The pilot who intentionally crashed a Germanwings A320 into the French Alps last week had been treated for eye problems that could have ended his flying career, according to The New York Times. Quoting unnamed officials, the newspaper says one theory is that Andreas Lubitz’s vision problems were the psychosomatic result of his mental health issues. Earlier it was revealed that Lubitz, 27, was being treated for mental health problems that he was hiding from his employer. Antidepressants were also found in a search of his home.
As media and authorities probe Lubitz’s background, one of the consistent themes that has emerged is his love of flying and his ambition to become a long-haul pilot for Lufthansa. In an interview with Lubitz’s former girlfriend published in a German newspaper last week, it was suggested that he wanted to “change the system.” She also reportedly said he had told her he was planning something big that would make people remember him. “It didn’t make sense at the time but now it all does,” she was quoted by Bild newspaper as saying. On Sunday, Bild reported that his current partner is pregnant with Lubitz’s child.
