Could Better Screening Catch Suicidal Pilots?
Could Better Screening Catch Suicidal Pilots? German prosecutors said Friday that the German co-pilot of the crashed Germanwings jetliner, Andreas Lubitz, may have suffered from depression and even hid a doctor’s note excusing him from work on the day of the crash.
Police found the medical certificate and other documents during a search Thursday at the Dusseldorf apartment of Andreas Lubitz, the 27-year-old Germanwings co-pilot. But Germanwings released a statement saying it rdid not receive any sick note from Lubitz.
The reports immediately raised questions of how and when pilots are screened for mental illness — especially pilots of airliners filled with passengers who rely completely on the pilot and aircraft to keep them safe.
Experts say while commercial pilots are screened for depression, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, it’s not regular or intensive. And they say that doesn’t matter because it’s almost impossible to predict whether someone who is seemingly healthy might suddenly break down.
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