This is so terribly sad.

Thank you Anya I am glad it wasn't just me who was upset by the earlier references to "god's mercy".

I cant say that I agree with you on that one Teetime.

Nor me. They think that plane was dropping out of the sky for about 8 minutes. Can you imagine the fear and panic on board? Not very merciful, just horrific.

I lost my faith after working at a children's hospital, what kind of god would allow babies and children to suffer and die ? likewise no god would hurtle people to their ends on a mountain. I don't think there are any words that can offer comfort at this time, I can't even look at the TV

I wondered that harrigran when I watched my 16 year old nephew die in the cancer ward of the children's hospital here. I think God took his eye of the ball in that ward and yesterday when that flight went down (amongst millions of other tragedies). I can't imagine what those families are going through.

From what I hear on german news it seems that a severe drop in height coupled with no air pressure control - perhaps knocked the passengers out.
We will never know. I have flown German Wings or Lufthansa or BEA many times and always think this may be my last flight, but it is never as scary as when my family is flying.

MargaretX I have heard that people on board a plane would pass out with the sudden drop in height and I do hope that happened in this case.

When the cabin pressure drops the oxygen masks deploy. I seriously doubt whether they will be able to ascertain whether this happened.

I have just read that the black box flight recorder shows that the pilot was locked out of the cockpit and tried frantically to smash the door down to gain entry prior to the horrific crash!

I can't seem to take it in and my imagination has now gone into overdrive. Has anyone else heard any similar reports? And if this is true what coukd the explaination be?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3012053/Pilot-doomed-Germanwings-jet-locked-cockpit-crash.html

Above link for headline. Pilot locked out of cockpit

I've heard that too Gillybob
I fervently hope it wasn't deliberate, the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

DH has just read that too Gilly - makes you wonder about other flights that went down under similarly mysterious circumstances.

Me too loopylou but what other explaination could there be? Surely if the door was jammed the pilot could have smashed it down even if he had to enrol the help of other cabin crew or even passengers!

OMG that is terriffying. Could it be a failure with the door- they made doors totally terrorist proof- so much so that they maybe pilot proof too? Where was the co-pilot- and how experienced was he? Was he trying to open the door from his side? The passengers were surely aware pilot was unable to get in and trying to smash door down- does not bear thinking about.

Yes - ONE of the pilots was locked out. There was no response from those on the flight-deck to his attempts to get in, or none that could be heard in the recording from the Cockpit Voice Recorder - not the Flight Recorder. That has not been found so far.

Sickening and beyond belief

I am so sorry to have offended people by talking about faith and God. As for the person who is 'stunned' I hope you have recovered.

I wonder why it is , when I read your comment above feetlebaumthat I could see my dads face and hear his voice?

Oh yes I get it now. My mum will start a perfectly reasonable and sensible conversation and my dad will nitpick an often minor detail, to "put her right" on.

"ONE, of the pilots was locked out" NOT "The pilot" etc.

I think its a man thing.

Definitely a 'man' thing!
DH is the same, thinks he knows more than the experts......
I just smile through gritted teeth and say 'Of course you're right dear'

gilly, There are two pilots on a plane, the captain and first officer. Saying THE pilot implies there was only one. It's not a man thing.

When we first saw the TV pictures, we both thought - explosion because the wreckage was scattered so far and wide.

Has there been any information on the pilots? Is there a possibility the one in the cockpit, behind the locked door, was a terrorist?

Will we ever know?

I know that "there are two pilots on a plane" merlot !

When you see the pilot coming out of the cockpit you don't actually say "there is one of the two pilots" do you? For goodness sake.

So far this thread has descended into a spat about religion and a man vs. woman spat.

Keep it up, chaps and chapesses!

An explanation could be that the pilot left alone at the flight deck had a fatal heart attack.

It's possible that the pilot in the cockpit had a heart attack and died.Or of course, it could have been deliberate.

Sorry Jingl, we posted at the same time!