The co-pilot who deliberately downed an airliner over the French Alps this week, killing all 150 aboard, had told a girlfriend sometime last year that he would "do something" that would make people remember his name, a German newspaper reports.
Andreas Lubitz, 27, who reportedly had hidden a note declaring him medically unfit to fly on the day he crashed the Germanwings A320, told a former girlfriend and flight attendant, identified by Bild only as "Mary W." that: "One day I will do something that will change the whole system, and then all will know my name and remember it."
She was quoted by the newspaper as saying she didn't understand what he meant by the remark until she heard of the crash on Tuesday.
She also told Bild that Lubitz had nightmares and had woken up at night and screamed "We're going down!"
Meanwhile, prosecutors in Dusseldorf confirmed that they had found a torn-up doctor's note in Lubitz' apartment that pronounced him unfit to fly.
"Medical documents were found that indicate an ongoing illness and appropriate medical treatment," the prosecutors said in a statement. "The circumstance that torn-up current medical certificates – also pertaining to the day of the act – were found, supports, after preliminary examination, the assumption that the deceased hid his illness from his employer and his professional circles."
According to Euronews:
"Germanwings said Lubitz had not given them a sick note that would have grounded him on the day of the crash.
"German law requires workers to immediately tell their employers if they are unable to work."
But The New York Times reports that there remains "considerable confusion about the precise nature and severity of his psychiatric condition. A German hospital said it had evaluated Mr. Lubitz twice in the past two months but added that he had not been there for assessment or treatment of depression."
And, The Guardian writes:
"No suicide note or claim of responsibility had been found, the prosecutors said.
"Legal experts said that on the evidence that has emerged so far – which suggests the co-pilot may have had a history of depression and psychiatric problems – the airline would find it difficult to prove that the crash was not its fault."
germanwings Flight 4U 9525
Germany