Two scenarios on German plane when pilot locked out of cockpit

When the cockpit door is locked, separating the two pilots, the remaining person in the cabin cannot handle the situation leading to disaster or the pilot intentionally locks the door to carry out a suicide plan are scenarios that experts have put forward for the German plane crash.

Investigators approach a piece of Germanwings plane wreckage at the scene. Photo: EPA

The New York Times today quoted a senior military official involved in the investigation into the Germanwings plane crash in the Alps on March 24 as saying that it appeared that a pilot had left the cockpit before the plane descended but was then unable to get back in because the door was locked. This information was given based on the conversation recorded on the cockpit voice recorder, the first black box found by the investigation team at the scene.

It is certain that at the last moment of the flight, the pilot in the cockpit "was alone and did not open the door", the official affirmed.

According to Mr. Klaus Gorny, representative of Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, the airline has not received any reports related to the above issue but will investigate thoroughly.

CNN aviation analyst Peter Goelz said the NYTimes report was “extremely shocking,” but he and other experts stressed that it was still unclear what was going on inside the cockpit. There were many possibilities to consider, including a medical emergency or, more seriously, a suicide attempt by the other pilot.

If it is not a crime but the door somehow got stuck, making it impossible for the pilot in the cockpit to handle the situation leading to disaster, this information also rings the alarm bell about the technical safety of the Airbus A320 aircraft for airlines.

The Airbus A320 is one of the world's most popular passenger aircraft, used by most airlines. Renowned for its performance and advanced technology, the A320 family has received thousands of orders since its introduction in 1987. There are currently around 6,000 of these aircraft in service worldwide.

The French Center for Analysis and Investigation of Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) held a press conference yesterday to announce the initial results of the first black box. Mr. Remi Jouty, director of BEA, announced that part of the data from the black box had been obtained, including voice and cockpit audio recordings.

"It's too early to say what happened," said Mr Jouty, "no one can imagine a sane pilot flying his plane into a mountain."

According to Smh.com.au, an anonymous Australian A320 pilot said that the cockpit door can still be opened by entering an emergency password on the keyboard. In case the pilot loses control of the plane, the door will automatically open after a certain period of time if someone outside enters the correct code.

However, if the pilot inside the cockpit does not want the other person to return, he can still stop the door before it opens automatically. "If the person inside says 'no', there is no way for you to get in," the Australian pilot said, adding that the doors on the plane are bolted very tightly and secured so they cannot be broken down in just a few minutes even if the passengers and crew work together.

Image of the first black box, the plane's cockpit voice recorder, badly damaged. Photo: Business Insider

According to VNE