As reports emerge that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the Germanwings flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, attention has shifted away from the flight’s more experienced captain. Details are now emerging regarding the man who shared the A320 controls with Lubitz, and who left the cockpit shortly before the crash. Widely referred to as “Patrick S,” the Independent now reports that the flight captain was Patrick Sondenheimer, a husband and father of two.
Patrick Sondenheimer, according to the Independent, was an experienced pilot, having completed over 6,000 flying hours on the A320 aircraft model. He had flown with Lufthansa for ten years, German sources said, moving to Germanwings in 2014. He had also previously flown for Condor..
