How a Pilot Hijacked a Plane 

So glad to have you all here! Please make sure to keep the comments in English 🤗 - David, Jonas & Elmer

I can't imagine the horror the passengers went through when they saw that the pilot had no chance to get into the cockpit.

i’ve been suicidal before and i’ve never considered hurting other people or taking them with me. This was more than depression, this man was evil.

This to me is one of the most sickening and frightening acts of mass murder ever committed. Here was a member of the flight crew, who was entrusted with the well-being of the passengers onboard, and he used the trust placed in him to kill everyone that he was supposed to keep safe. This act was premeditated and carefully planned and executed. He didn’t do this because he was “depressed”. Anyone with any semblance of humanity would have heard the screams of the people outside the cockpit and spared them. This dude was less than human, barely even an animal.

I actually really appreciated the bit near the end pointing out how rare incidents like these are. So many people are afraid of flying because the few incidents that happen like this are so high-profile. So including that disclaimer is definitely appreciated.

Imagine the pure chills and horror the pilot felt when it clicked he couldn’t get in, like all the passengers looking at you trying to get in with no success, the guilt , the stress , it must’ve been a lot

The fact that he decided to not only end his own life but also that of hundreds of others plus ruin even more lives because of his depression is just beyond me

This was one of my study cases for my flight class to showcase why mental health was such an important aspect in aviation, as it is the second most common reason why pilots lose their license, the first being cardiovascular issues. Amazing video, keep up the great work.

Can't imagine the horror of the passengers looking at the captain trying his best to break into the cockpit and watching the plane descend into the mountains 😢

This reminds me of what happened to my grandfather. He was a psychologist. One day he was with a patient who was a pilot, and found out the patient was abusing his wife and taking drugs. Despite confidentiality, papa reported him, resulting in him being grounded and fired. The idiot tried to sue my grandfather, but thankfully it didn’t go anywhere. Despite the stigma surrounding breaking patient-doctor confidentiality, I’m so proud he made the right choice.

I will never forget that day. I was cabin crew for a British airline at the time and on that day, we were on the stand right next to the German Wings aircraft. We even followed it to the runway and took off just after it. We learned of the crash when we landed back in Gatwick. We speculated about what may have caused the crash, not for one second thinking it was deliberate. When the cause was announced, it literally shook all of aviation to the core. As cabin crew, we trust our pilots to keep us all safe and together, we are like family. To think that one of the people we trust so much would do that, was unimaginable. I, and many other of my colleagues were so deeply shocked, how could he have done that, not just to his passengers but to his fellow crew?

I remember when this happened. The pilot basically committed suicide, but decided to bring all those on board down with him. He makes any person who courageously battles mental illness or depression in private and wants to become a pilot afraid to go to a psychologist, because people will think he's gonna do the same. He ruined it for everyone.

I was 14 when this happend. 4 Days after I came back from a field trip with my Spanish class to Spain. In Madrid we randomly met some other students from Germany who went to Barcelona and made a one day trip to Madrid like we did. To this day I don't know if these where the students on this plane. I still know how I felt the moment I saw the news on TV and was in absolute shock. My sincere condolences to all the families that lost someone in that accident.

As a pilot, nothing has made me more furious than this. How could a human person bring themselves to betray the trust put in them so completely and horribly. If there is a hell, I hope this guy is there.

Miss Cerzek, one of the two young spanish teachers on that flight, was my spanish teacher at Joseph König Gymnasium - even though i was constantly getting graded 4 (D) - she was the best teacher i ever had on that school and she did everything to not let me fail that class. She was such a nice person in general and such a good teacher in particular. I remember her teaching us the use of the verb "gustar" with the song "Me gusta" from Manu Chao. I didn't know that band and still listen to them today and even bought their records on vinyl. The one thing that really bothers me is that one of the lyric lines is "Me gustan los aviones, me gustas tú" wich translates to: "I like airplanes, i like you". And ever since this happend i am getting really sad when listening to this song. I hope she rests in peace.

The fact he was allowed to fly with so many red flags is disgusting. The company have a responsibility in this tragedy.

I remember this incident. We were talking about this in school the day after it has happened and it was really shocking. My parents cancelled our flight in summer too.

I just watched your video on Simpli, and I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of how far your work has come. I have been following both of your channels (Simpli and Hoog) for some time and this is perfect. The visuals, the tension, both of your styles, both distinct in their nature create this wonderful symbiosis of a channel.

I couldn't get enough from Simpli videos, so I am glad that more content is coming! 💙 Hope you guys rock it like in Germany! 🚀

may everyone on that plane rest in peace 🫡( except the co pilot)

This might not be the collaboration we expected, but it's certainly the one we needed!

