18:49,228 ROMAIN: We can't completely rule out hypoxia. 351 00:18:51,096 --> 00:18:54,099 NARRATOR: But before the first day of investigation is through, 352 00:18:54,166 --> 00:18:55,934 the team has a new lead. 353 00:18:56,001 --> 00:18:57,302 ARNAUD: We found it. 354 00:18:57,369 --> 00:19:00,539 NARRATOR: Searchers have found the cockpit voice recorder. 355 00:19:00,606 --> 00:19:03,876 It's in bad shape, but if the data can be retrieved 356 00:19:03,942 --> 00:19:06,478 it could answer a lot of questions. 357 00:19:06,545 --> 00:19:09,214 NICOLA: There was hope that that recording 358 00:19:09,281 --> 00:19:13,452 would reveal something clear about what actually happened. 359 00:19:13,519 --> 00:19:16,588 ♪ 360 00:19:16,655 --> 00:19:18,357 NARRATOR: Crews continue the difficult job 361 00:19:18,423 --> 00:19:21,560 of recovering bodies from the mountains near Seyne-les-Alpes. 362 00:19:21,627 --> 00:19:26,064 ♪ 363 00:19:26,131 --> 00:19:28,267 The local gymnasium is now a welcome center 364 00:19:28,333 --> 00:19:32,070 for grieving families. 365 00:19:32,137 --> 00:19:35,407 Air crash investigators, military police and firefighters 366 00:19:35,474 --> 00:19:38,844 all work the crash site. 367 00:19:38,911 --> 00:19:41,513 Their focus is finding the second black box, 368 00:19:41,580 --> 00:19:43,515 the flight data recorder. 369 00:19:43,582 --> 00:19:46,952 ARNAUD: Literally dozens of, of people looking. 370 00:19:47,019 --> 00:19:49,021 We had difficulties in, in locating it. 371 00:19:49,087 --> 00:19:51,590 But we were not going to leave this accident site 372 00:19:51,657 --> 00:19:54,426 without recovering the flight data recorder. 373 00:19:55,961 --> 00:19:58,830 NARRATOR: French prosecutor Brice Robin arrives on the scene 374 00:19:58,897 --> 00:20:03,835 to oversee a separate criminal investigation. 375 00:20:03,902 --> 00:20:06,004 NICOLA: In France, it's a very different situation. 376 00:20:06,071 --> 00:20:08,206 The French authorities automatically 377 00:20:08,273 --> 00:20:10,642 open two investigations, 378 00:20:10,709 --> 00:20:15,747 a technical investigation into the causes of the crash and 379 00:20:15,814 --> 00:20:20,252 a criminal investigation that ultimately seeks to determine 380 00:20:20,319 --> 00:20:23,455 whether there was any liability. 381 00:20:23,522 --> 00:20:26,992 NARRATOR: The two investigative teams must work side by side. 382 00:20:27,059 --> 00:20:29,695 For now, neither can point to a cause. 383 00:20:29,761 --> 00:20:31,797 There simply isn't enough evidence. 384 00:20:31,863 --> 00:20:33,131 PRESS CONFERENCE (Archive): We cannot understand 385 00:20:33,198 --> 00:20:37,069 how an airplane which was in perfect technical condition 386 00:20:37,135 --> 00:20:41,273 with two experienced and trained Lufthansa pilots 387 00:20:41,340 --> 00:20:46,144 was involved in such a terrible accident. 388 00:20:47,980 --> 00:20:49,381 ROMAIN: Are we ready? 389 00:20:49,448 --> 00:20:50,916 NARRATOR: Could the cockpit voice recording 390 00:20:50,983 --> 00:20:53,151 provide new insights? 391 00:20:53,218 --> 00:20:56,722 ROMAIN: Captain is mic one. First officer is mic two. 392 00:20:56,788 --> 00:20:58,357 ROMAIN: I've worked for six years 393 00:20:58,423 --> 00:21:00,092 as a flight recorder specialist. 394 00:21:00,158 --> 00:21:02,594 We may not be able to understand why everything happened 395 00:21:02,661 --> 00:21:06,298 but at least we have a good starting point. 396 00:21:06,365 --> 00:21:10,602 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: After-start checklist. Anti-ice. 397 00:21:10,669 --> 00:21:12,104 FO. LUBITZ: Anti-ice off. 398 00:21:12,170 --> 00:21:14,573 ROMAIN: Okay. So the captain's running the checklists. 399 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,009 That means the first officer is flying. 400 00:21:17,075 --> 00:21:19,211 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Rudder trim. 401 00:21:19,277 --> 00:21:21,947 FO. LUBITZ: Rudder trim is zero. 402 00:21:22,014 --> 00:21:26,585 The checklists and taxi to the runway are all faultless. 403 00:21:26,652 --> 00:21:29,888 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: 80 knots. FO. LUBITZ: Cross checked. 404 00:21:33,125 --> 00:21:34,926 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: V-1. Rotate. 405 00:21:34,993 --> 00:21:36,828 NARRATOR: The takeoff seems fine. 406 00:21:36,895 --> 00:21:38,530 They hear no hint of any trouble. 