Lubitz was consulting several doctors - report

A leaked medical report shows that Andreas Lubitz, the Germanwings co-pilot who flew an airplane into the French Alps on 24 March, was seeing an 'astonishing' number of doctors. 

German newspaper Der Speigel reports that Lubitz was seeing at least five medical professionals, including psychiatric specialists and a neurologist. Five separate practices have so far handed their information on the co-pilot to investigators and more may yet come forward.

He had been signed off work for unspecified medical reasons on the fortnight around 24 March, the day of the disaster, but officials previously said ripped up letters found at his homesuggested he hid his illness from employers.

The Dusseldorf state prosecutor has not officially confirmed what those medical notes referred to but Lubitz’s struggle with severe depression has been dated back to 2009, when he took a break of several months in his flight training.

Other evidence has suggested that Lubitz may have been seeking treatment for eyesight problems that he feared could put his flying career at risk.

Under the username “Skydevil”, he searched for information on “bipolarity”, “manic depression”, “migraines”, “impaired vision” and “acoustic trauma” in the weeks leading up to his apparent murder-suicide, Bild am Sonntag reported.