Germanwings plane crash

A Germanwings flight from Barcelona to Düsseldorf crashed in the French Alps on March 24, killing all 150 people on board, including three US citizens. 

Radar data showed that, about 40 minutes into the flight, the plane rapidly descended from a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet to 6,175 feet, at which point it struck the side of a mountain. The copilot, who had been treated for depression in the past, is suspected of deliberately crashing the plane in a murder/suicide event. 

A “black box” voice recorder recovered at the scene indicates that the pilot left the cockpit and, after the plane began its descent, began yelling and attempting to break back in through the door. The copilot can be heard breathing steadily during this time. 

According to the FAA “rule of two,” two crewmembers must be present in the cockpit at all times on flights of US airlines. Though a few European airlines followed this policy, the European Aviation Safety Agency has no “rule of two,” though it now recommends it. In response to this tragedy, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian airlines are now enforcing the rule, as are certain countries in Europe, including Germany. Germanwings is a low-cost airline owned by Lufthansa.