407 00:21:38,597 --> 00:21:44,903 ♪ 408 00:21:44,970 --> 00:21:49,608 Twelve minutes later, a flight attendant requests entry 409 00:21:49,675 --> 00:21:51,743 to the cockpit. 410 00:21:51,810 --> 00:21:55,047 HANS: What you can hear there is clicks and clacks 411 00:21:55,113 --> 00:21:58,717 of switches being operated. 412 00:21:58,784 --> 00:22:00,018 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: I'll let her in. 413 00:22:00,085 --> 00:22:02,788 HANS: You can hear cockpit doors opening and closing. 414 00:22:02,854 --> 00:22:07,859 So you're... you have a lot of sounds that can be interpreted. 415 00:22:07,926 --> 00:22:08,994 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: How delayed are we? 416 00:22:09,061 --> 00:22:10,829 Some of the passengers are asking. 417 00:22:10,896 --> 00:22:12,164 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Thirty minutes. 418 00:22:12,230 --> 00:22:15,167 We might make some of that up in the air but not much. 419 00:22:15,233 --> 00:22:17,369 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Okay. Do either of you need anything? 420 00:22:17,436 --> 00:22:18,804 FO. LUBITZ: I'm getting a bit hungry. 421 00:22:18,870 --> 00:22:20,939 Would you mind bringing me some lunch? 422 00:22:21,006 --> 00:22:22,674 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Okay. I'll be right back. 423 00:22:22,741 --> 00:22:24,743 ROMAIN: There was some general talking about the flight. 424 00:22:24,810 --> 00:22:26,645 You could tell by the tone of their voices 425 00:22:26,712 --> 00:22:30,182 that it was like a normal follow-up of the flight. 426 00:22:30,248 --> 00:22:32,884 FO. LUBITZ: If you need to go to the bathroom, now's your chance. 427 00:22:32,951 --> 00:22:36,188 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Good idea. I think I will go. 428 00:22:36,254 --> 00:22:40,692 ♪ 429 00:22:40,759 --> 00:22:42,828 ROMAIN: You can hear noises of a person 430 00:22:42,894 --> 00:22:48,133 going out of the cockpit, 431 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:53,538 and from this point the cockpit gets very quiet. 432 00:22:53,605 --> 00:22:55,040 ROMAIN: The captain's left the cockpit. 433 00:22:55,107 --> 00:22:59,411 The first officer is alone in there. 434 00:22:59,478 --> 00:23:00,746 NARRATOR: It is the exact moment 435 00:23:00,812 --> 00:23:02,614 that the plane starts descending. 436 00:23:02,681 --> 00:23:06,785 ♪ 437 00:23:06,852 --> 00:23:10,522 No voices can be heard in the cockpit for two minutes. 438 00:23:10,589 --> 00:23:13,191 Then three. Then four. 439 00:23:13,258 --> 00:23:15,827 ROMAIN: The captain is still in the bathroom. 440 00:23:15,894 --> 00:23:20,866 The first officer is clearly on his own. 441 00:23:20,932 --> 00:23:22,701 The cockpit microphone picks up the sound 442 00:23:22,768 --> 00:23:26,505 of the first officer breathing, evidence that the plane 443 00:23:26,571 --> 00:23:28,907 did not suffer a fatal depressurization. 444 00:23:28,974 --> 00:23:35,180 ♪ 445 00:23:35,247 --> 00:23:36,815 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, Marseille. 446 00:23:36,882 --> 00:23:42,320 Confirm what cruise altitude you're cleared for. 447 00:23:42,387 --> 00:23:45,857 Germanwings, this is Marseille. Come in, please. 448 00:23:45,924 --> 00:23:48,727 ROMAIN: He's not starved for oxygen. No loss of cabin pressure. 449 00:23:48,794 --> 00:23:51,229 Why isn't he answering ATC? 450 00:23:51,296 --> 00:23:52,898 ♪ 451 00:23:52,964 --> 00:23:54,866 NARRATOR: The strange silence in the cockpit 452 00:23:54,933 --> 00:23:57,569 mystifies investigators. 453 00:23:57,636 --> 00:23:59,404 The search for an explanation 454 00:23:59,471 --> 00:24:01,973 will lead them down a very troubling path. 455 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:11,216 ♪ 456 00:24:11,283 --> 00:24:14,019 NARRATOR: Investigators hear the captain trying to regain access 457 00:24:14,085 --> 00:24:18,023 to the cockpit of Flight 9525. 458 00:24:18,089 --> 00:24:21,226 HANS: The pilot could reenter by pressing a buzzer. 459 00:24:21,293 --> 00:24:24,296 Then the other pilot can watch on the camera 460 00:24:24,362 --> 00:24:29,201 if he has the right to enter the cockpit. 461 00:24:29,267 --> 00:24:33,738 NARRATOR: All he has to do is flip a switch to unlock the door. 462 00:24:36,641 --> 00:24:39,110 But there's no response from Lubitz. 