Andreas Lubitz had eyesight problem which 'threatened his career as a pilot' [View all]

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/11501771/Andreas-Lubitz-had-eyesight-problem-which-threatened-his-career-as-a-pilot.html

Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who flew a Germanwings plane, into a mountain killing 150 people, was being treated for problems with his eyesight that might have threatened his career as a pilot, it was disclosed on Saturday.
Lubitz, 27, was suffering from ‘vision problems’ which may have compounded a psychiatric condition from which he had suffered for at least six years.

Investigators will be examining the theory that severe stress - caused by a fear he might lose his job as a consequence of failing eyesight - may have driven him to commit suicide by flying an Airbus into the side of a mountain in the French Alps on Tuesday.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that Lubitz had sought treatment at Dusseldorf University Hospital for his eyesight.

The hospital said on Friday that Lubitz had attended the hospital in February for an evaluation and then returned on March 10 for further treatment.The hospital has refused to say why Lubitz had sought treatment but significantly ruled out claims it was for depression. That would lend weight to the claims that Lubitz had gone to the eye clinic, which is situated inside the hospital....(more)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/world/europe/pilot-andreas-lubitz-sought-treatment-for-vision-problems-before-germanwings-crash-authorities-say.html?_r=0

Andreas Lubitz, who was flying the Germanwings jetliner that slammed into a mountain in the French Alps on Tuesday, sought treatment for vision problems that may have jeopardized his ability to continue working as a pilot, two officials with knowledge of the investigation said Saturday.

The revelation of the possible trouble with his eyes added a new element to the emerging portrait of the 27-year-old German pilot, who the authorities say was also being treated for psychological issues and had hidden aspects of his medical condition from his employer.

It is not clear how severe his eye problems were or how they might have been related to his psychological condition. One person with knowledge of the investigation said the authorities had not ruled out the possibility that the vision problem could have been psychosomatic.