Father of pilot who crashed plane into French Alps in 2015 says not deliberate

March 24 (UPI) -- The father of the co-pilot of a plane that crashed in 2015, killing all 150 aboard, said on the second anniversary of the crash that his son was not responsible.

Guenther Lubitz, 63, said Friday that the investigation of the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash in the French Alps yielded no evidence that Andreas Lubitz, his son, deliberately crashed the plane. He added that the investigation remains incomplete.

Investigators concluded in January that Andreas Lubitz, 27, was suicidal and deliberately flew the Airbus A320, flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, into a mountainside.

His father, though, contended Friday that his son was not depressed at the time. The father said he was working with journalist Tim van Beveren, whom he identified as an "internationally recognized aerospace expert," on a theory that a carbon monoxide leak inside the cabin disabled his son while he was flying the plane.

His comments were the first public statement by a Lubitz family member since the incident.

"Up to now, everyone has believed the theory of a co-pilot who was depressed for a long time, who deliberately crashed his plane into a mountain in a planned act. We are convinced this is false," the elder Lubitz said Friday.

Lubitz' assertions angered family members of the victims, who gathered in Le Vernet, France, for an memorial ceremony on the two-year anniversary.

"The relatives are shocked about this news. They are literally speechless, they are searching for words. They are in the process of making their way to Le Vernet to commemorate the second anniversary," commented Elmer Giemulla, a lawyer representing the victims' families.