KILLER co-pilot Andreas Lubitz tore up a sicknote from doctors telling him not to work on the day he deliberately crashed a packed passenger jet in the French Alps, officials revealed today.
The ripped-up medical note was found by investigators at the 28-year-old’s flat — who say he hid his illness from Germanwings bosses.
Prosecutors seized documents from Lubitz’s home in Germany showing “an existing illness”.
They found no suicide note and nothing to suggest he had any religious or political motive for crashing the plane.
It is thought Lubitz, who recently split from his girlfriend, had depression but this has not been confirmed by prosecutors.
The dramatic developments came as between 400 and 600 pieces of human remains were retrieved from the scene of the crash.
Recovery workers have reportedly not found any intact bodies at the site.
Meanwhile, detectives continued to search the German’s house yesterday.
Suitcases, a computer and bin bags stuffed with belongings were taken away from Lubitz’s flat as well as his parents’ home by cops who said they had made a “significant” discovery during searches.
Investigators are frantically trying to piece together what caused the crazed co-pilot to send Flight 9525 plunging towards the ground — killing all 149 on board.
Local reports described how he had been under “regular medical care” and had spent one-and-a-half years having “psychiatric treatment”.
Lubitz, who took several months off flight training in 2009 because of “a serious depressive episode”, split from his girlfriend last year.
Another possibility being considered is that “the resulting heartbreak is thought to have led to (the crash),” according to local reports.
Lubitz is believed to have locked the pilot out of the cockpit when he went for a loo break.
He then sat calmly in silence until the Airbus A320 slammed into the French Alps, killing everyone aboard, including two babies and 16 schoolchildren.
Chilling recordings taken from the aircraft’s black box suggest one of the last things the passengers on the jet would have been aware of was pilot Patrick Sonderheimer trying to smash the cockpit door down with an axe.
It is thought the Lufthansa veteran attempted to break into the flight deck after being ignored repeatedly as the plane’s warning system blared out “Pull-up, pull-up, terrain!”
The dad of crash victim Arobert Oliver Calvo said that he felt “really sad” for the parents of the co-pilot who deliberately brought the jet down.
Robert Tansill Oliver said: “I don’t feel anger. I’m really sad for the parents of that young pilot. I mean, I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now.”
Investigators called the horror, which makes Lubitz the world’s seventh biggest mass killer, a calculated act — saying: “There was a deliberate desire to destroy this plane.”
And as the crash probe became a murder inquiry, they began examining Lubitz’s past amid claims he suffered depression and struggled to come to terms with his sexuality.
Brice Robin, the French prosecutor leading the investigation, drew gasps as he detailed the Airbus’s last minutes for the first time at a press conference in Marseille.
Why was he in the air?
He said the countdown to disaster began after the jet reached cruising height and (captain Patrick) Sonderheimer left the flight deck for the toilet — telling Lubitz: “You have control.”
Describing sounds from the battered flight recorder, Mr Robin said all sounded normal for the first 20 minutes of the trip, with the pilots “very courteous with each other”.
He went on: “We hear the pilot asking the co-pilot to take over, and the sound of a chair being pushed back and a door closing. So we assume that the captain went to the toilet or something.
“So the co-pilot is on his own, and it is while he’s on his own that the co-pilot is in charge of the plane and uses the flight monitoring system to start the descent.
“At this altitude, this can only be done voluntarily. We hear several shouts over the intercom system from the captain asking to get in — but there is no answer from the cockpit.
“All that can be heard is Lubitz’s breathing.
“The captain then knocks on the door and asks to be let in, but there is no response.
“Air Traffic Control at Marseille asks for a distress signal, but there’s still no response.
“So the plane becomes a priority for a forced landing. Control asks other planes to contact the Airbus and no answer is forthcoming.
“There are alarm systems which indicate to all those on board the proximity of the ground.
“Then we hear noises of someone trying to break into the door, which is reinforced according to international standards.
“Just before final impact we hear the sound of a first impact. It’s believed that the plane may have hit something before the final impact.
