Call For Safety Recommendations To Be Implemented and Reviewed As Two-Year Anniversary Of The Crash Is Marked This Week
- Families commence legal action in London
- Calls for some flight safety recommendations to be reviewed and the rest fully implemented
- Memorial being unveiled at site of crash
On the second anniversary of the Germanwings plane crash tragedy which killed 149 people approaches, the relatives of the victims are calling for all safety recommendations made by the EASA to be fully implemented to reduce the risk of similar incidents in future.
On 24th March, 2015, a flight between Barcelona and Dusseldorf operated by Germanwings, a low-cost carrier owned by German airline Lufthansa, crashed in the French Alps. The crash was deliberately caused by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who initiated the plane’s descent that caused it to crash.
Specialist aviation lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who are representing families of a number of the victims, have today commenced court proceedings in the UK as they work to get justice for those killed in the disaster. The law firm is also pursuing a case in the USA against the Arizona Flight School owned by Lufthansa, the owners of Germanwings, which trained Mr Lubitz.
Rebecca Smith, an Associate Solicitor and aviation specialist at Irwin Mitchell representing the families of some of the victims, said:
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“This is a tragedy that will live long in the memories of those who suffered the loss of a loved one.
“Those people who lost someone in this crash want to understand exactly how this devastating incident was able to occur. It is already known that Mr Lubitz had seen 41 doctors in the five years before the crash, including for depression, and had practiced the sharp descent manoeuvre on his previous flight.
“Although the European Aviation Safety Agency announced six recommendations for improving safety standards to ensure this kind of tragedy never re-occurs, the consultation process has resulted in some of the initial recommendations being watered down.
“The EASA recommendation for ‘random testing’ for drugs and alcohol was abandoned in favour of testing based on risk assessments, following pressure from representatives of pilots and airline operators during the consultation process.
“In any case, at present the implementation of even these adjusted recommendations is still an ongoing process, which is frustrating for our clients.
“The main concern remains that currently, there is no system for regular psychological assessment of flight crew is being proposed by the EASA.
“The current proposed changes to the Regulations only require a detailed psychological evaluation to take place at the start of a pilot’s career, with no further psychological assessments required unless the pilot voluntarily reports an issue with their mental health or this is discovered by another means. It is concerning that a pilot could pass an initial psychological assessment and not be required to have any more psychological evaluations over perhaps a 25 or 30 year career.
"Our clients want to see more done to reduce the risk of similar incidents.
“We are working with our clients to ensure that they achieve the justice that their loved ones deserve and have today commenced legal proceedings in London.” Rebecca Smith - Other
To mark the two-year anniversary, many of the families are attending the memorial service and unveiling of a memorial at the crash site in France.
Sharon Matthews, from Wolverhampton, who lost her husband Martyn in the crash, said: “Losing Martyn in this most horrific and public manner has been a dreadful ordeal for me and my family. I don’t think I will ever get over my husband’s death. We had been together for over 25 years. To have someone’s life cut short in such a manner has been heart-breaking.
“With the forthcoming Memorial in France, I have such mixed feelings. It is a step I know I have to take to try and come to terms with what has happened. I don’t want my husband or the other victims to be forgotten and the Memorial goes some way to acknowledging what we have all lost. I take some comfort from this.
“For us as a family, this is all about ensuring that lessons really are learned and that this can absolutely never happen again, and that no family has to go through what we have. It is disappointing and frustrating that two years on from this tragedy, there is still a lot to be done. We will continue to fight until we get justice and for the reforms we think are necessary to ensure the safety for future aircraft passengers.”