Just days after an Airbus was ‘deliberately’ crashed into the French Alps by pilot Andreas Lubitz, the black box recording has revealed the chilling last moments of the doomed flight.
The start of the flight sounds relatively normal, with the captain apologising to passengers for their 30 minute delay at Barcelona airport.
Lubitz can then be heard talking to his captain during the flight. At 10.27am the plane reaches cruising altitude when he then tells Lubitz to ‘prepare for landing’.
According to airline investigators, the black box recording hears Lubitz using phrases such as ‘hopefully’ and ‘we’ll see’ in response to his captain.
Thinking nothing of it, the captain leaves the cockpit to use the toilet.
Just 5 minutes later, air traffic controllers fail to make contact with the plane.
The transcript then reports the captain screaming ‘For God’s sake, open the door’ as a ‘loud metallic banging against the cockpit door’ is heard.
Passengers are then heard screaming in the background as the plane’s ‘sink rate’ increases.
The last recordings at 10.40am simply report Lubitz’s breathing and sounds of passengers screaming.
Investigators are still searching for clues as to what drive Lubitz to crash the plane, killing 149 people.