“Victims only realised what was happening at the last moment because you only hear the screams literally at the last moment.”
Death was instant as the plane hit the mountain at 700kph (435mph).
Mr Robin added: “Nothing indicates terrorist attack, but obviously we will see how we proceed.
“The most plausible and realistic conclusion is that the co-pilot, through a deliberate decision, refused to open the cabin door to the captain and actioned the button commanding a loss of altitude.
“There was a deliberate desire to destroy this plane.”
Asked if keen runner Lubitz’s action could be called suicide, the stony-faced prosecutor said: “When you have 150 people in your responsibility, I can’t call this suicide.”
Lubitz — who joined Germanwings in 2013 and had just 630 flying hours’ experience — is believed to have changed the cockpit door’s seven-digit access code moments after Sonderheimer left him on Tuesday.
The door was virtually impregnable following changes ordered in the wake of the 9/11 hijackings.
Lubitz deliberately flicked switches to put the 25-year-old aircraft into a controlled descent and sat calmly awaiting the impact.
At least three Britons were among the dead.
Investigators said a full profile of the killer pilot was being urgently sought as victims’ angry families demanded answers.
It is believed that Lubitz took a break of several months in 2009 “because of burnout or depression,” according to German newspaper Bild.
Mr Robin added: “We have asked for information from the German investigation on both his profession and personal background.”
Bosses at Germanwings’ parent firm Lufthansa revealed the news left them speechless with horror.
CEO Carsten Spohr said the airline’s pilots are put through an extensive battery of physical and psychological testing by instructors.
Lufthansa routinely checks on pilots’ ability to fly, but psychological exams are not implemented once training is complete.
Mr Spohr said of the crash revelations: “We are deeply shocked — what we heard today was not imaginable for us.
“The co-pilot went through all flight examinations. He was fit for flying. His performance was without criticism.
“A few hours after hearing this, we could only speculate at what was the motivation of the co-pilot.
“I would like to say this is by far the most terrible event of our company, but we have full trust in our pilots — myself and my colleagues.”
Lubitz’s family were understood to be on their way to join those of other victims yesterday at the crash site near Seyne-Les-Alpes.
But they were kept separate for their own safety after news broke of the co-pilot’s actions.
Germanwings said it was setting up a family assistance centre in Marseille and that briefings with relatives of those who died will start tomorrow.
Spokesman Thomas Winkelmann said: “Our focus in these darkest hours is to provide psychological assistance to the families and friends of the victims of flight 4U9525.
“The suffering and pain this catastrophe has caused is immeasurable.
“No words can express it and no amount of consolation is sufficient but we want to be there for visiting family members and friends if our support is desired.”
Flightdeck’s 9/11 shake-up
ALL planes have been fitted with bullet-proof doors to the cockpit to stop hijackers since 9/11.
They lock in flight and cannot be barged down.
The electronic locking switch on the A320 is between the pilots’ seats.
Cabin crew can get in with a code but the switch gives ultimate control over the door.
‘2 at helm’ order
By NEIL SYSON
EASYJET and Monarch issued instant orders yesterday for two crew to be in cockpits at all times during flights.
The new rule went out as the Civil Aviation Authority told all UK operators to review protocols.
Fellow budget airline Flybe said it was already policy. Other carriers to impose the new rule included Norwegian Air Shuttle.
But there was no word from British Airways or Virgin Atlantic on any shake-up. Spokesmen for both refused to comment.
The CAA stressed the mental health of all airline pilots here is monitored as part of their regular “extensive” medicals.
The reassurance came as No10 said PM David Cameron was being kept updated on the Alps jet horror.
A Downing Street spokesman added: “The Air Accidents Investigation Branch are sending someone to join the French-led investigation — given that there are victims from the UK in the crash.”
Tube ads removed
TUBE bosses have pulled ads for Germanwings that promised: “Get ready to be surprised.”
There were 65 LCD hoardings and 17 billboards on the London network.