It's so sad that the co-pilot intentionally grounded the plane. So sad. 
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I can't even...
My heart goes out to the passengers and crew and all of their family and friends. 
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Holy crap. I've been following along thinking it was a technical problem, but geez. suicide?!
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I kind of had a panic attack reading about this. It's such a nightmare, I am so sad for everyone involved.
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This is just awful. I feel so bad for the passengers. Just so tragic.
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Omg! My BIL and I were just talking about how weird it was that there was no distress call. I never would have guessed this.
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I've been following this story all morning and just cannot wrap my mind around it. I totally understand being suicidal, but how can you also take out 150 people with you? So selfish. Horrific.
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Unbelievable. The ultimate selfish act. Praying for the families of those who were lost. I can't fathom how hard this must be for them.
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This is such a tragedy and reading about the pilot trying to re-enter the cockpit and the co-pilot ignoring the requests is terrifying....I'm sure there will be more terrible details released in the days to come
I hope the families of all the passengers eventually find peace
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@yoursilverlining: are they saying it was "just" suicide now?
This is beyond sad.
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This is why they need a safety measure OTHER than a reinforced locked cabin door, where no one can get in if it's locked. Fingerprint screens to open the doors, or a body switch if a pilot has to go to the bathroom (like, when 1 pilot leaves, a Flight Attendant has to enter to cockpit and stay there until the pilot comes back).
There should never, ever be just 1 pilot in the cockpit when the doors are now reinforced--even if the guy had had a sudden heart attack--the other pilot is totally locked out and can't do anything.
It's terrifying.
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@2littlepumpkins: I think so (?) All I’ve read is that he wasn’t on any terrorist watch lists so they are thinking suicide. But I cannot fathom being “ok” with killing 150 people on your way out.
@Anagram: Totally agree. And what’s mind-boggling too is that there is no way to activate a distress call, except from inside the cockpit. So, the crew and pilot were unable to send out a distress signal (probably unlikely that it would have changed things, but still).
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@Anagram: the flight attendant standing in the cockpit until the other pilot returns is standard protocol, at least in the US. Not sure why this was not followed.
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@Anagram: I read the newspaper today and they said in the US, they do the body switch, but I wonder what would a flight attendant have done? Slowed him down, unlocked the door. Though, it's better than nothing.
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@ninja: I read that the US adapted that rule after 9/11, but that they aren't sure if many European countries have done the same.
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@bluestriped bee: unlocked the door---or maybe it would just be less of an option for a person who's suicidal to also take down an entire airplane of innocent people.
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I have a flight tonight and am having anxiety about it now. =/
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@Anagram: Eeek! I'm sure I would, too. Just know that there are thousands of planes and people flying each day. Your odds are low to be involved in something like this. I'm sure you'll have an uneventful flight. Hoping you have a safe flight.
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Just
it's bad enough if it had been an accident, but that the pilot would do it on purpose...
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@ninja: This is only standard protocol in the US/Canada since 9/11 as @bluestriped bee: mentioned but it is not in Europe according to the articles I read this morning
ETA: apparently there is a mechanism where if an emergency code punched in requesting access to the cockpit the pilot can allow the door to be opened BUT if the pilot refuses entry then the door is automatically locked for 5 minutes!
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Hm. Suicide is one thing but you would have to be in a *really* messed up mental space to do such a large-scale murder suicide like this (?)
Scary and tragic!
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@Greentea: I agree. And the reports that his breathing was "normal" until the end makes it seem to me that he was going to make this happen, no matter what. If it wasn't this flight, it would've been the nest.
I think that having 2 people in the cockpit (a flight attendant to relieve a pilot) is totally necessary and should be standard, but having a finger print scan to override the lock should not be. Those doors need to be tamper-proof and shouldn't have any sort of override to let anyone in.
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I don't understand why his breathing on the recorder sounded steady and calm. That part makes me the most weirded out. Why would he not be breathing heavily from dread/adrenaline?
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That is so messed up. I already hate flying and these days I dread it even more, it's like I can't even get excited about traveling!
And I suddenly thought about how awful for the rescue workers in these situations to be finding bodies/limbs...
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I am in Germany right now and everyone is devastated. The passenger list included a German school class and two babies...
whats bothering me is that a news reporter asked family and friends of the co pilot about his religious believes and everyone refused to answer.
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@DillonLion: I've heard that in some suicide situations, once the person makes the decision to end their life, they become very calm/at peace and sometimes quite happy because they can see the end of their own suffering. That's all I can think might have been happening here. Still just a horrible situation for those poor people and families.
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@BananaPancakes: That's interesting. Thank you.
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So sad. I'm not buying that it was because he was suicidal, though that may have been part of it, but mass murder is quite different than suicide.
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So, so sad.
Agree that suicide is not the appropriate word. Mass murder seems the most appropriate.
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@ninja: As of tomorrow it's supposed to be the standard protocol for all German airlines too. (I'm in Germany too).
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