Investigators reveal Germanwings co-pilot hid his medical condition from the company

A Germanwings plane has crashed in France, with all on board feared dead
(Image credit: Facebook/Germanwings)

German investigators announced Friday that Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings plane, had intentionally hidden his medical condition from his employer. The news comes after a report that Lubitz had spent more than a year receiving psychiatric treatment after suffering from a "serious depressive episode."

Investigators searched Lubitz's home and found a ripped-up doctor's note that authorized Lubitz to take time off from work due to an illness. The investigators added that they did not find "any indication of a political or religious" nature in the home, nor did they find a suicide note.

The investigators are looking into Lubitz's family background as well as a potential history of psychological problems, including depression.

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Lubitz is believed to have intentionally crashed a Germanwings plane in the French Alps on Tuesday, killing all 150 people on board.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.