463 00:24:39,177 --> 00:24:40,278 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, this is Marseille. 464 00:24:40,345 --> 00:24:41,746 Come in please. 465 00:24:41,813 --> 00:24:43,215 ROMAIN: What's going on? 466 00:24:43,281 --> 00:24:45,016 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, do you read me? Come in. 467 00:24:45,083 --> 00:24:46,351 ROMAIN: Why isn't he unlocking the door? 468 00:24:49,421 --> 00:24:50,822 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Lubitz. 469 00:24:50,889 --> 00:24:53,959 ARNAUD: We could hear some breathing, but of course 470 00:24:54,025 --> 00:24:55,493 you can breathe and be unconscious. 471 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,129 So, yes, the physical incapacitation 472 00:24:58,196 --> 00:25:00,198 was a possibility. 473 00:25:00,265 --> 00:25:11,810 ♪ 474 00:25:11,877 --> 00:25:14,613 ROMAIN: The intercom's working. We can clearly hear it. 475 00:25:19,784 --> 00:25:23,054 HANS: The buzzer or the call of course is noticeable, 476 00:25:23,121 --> 00:25:27,425 and it is distinguished to any other sounds in the cockpit. 477 00:25:27,492 --> 00:25:30,328 So you know that somebody wants to talk to you 478 00:25:30,395 --> 00:25:32,631 or wants to enter the cockpit. 479 00:25:32,697 --> 00:25:36,434 There's no doubt about that. 480 00:25:36,501 --> 00:25:38,336 NARRATOR: The plane is now well into its descent, 481 00:25:38,403 --> 00:25:42,073 speeding towards the Alps. 482 00:25:43,909 --> 00:25:46,344 ROMAIN: Why isn't he opening the door? Is he unconscious? 483 00:25:46,411 --> 00:25:49,080 NARRATOR: The sound of the banging grows louder and louder. 484 00:25:50,815 --> 00:25:53,551 ROMAIN: Hearing the banging on the door is quite disturbing 485 00:25:53,618 --> 00:25:57,289 because it's not what you're used to listening to 486 00:25:57,355 --> 00:25:58,857 when you listen to CVRs. 487 00:25:58,924 --> 00:26:00,525 ♪ 488 00:26:00,592 --> 00:26:04,696 AUTOMATION: Pull up. Too low. Terrain. Too low. 489 00:26:09,734 --> 00:26:14,339 ♪ 490 00:26:14,406 --> 00:26:16,274 ROMAIN: At the end of the recording we were, you know, 491 00:26:16,341 --> 00:26:20,512 still trying to understand what had happened. 492 00:26:20,578 --> 00:26:21,746 NARRATOR: There seems to be no evidence 493 00:26:21,813 --> 00:26:24,482 of a mechanical failure. 494 00:26:24,549 --> 00:26:28,153 No terrorist group has claimed responsibility. 495 00:26:28,219 --> 00:26:30,855 All investigators know for certain 496 00:26:30,922 --> 00:26:33,425 is that the first officer was alone in the cockpit 497 00:26:33,491 --> 00:26:36,428 when the plane hit the mountains. 498 00:26:36,494 --> 00:26:38,763 ROMAIN: Did he do this on purpose? 499 00:26:38,830 --> 00:26:40,999 NICOLA: There were really sort of one of two possibilities. 500 00:26:41,066 --> 00:26:44,102 Either the pilot was incapacitated 501 00:26:44,169 --> 00:26:50,041 or that this was some kind of suicidal act. 502 00:26:50,108 --> 00:26:53,144 NARRATOR: They are forced to consider the unthinkable, 503 00:26:53,211 --> 00:26:56,081 that First Officer Andreas Lubitz locked his captain 504 00:26:56,147 --> 00:27:00,552 out of the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane. 505 00:27:00,618 --> 00:27:02,854 ROMAIN: Pull everything we've got on Lubitz. 506 00:27:02,921 --> 00:27:05,056 ♪ 507 00:27:05,123 --> 00:27:07,325 NARRATOR: Just three days into the investigation, 508 00:27:07,392 --> 00:27:10,328 the French prosecutor makes an unprecedented move. 509 00:27:10,395 --> 00:27:15,066 He speculates publicly on the cause of the crash. 510 00:27:15,133 --> 00:27:17,602 PRESS CONFERENCE (Archive, translated): The most credible, 511 00:27:17,669 --> 00:27:22,907 the most likely explanation for us 512 00:27:22,974 --> 00:27:27,879 is that the co-pilot voluntarily refused 513 00:27:27,946 --> 00:27:31,316 to open the cockpit door. 514 00:27:31,383 --> 00:27:34,352 NARRATOR: Though all the facts still aren't known, 515 00:27:34,419 --> 00:27:37,522 the prosecutor's statement paints a chilling picture. 516 00:27:37,589 --> 00:27:40,392 NICOLA: It was something that was not only a shock 517 00:27:40,458 --> 00:27:43,395 to the public at large but I think particularly a shock 518 00:27:43,461 --> 00:27:47,932 to the aviation community and to the pilot community. 