A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.

26 March 2015

Germanwings crash: a suicide-murder by the co-pilot?

French authorities think so, and unless the 28-year-co-pilot suffered an incapacitating medical incident, the facts thus far suggest the authorities probably are right. There’s still a lot of confusion over how strong the door to the cockpit was, and whether the pilot had a way, and enough time, to open it against the will of, or in the absence of cooperation from, the co-pilot, so other theories of crash should not be discarded until the investigation is complete, but this theory seems pretty solid at this point.

One conclusion drawn by the investigators that may be wrong is that the co-pilot was conscious when the A320 hit the mountain. The basis of that conclusion is the sounds of breathing on the cockpit voice recorder. But at this time I would not rule out the possibility that the co-pilot was alive but not conscious at impact. Once he set the autopilot to descend, he could have injected himself with a bolus of a fast acting sedative (for example, Versed) and knocked himself out, thus sparing himself moments of terror at the end.

This will be interesting to follow. In the meantime, if you want to stay alive to follow it, consider not flying on Germanwings.