According to the investigation, Andreas Lubitz, 27, a co-pilot on the Airbus A320, had been suicidal and intentionally crashed the plane during the flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. His father, Günter Lubitz, claims that his own investigation has uncovered evidence that challenges those official findings.
"Up to now, everyone believes the theory of a co-pilot who was depressed for a long time, who deliberately crashed his plane into a mountain in a planned act. We are convinced this is false," the pilot’s father said in a statement.
Also scheduled to speak at the news conference on March 24th is journalist Tim van Beveren, who Lubitz referred to as "an internationally recognized aerospace expert." The conference will take place at the site of the crash, at the same time other families of people who died in the crash are planning to hold a memorial.
"To do this exactly two years to the second that the plane crashed is irresponsible. From the victims’ point of view, this is tasteless and likely to be traumatic for many of them," attorney Elmar Giemulla told the Rheinische Post.
Lubitz previously upset the families when he placed a memorial to his son in a local newspaper on the first anniversary of the crash, without mentioning the victims, DW reports.
The flight school in France that trained Andreas Lubitz is currently being sued for licensing him despite revelations that he had been treated for suicidal tendencies. He had previously been denied a US pilot’s license over his depression. The investigation into the crash found that Lubitz had been researching suicide online in the days before the fatal incident.