519 00:27:47,999 --> 00:27:50,435 NARRATOR: Within hours, several European airlines 520 00:27:50,502 --> 00:27:53,304 vow to make rule changes requiring two crew members 521 00:27:53,371 --> 00:27:55,974 in the cockpit at all times. 522 00:27:56,041 --> 00:27:57,208 ROMAIN: Hi, hello, 523 00:27:57,275 --> 00:27:59,077 I'm calling from the Accident Investigation Bureau. 524 00:27:59,144 --> 00:28:00,478 I'm wondering if you had just a few moments 525 00:28:00,545 --> 00:28:04,816 to talk about your colleague, Mr. Andreas Lubitz. 526 00:28:04,883 --> 00:28:07,352 NARRATOR: The BEA's job now is to find out 527 00:28:07,419 --> 00:28:11,056 why a 27-year-old pilot with a bright future ahead of him 528 00:28:11,122 --> 00:28:14,259 might want to deliberately crash a passenger plane. 529 00:28:14,325 --> 00:28:16,661 ROMAIN: As a safety investigator you think, 530 00:28:16,728 --> 00:28:18,396 how could this happen? 531 00:28:18,463 --> 00:28:20,131 ROMAIN: Okay. Thank you very much. 532 00:28:20,198 --> 00:28:21,399 I just need five minutes of your time. 533 00:28:21,466 --> 00:28:23,568 ARNAUD: Yes. Hello. This is Arnaud Desjardin. 534 00:28:23,635 --> 00:28:26,404 ROMAIN: Okay. I understand. 535 00:28:26,471 --> 00:28:28,740 NARRATOR: None of Lubitz's close friends or family 536 00:28:28,807 --> 00:28:29,908 will speak to them. 537 00:28:29,974 --> 00:28:31,576 ARNAUD: How about you? Any success? 538 00:28:31,643 --> 00:28:37,215 ROMAIN: No. No one will talk. 539 00:28:37,282 --> 00:28:41,553 NICOLA: There is a very strong culture of privacy in Germany, 540 00:28:41,619 --> 00:28:45,890 and family members tend to be quite guarded. 541 00:28:45,957 --> 00:28:48,726 NARRATOR: Reporters visit his local flying club. 542 00:28:48,793 --> 00:28:51,463 People there remember Lubitz as an unassuming young man 543 00:28:51,529 --> 00:28:53,164 who loved to fly. 544 00:28:53,231 --> 00:28:58,303 KLAUS (translated): He was a very calm, responsible man. 545 00:28:58,369 --> 00:29:03,908 It's inconceivable. 546 00:29:03,975 --> 00:29:05,510 NARRATOR: In a Dusseldorf neighborhood, 547 00:29:05,577 --> 00:29:07,812 the search for evidence intensifies. 548 00:29:07,879 --> 00:29:11,516 NICOLA: The German police went to Andreas Lubitz's apartment 549 00:29:11,583 --> 00:29:15,887 and started looking for any and every bit of evidence 550 00:29:15,954 --> 00:29:18,790 as to what might have motivated him, 551 00:29:18,857 --> 00:29:22,794 what his mental state might have been. 552 00:29:22,861 --> 00:29:25,263 NARRATOR: An examination of Lubitz's personal life 553 00:29:25,330 --> 00:29:29,767 could answer the question now being asked around the world. 554 00:29:29,834 --> 00:29:32,103 Was there a dark and dangerous alter ego 555 00:29:32,170 --> 00:29:35,173 hiding behind a calm exterior? 556 00:29:39,144 --> 00:29:42,347 NARRATOR: As the perilous recovery work continues in the French Alps, 557 00:29:42,413 --> 00:29:46,184 so does the search for the flight data recorder, 558 00:29:46,251 --> 00:29:48,686 a key piece of evidence that could reveal if the plane 559 00:29:48,753 --> 00:29:51,122 was deliberately flown into the ground. 560 00:29:51,189 --> 00:29:55,660 ♪ 561 00:29:55,727 --> 00:29:57,629 In Paris, aviation investigators dig 562 00:29:57,695 --> 00:29:59,731 into Andreas Lubitz's background, 563 00:29:59,797 --> 00:30:02,834 his training and medical records. 564 00:30:02,901 --> 00:30:05,837 ROMAIN: Okay. Let's see what we've got. 565 00:30:05,904 --> 00:30:08,006 NARRATOR: They go back to Lubitz's basic training 566 00:30:08,072 --> 00:30:12,977 at Lufthansa's Flight Academy in September 2008. 567 00:30:13,044 --> 00:30:15,380 ROMAIN: Just two months into training he broke it off. 568 00:30:15,446 --> 00:30:18,616 He didn't return for nine months. 569 00:30:18,683 --> 00:30:24,589 It was for medical reasons. Depression. 570 00:30:24,656 --> 00:30:26,291 NARRATOR: The records show that Lubitz 571 00:30:26,357 --> 00:30:32,297 suffered a severe depression and was hospitalized. 572 00:30:32,363 --> 00:30:34,999 NICOLA: Treatments included antidepressant drugs, 573 00:30:35,066 --> 00:30:40,405 psychotherapy, and it emerged as well 574 00:30:40,471 --> 00:30:43,875 that he had actually had suicidal thoughts. 575 00:30:43,942 --> 00:30:47,278 ♪ 576 00:30:47,345 --> 00:30:49,981 NARRATOR: He later applied to resume his training 577 00:30:50,048 --> 00:30:52,984 but needed a new medical certificate. 