Co-Pilot 'Hid Sick Note On Day Of Alps Crash'

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Prosecutors investigating the Germanwings plane crash have said there were indications the co-pilot hid an existing illness from his employers.

Andreas Lubitz is accused of deliberately flying the aircraft into a mountainside shortly after preventing the captain from re-entering the cockpit.

Lubitz had a sick note for the day the Airbus A320 came down in the French Alps during a flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf but never told the airline, prosecutors said.

The doctor's note, which would have prevented him from flying, was among several found torn-up during a search of his flat in Dusseldorf and it comes amid reports he was suffering from depression.

There have also been searches at the home he shared with his parents in the town of Montabaur and an unnamed person in a hood was escorted from the property by police.

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Gallery: The Victims Of The Germanwings Crash

American Emily Selke, a recent graduate, was on the plane with her mother Yvonne. Raymond Selke has described his wife and daughter as 'amazing people'. Pic: Facebook

Iranian sports journalist Hussein Javadi was on his way to Austria to cover a football match. A friend said he was 'a kind, loving, caring man'. Pic: Maysam Bizær/Hossein Javadi

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Argentinian Sebastian Greco was on board with his girlfriend. Pic: Facebook

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Argentinian Gabriela Maumus, 28, was the daughter of a firefighter. Pic: Facebook

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Spanish victim Carles Milla Masanas, 37. The businessman was on his way to a food industry fayre. Pic: Facebook

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All 150 people on board the aircraft died in Tuesday's crash. Police said 400-600 pieces of human remains have been retrieved from the site but no bodies were intact.

The prosecutors added that documents showed the 27-year-old had an "existing illness" and was receiving medical treatment, but that no suicide note or claim of responsibility for the crash was found.

Dusseldorf University clinic said he went to the facility in February and March, most recently on March 10, for diagnosis but denied he was treated there for depression.

Prosecutors said: "Documents with medical contents were confiscated that point towards an existing illness and corresponding treatment by doctors.

"The fact there are sick notes saying he was unable to work, among other things, that were found torn up, which were recent and even from the day of the crime, support the assumption based on the preliminary examination that the deceased hid his illness from his employer and his professional colleagues."

No evidence of a political or religious motivation behind the tragedy was found and Germanwings said no sick note was received from Lubitz for the day of the crash.

German media has reported he received treatment for a "serious depressive episode" six years ago during his training to become a pilot.

Lufthansa, parent company of Germanwings, said it was aware he had broken off his training in 2009, but said there was nothing in his background to suggest he was a risk.

The company, which also owns Austrian Airlines and Swiss Air, announced it was introducing new cockpit manning levels. It said: "Under the new procedure, two authorised persons must be present in the cockpit at all times during a flight."

This came as the European Aviation Safety Agency recommended all airlines make sure two crew, including at least one pilot, were always on the flight deck.

Germanwings said it was setting up a family assistance centre in Marseille for relatives of those killed in the crash.

Some 75 German people were on board the aircraft. At least 50 Spanish citizens were also on the flight, along with three Britons.

A memorial service was held in Dusseldorf for the German victims of the crash and hundreds of other mourners attended a mass in Barcelona for three generations of one family who died.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa has offered to pay up to 50,000 euros (£33,000) in immediate financial assistance per passenger.

Police and rescue workers are still hunting for the aircraft's second black box on the fourth day of recovery operations at the scene of the crash.

The second black box contains technical flight data.

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