Dad Of Hull Man Killed In Alps Plane Crash Speaks Out
Philip Bramley, whose son Paul was on the Germanwings flight which is thought to have been crashed deliberately in March, has spoken of his shock over the medical state of the plane's co-pilot.
The dad of Hull man Paul Bramley who was killed in the French Alps plane disaster's spoken of his shock over the medical state of the co-pilot believed to have deliberately caused the crash.
As a criminal investigation opened in France - it's been revealed he'd seen 41 doctors in recent years.
Paul Bramley, who was 28, was one of three Britons who died in the tragedy in March.
His father Philip Bramley was one of the bereaved relatives who were given an update by prosecutors in Paris of the investigation into the actions of Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz.
Among information given to the families was that Lubitz - who's thought to have deliberately caused the crash - feared he was losing his sight and saw more than 40 doctors in five years.
But under German law none was able to alert his employers to his state of mind.
Mr Bramley said:
As a family we are still attempting to come to terms with losing Paul and we miss him every day. We do appreciate however the continued updates regarding investigations.
Nothing could have prepared us for the information that this was no doubt carried out in a premeditated way and planned in every detail. I was shocked to learn that 41 doctors had seen Andreas Lubitz on previous occasions.
Our only hope is that something can be done to stop anyone else from having to face what we and the other families have been through. Everything possible must be done to ensure that anyone flying a plane is fit to do so.''
Paul Bramley was studying hospitality and hotel management at Cesar Ritz College in Lucerne, Switzerland, and was about to start an internship on April 1, shortly after the crash on March 24.
He had just finished his first year at the college and had taken a few days' holiday with friends in Barcelona, before flying back to the UK via Dusseldorf to meet his family.
The other Britons killed on the Barcelona-Dusseldorf flight - which claimed 149 lives - were Martyn Matthews, 50, Julian Pracz - Bandres, aged 7 months, and Spanish-born Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio, 37.
Evidence suggests Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane after locking the captain out of the cockpit.
Clive Garner, head of aviation law at Irwin Mitchell, said:
Several months on from this tragedy, the families we represent are still trying to come to terms with the sudden and terrible loss of their loved ones in such incredibly difficult circumstances. This will no doubt be a long and painful journey for them.
We welcome the detailed information provided about the events involving Germanwings Flight 9525, and the families we represent are pleased that the corporate responsibility of the airline is being taken so seriously.
However, the news regarding the extent of Andreas Lubitz's medical history and the severity of his condition raises very serious questions about how the fitness of commercial airline pilots should be assessed in future.''