578 00:30:53,051 --> 00:30:56,688 ROMAIN: He was still on antidepressants in early 2009. 579 00:30:56,754 --> 00:31:00,592 He had to provide a doctor's note. 580 00:31:00,658 --> 00:31:04,062 NARRATOR: Lubitz got the clearance from his psychiatrist. 581 00:31:04,128 --> 00:31:07,732 NICOLA: He had a certification from his treating doctor 582 00:31:07,799 --> 00:31:10,602 that said that he was fully recovered. 583 00:31:10,668 --> 00:31:12,503 ROMAIN: He moved to the US 584 00:31:12,570 --> 00:31:15,173 and completed his pilot training there. 585 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,243 ROMAIN: And after the end of his training 586 00:31:18,309 --> 00:31:24,182 he ended up flying for Germanwings. 587 00:31:24,249 --> 00:31:28,853 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: I'll let her in. 588 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:29,821 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: How delayed are we? 589 00:31:29,887 --> 00:31:31,656 Some of the passengers are asking. 590 00:31:31,723 --> 00:31:33,758 NARRATOR: Lubitz received regular medical exams 591 00:31:33,825 --> 00:31:36,361 from company doctors. 592 00:31:36,427 --> 00:31:40,365 His last check-up was seven months before the crash. 593 00:31:40,431 --> 00:31:43,034 ARNAUD: The medical examiners that saw him 594 00:31:43,101 --> 00:31:44,535 all thought he was fit to fly, 595 00:31:44,602 --> 00:31:48,740 and as a matter of fact he flew safely for several years. 596 00:31:48,806 --> 00:31:49,841 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Thirty minutes. 597 00:31:49,907 --> 00:31:51,109 NARRATOR: Even on the day of the crash, 598 00:31:51,175 --> 00:31:53,111 Lubitz seemed perfectly healthy. 599 00:31:53,177 --> 00:31:55,280 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Do either of you need anything? 600 00:31:55,346 --> 00:31:56,648 FO. LUBITZ: I'm getting a bit hungry. 601 00:31:56,714 --> 00:31:58,650 Would you mind bringing me some lunch? 602 00:31:58,716 --> 00:32:00,585 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Okay. No problem. I'll be right back. 603 00:32:00,652 --> 00:32:04,355 PROF. BOR: A mental health problem might not necessarily lead 604 00:32:04,422 --> 00:32:08,393 to significant changes about their behavior. 605 00:32:08,459 --> 00:32:10,428 NARRATOR: Professor Robert Bor is a specialist 606 00:32:10,495 --> 00:32:14,198 in aviation psychology. 607 00:32:14,265 --> 00:32:16,968 PROF. BOR: In some cases, people do put out signs that 608 00:32:17,035 --> 00:32:21,639 they are feeling increasingly fragile and disoriented 609 00:32:21,706 --> 00:32:24,676 to the extent that they may be thinking of suicide. 610 00:32:24,742 --> 00:32:31,282 ♪ 611 00:32:31,349 --> 00:32:33,284 But there will always be those people who 612 00:32:33,351 --> 00:32:37,488 are planning and indeed plotting their own demise, suicide, 613 00:32:37,555 --> 00:32:41,259 but they will not communicate it to anyone else. 614 00:32:41,326 --> 00:32:43,428 NARRATOR: Digging deeper into Lubitz's records, 615 00:32:43,494 --> 00:32:46,197 they learn that in the months leading up to the crash 616 00:32:46,264 --> 00:32:48,666 he seemed to take a turn for the worse. 617 00:32:48,733 --> 00:32:49,901 PROF. BOR: He was convinced that perhaps 618 00:32:49,967 --> 00:32:51,669 he was losing his eyesight, 619 00:32:51,736 --> 00:32:56,774 and yet nothing was found that was abnormal about his eyesight, 620 00:32:56,841 --> 00:32:58,509 and it does also appear 621 00:32:58,576 --> 00:33:01,379 that he was becoming increasingly frightened 622 00:33:01,446 --> 00:33:03,214 to the point of desperation 623 00:33:03,281 --> 00:33:07,952 that his career was going to be disrupted. 624 00:33:08,019 --> 00:33:11,356 NICOLA: He saw something like 41 different doctors 625 00:33:11,422 --> 00:33:16,828 complaining of the same symptoms and same issues. 626 00:33:16,894 --> 00:33:20,164 And it's not clear that any of them knew 627 00:33:20,231 --> 00:33:22,667 how many other doctors he was seeing, 628 00:33:22,734 --> 00:33:25,336 and it's not clear how many of them 629 00:33:25,403 --> 00:33:27,772 might have known that he was airline pilot. 630 00:33:27,839 --> 00:33:33,344 ♪ 631 00:33:33,411 --> 00:33:35,980 NARRATOR: Among the items found in Lubitz's apartment, 632 00:33:36,047 --> 00:33:38,516 investigators make a remarkable discovery. 