Germanwings A320 crashed deliberately, investigators
The Germanwings A320 was deliberately crashed said the French chief of the investigation though he added that "at this moment there is no indication this crash is an act of terrorism."
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He said the team had listened to the 30 minutes before the crash and that the current interpretation was that it was a deliberate act.
In the first 20 minutes of the tape the pilot and co-pilot are heard talking normally in German.
When the Captain goes through the briefing of the scheduled landing in Dusseldorf, the co-pilot makes only short contributions.
The pilot then leaves the cockpit, probably to go to the toilet, telling his co-pilot to take over the controls.
The co-pilot, 28 year old Andreas Lubitz, then presses the button which sends the plane into descent.
The Captain outside the cockpit door shouts that he cannot get in.
The co pilot does not respond.
He can be heard breathing normally, so it is clear that he has not had a heart attack.
The control tower in Marseille contacts the cockpit but the co-pilot does not respond.
Marseilles asks for a distress signal but there is no response.
Alarms can be heard going off signalling that the plane is near the ground and shortly afterwards the crash is heard.
In answer to questions from journalists the chief of the investigation said he did not know the religion of the co pilot and did not know why he had apparently deliberately crashed the plane.
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