On March 24, 2015, Germanwings flight 9525 tragically crashed in the French Alps, killing all 150 on board. A decade later, families like Klaus Radner’s and Brigitte Voß’s continue to grapple with their loss and seek accountability, questioning how co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who had mental health issues, was allowed to fly. Investigations revealed Lubitz intentionally crashed the plane after locking the cockpit door. Ongoing legal battles highlight the enduring pain and search for justice among the victims’ families.
On March 24, 2015, a tragic incident occurred when a Germanwings flight en route from Barcelona to Düsseldorf crashed, resulting in the loss of 150 lives. The haunting question that lingers for families and the legal system alike is: How did this happen?
Even a decade later, Klaus Radner reminisces about his grandson Felix, his daughter Maria, and her partner Sascha, all of whom perished in the disaster. ‘They ripped my heart out,’ he expresses, feeling a deep anger that no one has taken accountability for the events that unfolded.
The unresolved issue for him is how a co-pilot with mental health struggles was allowed to operate a German airline. Radner, a Düsseldorf entrepreneur, vows to continue his legal battle until this question is answered, honoring the memory of his daughter Maria.
Germanwings flight 9525 met a tragic fate in the French Alps, marking one of the most devastating disasters in German aviation history. How can families cope with a loss that is beyond comprehension?
What transpired on Flight 9525?
Following the crash in 2015, French and German aviation experts dedicated a year to uncovering the circumstances surrounding the event. In subsequent years, both French and German prosecutors conducted their investigations, ultimately reaching a grim conclusion: Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally crashed the aircraft, claiming his own life and the lives of 149 others.
A Decade of Remembrance for the Victims
At 10:01 AM, the Airbus A320 departs Barcelona Airport bound for Düsseldorf. Once the plane reaches cruising altitude, the captain steps out of the cockpit. It is at this moment that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz alters the autopilot settings, causing the plane to descend rapidly from 38,000 feet to just 100 feet.
The investigation revealed that Lubitz locked the cockpit door, preventing the captain from re-entering. Despite attempts to communicate, including shouting and knocking, Lubitz remained unresponsive. The cockpit voice recorder captured these chilling moments. At 10:41 AM, the aircraft plummeted into a mountain range in the French Alps, impacting at approximately 700 kilometers per hour. All 150 individuals on board lost their lives.
The Germanwings crash remains a focal point for both the victims’ families and the courts, even years later. How do they navigate the aftermath of such an unimaginable loss?
Living with the Pain
Brigitte Voß from Leipzig reflects on the enduring anguish, saying, ‘Initially, it was an obsessive thought—wondering if he screamed, if there were announcements, or if they took a protective position. Those thoughts still haunt me.’ Her son Jens, a 37-year-old sales manager traveling for work, was among the passengers.
Jens had always harbored a fear of flying. Voß clings to the hope that he may have fainted and experienced nothing. The realization that her son’s death stemmed from one individual’s actions is a bitter pill to swallow. ‘When we learned that our Jens died due to someone’s will, that he was essentially murdered—the word murder felt all too real. It intensified everything.’
Prosecutor Christoph Kumpa stated that had Lubitz survived, he would have faced 149 counts of murder. However, with Lubitz deceased, there are no proceedings against him.
To this day, the Germanwings crash is recognized as the worst aviation disaster in Germany’s history. Despite numerous investigations and court cases, families like Klaus Radner’s and Brigitte Voß’s remain consumed by the question: How could this have happened?
What Motivated the Co-Pilot?
Investigations by German authorities revealed that in the days leading up to the crash, the 27-year-old co-pilot had searched online for methods of suicide and researched the cockpit door’s locking mechanism.
On the day of the disaster, two of his doctors had deemed him unfit for work, yet Lubitz failed to present the sick notes to his employer.
Lubitz had previously interrupted his pilot training due to severe depression. Prosecutor Christoph Kumpa believes that Lubitz experienced psychological issues again in the months prior to the crash, having visited over 40 doctors, driven in part by an irrational fear of blindness.
Seeking Justice
Klaus Radner continues to question how a severely mentally ill individual was permitted to control a Germanwings cockpit, a subsidiary of Lufthansa. Did anyone know of his condition and fail to act? Why didn’t the aviation doctors who assessed him annually identify his mental health issues?
In July 2023, Radner joined around 30 other relatives in filing a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Office—responsible for aviation medical examinations—challenging the Federal Republic of Germany. However, it remains uncertain when the Braunschweig Regional Court will schedule a hearing.
The tragic crash has irrevocably altered the lives of the victims’ families, leaving a void that will never be filled.
For more insights, check out the WDR documentary ‘The Germanwings Crash’ available in the ARD Mediathek. Additionally, the WDR podcast ‘The Germanwings Crash – Ten Years Without You’ features the voices of the relatives across six episodes.
This topic was covered by the ARD morning magazine on March 24, 2025, at 5:30 AM.