633 00:33:38,583 --> 00:33:39,517 ROMAIN: What have we got here? 634 00:33:39,584 --> 00:33:45,456 ♪ 635 00:33:45,523 --> 00:33:46,724 NARRATOR: A recent doctor's note 636 00:33:46,791 --> 00:33:49,560 advising the disturbed pilot not to fly. 637 00:33:49,627 --> 00:33:53,998 ROMAIN: This note was issued just days before the crash. 638 00:33:54,065 --> 00:33:55,867 PROF. BOR: Some of his treating physicians had 639 00:33:55,933 --> 00:33:59,670 recommended that he stop flying, perhaps enter a hospital, 640 00:33:59,737 --> 00:34:02,540 a psychiatric hospital. 641 00:34:02,607 --> 00:34:05,143 NARRATOR: Investigators wonder if Lufthansa knew 642 00:34:05,209 --> 00:34:09,947 how serious Lubitz's mental problems really were. 643 00:34:11,949 --> 00:34:15,953 Airline representatives reveal they had absolutely no idea. 644 00:34:16,020 --> 00:34:17,555 ROMAIN: You've never seen this note? 645 00:34:17,622 --> 00:34:20,558 NARRATOR: Lubitz consulted dozens of doctors. 646 00:34:20,625 --> 00:34:23,194 Many of them wrote sick leave notes. 647 00:34:23,261 --> 00:34:26,497 But not a single doctor ever contacted the airline directly 648 00:34:26,564 --> 00:34:30,535 to raise the alarm about the pilot's spiraling mental state. 649 00:34:30,601 --> 00:34:33,304 ROMAIN: And they are assuming that 650 00:34:33,371 --> 00:34:36,140 when they provide these sick leave certificates 651 00:34:36,207 --> 00:34:39,043 the co-pilot will himself forward those sick leave 652 00:34:39,110 --> 00:34:41,345 certificates to the authority or to his employer, 653 00:34:41,412 --> 00:34:45,483 and therefore he will not be flying. 654 00:34:45,550 --> 00:34:48,152 NARRATOR: Then, after a ten-day search, 655 00:34:48,219 --> 00:34:50,421 one more vital piece of evidence is recovered 656 00:34:50,488 --> 00:34:54,692 from the mountains. 657 00:34:54,759 --> 00:34:57,595 ROMAIN: It was almost by chance that we, we found it. 658 00:34:57,662 --> 00:34:58,996 Just going through all the debris, 659 00:34:59,063 --> 00:35:04,202 and at some point someone found the flight data recorders. 660 00:35:04,268 --> 00:35:06,337 NARRATOR: The hope now is that the FDR 661 00:35:06,404 --> 00:35:09,774 can paint a clearer picture of what the first officer was doing 662 00:35:09,841 --> 00:35:12,844 in the final moments of the flight. 663 00:35:12,910 --> 00:35:15,613 FO. LUBITZ: If you need to go to the bathroom, now's your chance. 664 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,382 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Good idea. I think I will go. 665 00:35:18,449 --> 00:35:28,426 ♪ 666 00:35:28,493 --> 00:35:36,000 ♪ 667 00:35:36,067 --> 00:35:38,135 ARNAUD: One hundred feet. 668 00:35:38,202 --> 00:35:39,403 Right after the captain left, 669 00:35:39,470 --> 00:35:42,807 he set the altitude to one hundred feet. 670 00:35:42,874 --> 00:35:45,743 NARRATOR: The data confirms that Lubitz was fully conscious 671 00:35:45,810 --> 00:35:48,045 throughout the descent. 672 00:35:48,112 --> 00:35:50,648 Alone in the cockpit, he dropped the altitude to 673 00:35:50,715 --> 00:35:54,585 its lowest setting and cranked the speed dial several times 674 00:35:54,652 --> 00:36:00,525 until it reached maximum operating speed. 675 00:36:00,591 --> 00:36:03,961 ARNAUD: He was conscious to the very end. 676 00:36:04,028 --> 00:36:07,398 He was actively controlling the plane. 677 00:36:07,465 --> 00:36:12,036 ♪ 678 00:36:12,103 --> 00:36:17,508 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Open the door! It's locked. 679 00:36:17,575 --> 00:36:20,845 Something's wrong. 680 00:36:22,146 --> 00:36:25,850 Open the door! Lubitz, what are you doing? Let me in. 681 00:36:25,917 --> 00:36:35,993 ♪ 682 00:36:36,060 --> 00:36:40,298 Open the door! Lubitz! 683 00:36:40,364 --> 00:36:45,903 Lubitz! Open this damn door! 684 00:36:45,970 --> 00:36:50,575 Get me the crash axe. Open the door! 685 00:36:50,641 --> 00:36:53,244 HANS: There is always a crowbar or a... 686 00:36:53,311 --> 00:36:56,047 we call it an emergency axe on the airplane 687 00:36:56,113 --> 00:37:00,952 to gain access to a fire if the fire is behind panels. 688 00:37:01,018 --> 00:37:06,657 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Come on! Open the damn door! Come on. 689 00:37:06,724 --> 00:37:11,529 Lubitz. 