Germanwings Crash: Pilots, Upset Over Hasty Conclusions And Media Leaks, To File Lawsuit

A French pilots' union is filing a lawsuit over information from the investigation of the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash being leaked to media outlets. Guillaume Schmid, a representative of the French SNPL union, said that pilots were upset because information about the plane's last moments were released to the media before they were made known to prosecutors, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The lawsuit will be based on the violation of a French law, which dictates that information about ongoing investigations should be kept under wraps. Under French law, the lawsuit is not required to name a party and investigators determine who it can be targeted at. Schmid also said that while the pilots understood the public's need for immediate information, leaking developments in the investigation would put pressure on investigators and mislead the public, AP reported.

So far, investigators suspect that the plane’s co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, locked the captain out of the cockpit and intentionally crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing himself and the 149 others on board. Police officials have said that they have discovered significant clues from Lubitz's apartment in Dusseldorf, without disclosing the nature of the clues, while relatives of the victims have demanded to know the reasons behind the pilot's alleged actions.

On Friday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls asked Lufthansa to disclose all the information it had about Lubitz so that people can “understand why this pilot got to the point of this horrific" act. Reports also said that Lubitz had a medical condition and, in 2009, his training was halted due to “psychological problems.”

However, several pilots from around the world have joined together to criticize such reports stating that they have been too quick to draw conclusions, the Independent reported, citing Vereinigung Cockpit, known in English as the German Airline Pilots Association. And as airline companies announced implementing a “two pilot rule,” after the latest crash, the association also criticized the companies for implementing such measures “hastily.”

“We should not rush to conclusions based upon limited data,” Ilja Schulz, president of the association, said, according to the Independent, adding: “The reasons that led to this tragic accident will only be determined after all data sources have been thoroughly examined.”

James Phillips, international affairs director of the group, told Time magazine: “It is a very, very incomplete picture,” adding: “I have the feeling that there was a search for a quick answer, rather than a good answer.”

The plane, which was an Airbus A320, was traveling from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, and crashed on Tuesday in the French Alps.