Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed in the southern French Alps the morning of Tuesday, March 24.
The plane was traveling from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany, when it quickly descended over 6,000 feet to its fatal crash. The plane was carrying 150 people including 144 passengers and 6 members of the flight crew. Authorities have said that there are no survivors. Among the passengers were 16 students and 2 teachers from Germany. Passengers were from all over the world, including 3 from America. The devastation has impacted over 18 countries.
The cause of the crash is still unknown. The crash site is in a very difficult area for rescuers to reach. The plane was completely destroyed in the crash, leaving a debris area the size of three to four football fields. According to French Interior Minister Bernard Caseneuve, the plane was descending at a very high speed when it crashed.
The search for answers is underway. Investigators have recovered the black box and a voice recorder from the plane, which will hopefully help indicate what went wrong. Unfortunately, details will take at least 24 hours before they can be released.
According to ABC News, there were steps taken by the pilots suggesting an emergency descent but there was no communication with air traffic control. However, pilots are aware that talking to air traffic control is one of the most important parts of this type of descent so it makes investigators wonder if they could talk or if there was an inability to communicate due to lack of cabin pressure. They are also seeing signs that maybe the pilots were taking steps towards handling a problem but then may have been overcome with the problem and lost control.
The reasons are still very unclear, and it may be days before any answers are discovered. It could also take days for rescuers to identify the bodies of the victims.
Graphic credit: Maegan Jolley