690 00:37:14,465 --> 00:37:17,802 Lubitz. Listen to me! 691 00:37:17,868 --> 00:37:20,438 HANS: The captain was of course desperate 692 00:37:20,504 --> 00:37:22,673 to get into the cockpit, 693 00:37:22,740 --> 00:37:26,077 and he knew that this descent was continuing. 694 00:37:26,143 --> 00:37:28,112 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Oh God. 695 00:37:28,179 --> 00:37:33,417 Open it! Come on! Open it! Damn it! 696 00:37:33,484 --> 00:37:35,620 Open this damn door! 697 00:37:35,686 --> 00:37:37,388 HANS: The cabin crew was watching them. 698 00:37:37,455 --> 00:37:39,624 That must be horrible for them, 699 00:37:39,690 --> 00:37:41,892 knowing that they were going to die. 700 00:37:41,959 --> 00:37:47,698 ♪ 701 00:37:47,765 --> 00:37:53,404 AUTOMATION: Pull up. Too low. Terrain. Too low. 702 00:37:53,471 --> 00:37:56,874 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Germanwings, come in. Do you read me? 703 00:38:00,878 --> 00:38:03,381 MARIA: I love you, my darling. 704 00:38:03,447 --> 00:38:07,585 KLAUS (translated): Every night when I go to sleep, 705 00:38:07,652 --> 00:38:10,254 I see a picture in front of my eyes. 706 00:38:10,321 --> 00:38:13,891 The three of them are crashing into a mountain. 707 00:38:13,958 --> 00:38:18,562 This image never goes away. 708 00:38:20,431 --> 00:38:30,408 ♪ 709 00:38:30,474 --> 00:38:35,680 ♪ 710 00:38:43,287 --> 00:38:46,624 NARRATOR: The terrifying cause for the loss of 150 lives 711 00:38:46,691 --> 00:38:48,926 has been confirmed. 712 00:38:48,993 --> 00:38:51,128 But investigators are about to discover 713 00:38:51,195 --> 00:38:54,298 that the tragedy of Germanwings Flight 9525 714 00:38:54,365 --> 00:38:57,301 has one more dark chapter. 715 00:39:03,908 --> 00:39:05,976 ARNAUD: Let's go back to the beginning. 716 00:39:06,043 --> 00:39:09,480 NARRATOR: Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf 717 00:39:09,547 --> 00:39:12,917 was Lubitz's second flight of the day. 718 00:39:12,983 --> 00:39:15,186 His first was in the opposite direction, 719 00:39:15,252 --> 00:39:17,521 from Dusseldorf to Barcelona. 720 00:39:17,588 --> 00:39:22,927 On that flight, the captain also left the cockpit. 721 00:39:22,993 --> 00:39:24,595 ROMAIN: From Dusseldorf to Barcelona, 722 00:39:24,662 --> 00:39:27,565 we realized that at some point the co-pilot 723 00:39:27,631 --> 00:39:28,999 remained alone in the cockpit, 724 00:39:29,066 --> 00:39:33,471 and during this time he made some altitude selections. 725 00:39:33,537 --> 00:39:35,439 After the captain stepped out, 726 00:39:35,506 --> 00:39:39,343 Lubitz briefly set the altitude to one hundred feet. 727 00:39:39,410 --> 00:39:40,578 ROMAIN: Those altitude selections 728 00:39:40,644 --> 00:39:44,548 went back to normal before the captain came back. 729 00:39:44,615 --> 00:39:47,618 NARRATOR: It was a dry run, a quick rehearsal 730 00:39:47,685 --> 00:39:50,755 for a tragedy just hours away. 731 00:39:50,821 --> 00:39:51,856 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Everything okay? 732 00:39:51,922 --> 00:39:53,991 FO. LUBITZ: Yes, everything's just fine. 733 00:39:58,796 --> 00:40:01,265 ARNAUD: This was no spur of the moment decision. 734 00:40:01,332 --> 00:40:05,169 This was a carefully planned murder/suicide. 735 00:40:05,236 --> 00:40:09,340 HANS: He wanted to do that on purpose, and he had planned it. 736 00:40:09,406 --> 00:40:11,976 He had planned it to not only kill himself, 737 00:40:12,042 --> 00:40:15,479 but 149 other people with him. 738 00:40:15,546 --> 00:40:21,786 ♪ 739 00:40:21,852 --> 00:40:25,055 KLAUS (translated): I have to say 740 00:40:25,122 --> 00:40:28,259 it was as bad as learning about the death of my daughter. 741 00:40:28,325 --> 00:40:30,261 It hit me very deeply. 742 00:40:30,327 --> 00:40:32,630 Even to this day I can't imagine it. 743 00:40:37,134 --> 00:40:39,837 NARRATOR: What exactly was going on in Lubitz's mind 744 00:40:39,904 --> 00:40:41,739 may never be known. 745 00:40:41,806 --> 00:40:43,340 None of the doctors who treated him 746 00:40:43,407 --> 00:40:46,310 would speak to investigators. 747 00:40:46,377 --> 00:40:48,445 But experts in the field agree. 748 00:40:48,512 --> 00:40:50,047 Lubitz was likely suffering 749 00:40:50,114 --> 00:40:52,917 from a psychotic depressive episode. 