Germanwings Co-Pilot Sped Up Plane's Descent, Investigation Says

The French investigation team researching the recent Germanwings 9525 crash has reported that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally sped up the plane's decent before crashing it into a remote area of the French Alps nearly two weeks ago.

The BEA, France's air investigation group, reported over the weekend that black box records of the flight indicate that Lubitz sped up the plane's speed before crashing the aircraft into the mountainous French countryside, killing all 150 passengers and crew on board.

"The initial readout shows that the pilot present in the cockpit used the autopilot to put the (airplane) into a descent towards an altitude of 100 (feet) then, on several occasions during the descent, the pilot modified the autopilot setting to increase the speed of the (airplane) in descent," the BEA said in a statement.

"Work is continuing to establish the precise history of the flight," the statement added.

Investigators have already stated that 27-year-old Lubitz intentionally crashed the commercial Germanwings aircraft into the side of the mountain on Tuesday, March 23. The plane had been travelling from Spain to Germany when it hit the mountainside near a popular French skiing location.

Mental health specialists are now suggesting that Lubitz likely suffered from aggression and personality disorders along with his alleged depression, which was medically documented in his past.

"We need to stop talking as if this was a suicidal guy with access to an airplane," Dr. Jeff Victoroff, a neuropsychiatrist at USC's Keck School of Medicine, told the Los Angeles Times. "This was a murderous guy who probably had elements of a mood disorder and personality disorders."