Co-Pilot 'Deliberately' crashed Germanwings A320 plane, killing 150 passengers

Andreas Lubitz (Right)

The co-pilot of Germanwings flight A320 is believed to have deliberately crashed a plane carrying 150 people into the French Alps.

There were no survivors when the Airbus suddenly plummeted near Digne on a flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf on Tuesday morning.

At a press conference on Thursday, Marseille Prosecutor Brice Robin revealed chilling details of what he had heard on the audio from one of the retrieved black box recorders.

Brice Robin addressing the media in France

He confirmed earlier reports that the pilot had been locked out of the cockpit after excusing himself momentarily, possibly to visit the bathroom.

The conversation between the two previously had been "normal" and "courteous".

While the co-pilot was alone he locked the door and engaged a flight-monitoring system which began the descent of the plane, Robin said.

Identifying the co-pilot as a German national, Andreas Lubitz, aged 28, he added: “This can only be done voluntarily, not automatically.

"We hear several cries from the captain asking to get in. Through the intercom system he identifies himself - but there is no answer. He knocks on the door and asks for it to be opened - but there is no answer."Lubitz “didn’t say a single” word while he was alone and could be heard breathing "normally" during the descent, he said.

Robin added: "It wasn't the breath of someone who was struggling. He didn't say a single word, it was total silence.

"We hear the breathing inside the cockpit and we hear it until the moment of impact. "I think the victims only realised at the last moment because on the recording you only hear the screams on the last moment."

He added that there was no answer from the cockpit to communication with ground controllers or from other aircraft in the area.

At this point alarm systems were sounding on the plane informing those onboard of the aircraft's proximity to the ground.

When asked if Lubitz had committed suicide, Robin replied: "No, I'm not even going to mention this word because I don't know."

When pressed on Lubitz's religion, Brice said: "I don't think this is where this lies. I don't think we will get any answers there.

"He is not listed as a terrorist, if that is what you are insinuating."

Libutz was a member of a flying club called LSC Westerwald.

Culled from Huff post