Thierry Dubois is a freelance writer specializing in helicopters, business aviation and aerospace technology. He earned a degree in fluid dynamics from an engineering school in Toulouse, France in the mid-1990s. At an unexpected crossroads, he found his first job in journalism. In 1997, he started working for French aerospace weekly Air &amp; Cosmos in Paris. This lasted until 2000, when he moved south to Lyons. He then became a freelancer, working for various aerospace publications and has been part of the AIN team since late 2000. In addition to writing about business aviation, Thierry shares responsibility for the rotorcraft section. He also is a regular on-site writer for AIN’s daily editions at international airshows such as the Paris, Farnborough, Dubai and Singapore shows, as well as at EBACE in Geneva.
In 2007, he won the Honeywell award for “Best systems or technology submission” at the Aerospace journalist of the year awards. In 2013, he won an Aerospace Media Award for the "Best Safety, Training &amp; Simulation Submission."
In other activities, Thierry moderates international conferences on aviation technology topics. Thierry is married and has three children, who seem to begin enjoying the mountains–as their parents do.

Writer

Thierry Dubois

The copilot of the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed on Tuesday in the French Alps deliberately caused the crash by changing the flight management system’s altitude setting, French prosecutor Brice Robin revealed Thursday in a press conference at Marseille airport. Andreas Lubitz, 28, had locked the captain out of the cockpit. Criminal investigators have listened to the cockpit voice recorder's content, which the BEA retrieved yesterday.

 


During the first 20 minutes of the recording, the two pilots had normal exchanges, described as courteous and cheerful. Then, the captain began the landing briefing. At that time, the copilot’s answers became “laconic,” Marseille’s prosecutor said.

 


The captain then asked the copilot to take the controls. On the recording, the investigators heard a seat moving back and a door closing, likely indicating the captain leaving the cockpit to use the lavatory, Robin asserted.

 


While on his own, Lubitz selected a new altitude on the FMS, which triggered the descent at about 3,000 feet per minute. Robin insisted that Lubitz’s action could only be intentional. The flightradar24.com website confirmed “Analysis of ADS-B/ModeS data: Autopilot was manually changed from 38,000 to 100 ft” at 10:30:55, local time, about 10 minutes prior to impact.

 


The captain tried to gain access back to the cockpit. He used the door’s intercom and knocked on the door. From that point, no word was uttered in the cockpit and only “normal” breathing could be heard until the end of the recording, Robin said. There was no sign of the copilot trying to open the door.

 


Marseille’s ATC was heard trying to make radio contact. Controllers also attempted to have the crew squawk 7700. They received no answer, even after requesting other aircraft in the vicinity to act as a radio relay.

 


Towards the end of the recording, the “pull up, pull up” alarm of the EGPWS sounded. “We also could hear hits on the door like someone trying to smash in,” Robin said. Shouts emanated from the cabin at the last moment. At first, the CVR recorded the apparent sound of minor impact with the ground. The final impact took place at over 380 knots, he concluded.

 


A German citizen, Lubitz flew in an air club since he was a teenager, according to France’s BFM TV. Robin said his name was not associated with terrorist activity or suspicion.

 


Robin said the French, German and Spanish judicial authorities were formally preparing to collaborate. Officials have so far characterized the case as “unintentional homicide,” but plan to soon categorize it as “intentional homicide.”

 


Under France’s crash probe system, two investigations will run in parallel--the so-called administrative case, by the BEA, and the criminal one. In accordance with ICAO standards, the BEA holds responsibility for issuing “safety recommendations in order to prevent future accidents and incidents.” Procedures call for it to receive no instruction from either the government or the judicial authorities.

 


The prosecutor heads the judicial investigation, aimed at determining fault that might result in the establishment of liability and thus on convictions and payments to aggrieved parties. French law defines the sometimes complex relationship between the two processes. For example, flight recorders get placed under seal by the judicial authorities and handed to the BEA for readout under judicial monitoring.

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Germanwings Copilot Set FMS for Fatal Descent 

Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz, 27, is now the focus of the investigation

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Matt Thurber

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Preparation and training resulted in a survivable accident

Bombardier Safety Standdown: Surviving the Fire

Aircraft caught fire and burned after hitting a vehicle

Five Killed in HondaJet Rejected Takeoff Crash at KFFZ

David Jack Kenny

Preliminary and final accident reports, November 2024

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: November 2024

Gordon Gilbert

Fatal accidents were down year over year from 12 to 10

Year-to-date Bizav Accidents Decline

Aircraft touched down on the runway then departed onto a grassy area

Passenger Lands King Air C90 after Pilot Medical Issue

Mark Huber

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Black Hawk had landed on a private airstrip that was also a snowmobile trail

Snowmobiler Who Collided with Army Helo Awarded $3.3M

All five passengers drowned after autorotation into NYC's East River

Jury Awards $116M in Doors-off Helitour Crash

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

More In Accidents