750 00:40:52,983 --> 00:40:55,786 PROF. BOR: That person is no longer fully in control 751 00:40:55,853 --> 00:40:58,622 of all of their cognitive functions. 752 00:40:58,689 --> 00:41:01,725 CPT. SONDENHEIMER: Hello. Lubitz. 753 00:41:01,792 --> 00:41:04,328 PROF. BOR: This person loses a sense of reality. 754 00:41:04,395 --> 00:41:06,163 They become very distracted, 755 00:41:06,230 --> 00:41:09,033 and it's at that level that things are more concerning, 756 00:41:09,099 --> 00:41:11,368 particularly in aviation. 757 00:41:11,435 --> 00:41:14,038 NARRATOR: A psychotic pilot somehow ended up alone 758 00:41:14,104 --> 00:41:17,007 in the cockpit of a passenger plane. 759 00:41:17,074 --> 00:41:19,476 NICOLA: One of the questions that, you know, 760 00:41:19,543 --> 00:41:23,147 still lingers out there is, when was the moment 761 00:41:23,214 --> 00:41:28,052 that Andreas Lubitz could have been stopped? 762 00:41:28,118 --> 00:41:31,255 When was the moment that this disaster 763 00:41:31,322 --> 00:41:33,023 could have been prevented? 764 00:41:33,090 --> 00:41:36,627 And who could have done so? 765 00:41:36,694 --> 00:41:40,798 KLAUS (translated): There were over 40 doctors 766 00:41:40,865 --> 00:41:44,101 who knew the medical situation of this murderer, 767 00:41:44,168 --> 00:41:45,936 and not one of them took measures 768 00:41:46,003 --> 00:41:51,575 to somehow prevent such a tragedy. 769 00:41:51,642 --> 00:41:55,579 ♪ 770 00:41:55,646 --> 00:41:56,981 MARIA: I love you. 771 00:41:57,047 --> 00:41:58,983 PROF. BOR: And I think that that is the saddest part. 772 00:41:59,049 --> 00:42:00,918 There was information available 773 00:42:00,985 --> 00:42:04,355 that could have actually prevented this accident. 774 00:42:04,421 --> 00:42:05,990 NARRATOR: Investigators conclude 775 00:42:06,056 --> 00:42:09,560 that the importance of personal privacy in German society 776 00:42:09,627 --> 00:42:11,662 likely played a role. 777 00:42:11,729 --> 00:42:14,031 Doctors in Germany have a very good reason 778 00:42:14,098 --> 00:42:17,234 not to share any patient information. 779 00:42:17,301 --> 00:42:18,702 NICOLA: In the German system, 780 00:42:18,769 --> 00:42:20,638 doctors can potentially face prosecution 781 00:42:20,704 --> 00:42:24,975 if they breach their patients' medical confidentiality. 782 00:42:25,042 --> 00:42:27,311 PROF. BOR: They were relying upon him 783 00:42:27,378 --> 00:42:29,580 to select himself out of flight. 784 00:42:29,647 --> 00:42:31,315 The fact that he didn't do this 785 00:42:31,382 --> 00:42:34,485 is both a failure of the individual pilot, 786 00:42:34,551 --> 00:42:38,289 but also a failure of the medical system. 787 00:42:38,355 --> 00:42:41,325 HANS: In my opinion, there was too much weight given 788 00:42:41,392 --> 00:42:45,763 to doctors' confidentiality over safety, 789 00:42:45,829 --> 00:42:50,768 and I think we need to do a step in the right direction 790 00:42:50,834 --> 00:42:56,640 to have safety first and confidentiality afterwards. 791 00:42:56,707 --> 00:42:58,809 NARRATOR: In its final report, the BEA 792 00:42:58,876 --> 00:43:02,546 calls for clear rules for healthcare providers, 793 00:43:02,613 --> 00:43:06,116 rules that could help stop the next Andreas Lubitz. 794 00:43:06,183 --> 00:43:10,654 ROMAIN: We recommend to adjust the line between public safety 795 00:43:10,721 --> 00:43:14,658 and the protection of personal information. 796 00:43:14,725 --> 00:43:18,095 NARRATOR: They also recommend more stringent mental health 797 00:43:18,162 --> 00:43:22,599 evaluations for airline pilots. 798 00:43:22,666 --> 00:43:25,436 ARNAUD: We have put together a set of safety recommendations 799 00:43:25,502 --> 00:43:28,839 that makes the system less likely 800 00:43:28,906 --> 00:43:32,910 that such an event would happen again in the future. 801 00:43:35,913 --> 00:43:37,247 ♪ 802 00:43:37,314 --> 00:43:39,350 NARRATOR: The lessons learned could prevent a repeat 803 00:43:39,416 --> 00:43:41,919 of the Germanwings crash. 804 00:43:41,986 --> 00:43:44,388 But for Klaus Radner, what's important now 805 00:43:44,455 --> 00:43:47,758 is keeping the memory of his loved ones alive. 806 00:43:52,529 --> 00:43:55,666 KLAUS (translated): Maria was a very caring person, 807 00:43:55,733 --> 00:43:58,469 and I want this little family to be remembered 808 00:43:58,535 --> 00:44:00,637 how they really were: 809 00:44:00,704 --> 00:44:06,543 friendly, honest and happy.