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Germanwings Crash: Lubitz Told Lufthansa in 2009 of 'Severe Depression'

The airline said it had gone back to German investigators to provide additional information.
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/ Source: NBC News

Lufthansa said on Tuesday that Andreas Lubitz, the pilot believed to have crashed his jetliner into the French Alps, informed one of its flight schools in 2009 that he once suffered an episode of severe depression.

Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, said it had submitted additional documents to German authorities to ensure a swift and seamless clarification.” It said it was acting “after further internal investigations.”

Lubitz interrupted his flight training for several months, the company said. As he was preparing to return, he submitted medical documents and informed the school of a “previous episode of severe depression,” Lufthansa said in a statement.

Authorities said on Monday that Lubitz was once documented as having suicidal tendencies. Investigators last week found torn-up doctor’s notes at his family home, excusing him from work for an unspecified illness.

The co-pilot, 27, is believed to have deliberately crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 into the French Alps on March 24, killing all 150 people on board.

Lufthansa has said that Lubitz had valid medical certification at the time of the crash.

IN-DEPTH

— Andy Eckardt and Erin McClam