The Schoolclass was from my hometown, the plane crash shook our entire community. In the aftermath even former Chancellor Angela Merkel visited our little town (Haltern am See), we still honor the victims of the planecrash with an memorial at the school they visited (Joseph König Gymnasium). Thank you for this great Video🫶🏻, may the victims never be forgotten…

I just started watching your videos. I appreciate the quality of animation you put to your videos to make us informed and entertained. Keep it up!

When this happened in 2015 it was all over the media in Germany for weeks. I remember this plane crash in particular being very shocking and depressing to me. I was imagining the passengers and pilot realizing what was going on and being unable to do anything about it. Especially because I had a school trip to London by plane 3 years prior it especially felt relatable when I heard that there was a school trip group on the plane. When it came out that the copilot crashed the plane on purpose it was especially shocking and scary, I think the feeling many people had after this was somewhat similar to how people felt after 9/11. Also, one of the worst horrors of plane crashes that often gets overlooked is all the workers who have to dig up the human body parts from the crash site for burial, this must be so traumatizing for them. Sometimes I wonder if it would be better to leave the body parts buried in the rubble and declare the entire crash site a graveyard instead of traumatizing more people in the process of digging them up.

The mother, grandmother and sister of one of my classmates in Barcelona were on that plane. They were going to visit him in Dusseldorf, he was studying abroad that year. That family lost all of their women that day, it was extremely tragic and painful, even more after knowing the way the accident unfolded...

I’m so hyped for this channel. Everything is already perfect: visuals, voiceover, stories, investigation… this is pure quality!

I thought it says "How to Hijack a Plane" 💀

Rest in peace to those who died My respect goes out to them So sorry to their loved ones Thank you to those who tried to help another life during this 🤍🕊

Thank you for not pretending that you are experts in psychology but explicitly leaving those matters to those who are. This is what professionalism and trustworthiness look like ❤ Good luck with your new channel (came here from Simpli)!

He went through depression, mental sickness and was caught lying on an official document, yet he was allowed to fly. Good job 👍🏻 He’s not the only one responsible for the disaster tbh

Following this, cabin crew now have to enter the cockpit when a pilot leaves, so pilots are not left alone

“Honor systems” don’t even exist anymore in like a workplace canteen but they existed for pilots to tell their employer about their mental and physical health. 🤦🏻‍♂️

I love how the animations make the story graspable, but maintain a respectful anonymity towards the victims

I’ll never forget this, my parents had told me they were flyging to Barcelona and I completely forgot which week they were flying (they flew there one day later in the end). My mom had checked available flights and almost chose this one, but she didn’t want to fly via Düsseldorf, so they took another one. Words can’t describe how that sentence sent shivers down my spine because had they decided otherwise they wouldn’t be here anymore

The passengers must have gone thru all that horror as the co-pilot was trying to open the door while the plane was descending rapidly. May their souls reste in peace. So terrible way to die.

If they ever launch a course on animation, I will be the first person to get it. The topic, in depth research, beautiful narration and wonderful animation made it a phenomenal experience to watch. Keep doing this sort of work and keeping us updated on interesting topics.

The two people in the cockpit rule was a really really good one. I have no idea why it would be phased out again. It's not just about deliberate acts either, what if the pilot has a medical issue while the other is on the toilet, and nothing gets noticed, until the plane is too close to the ground?

I will never forget when it was announced two days after the plain crash that the Co-Pilot did this on purpose. It was unimaginable and everyone was horrified.

Overall, great video about a horrible plane crash, but I have to mention a small mistake at the end. 10:35 Germanwings wasn’t rebranded to Eurowings. Germanwings and Eurowings are actually two completely different airlines within Lufthansa Group. Since 2015 Germanwings has operated for Eurowings, so you booked a Eurowings flight but may end up on a Germanwings-branded plane. This was practiced until 2020 when Germanwings ceased operations.

sounds like a nightmare! hope all the families are doing better today

Simpli x Hoog sounds like a winning team 🔥. Good luck with the new channel!

I am very proud that the two guys from Germany I am following since the early days are now producing internationally on such a high level

The compensation was a pittance. Thanks for a great video, and the hard work you put in.

These videos are really good, keep it up mate.

As a student pilot it’s heavily taught that mental health is the most important thing to keep in mind when you want to fly with a bunch of people depending on you to keep everyone safe. Risk management factors is definitely looked at before you decide to fly

Andreas Lubitz was the co-pilot who took the cowards way out to take all those people with him. Depression or not, those who decide others must go with them deserve as much shame as blatant murderers.

amazing video. i love the visuals and the well-explained facts.

I remember this moment. At this time i was visiting a school that was next to the school the class came from. So many candles was putting on the stairs . Trees were later planted in the number of students who died in the crash.i feel really sorry for the Family's there lost a loved one

I remember this and it is just horrific. The poor passengers and Pilot. Children on that plane. Children left behind with relatives stolen from them. Just disgusting.

This is one of the saddest stories I know. A pilot as well as a flight attendant I know were frequently flying this route. I was so happy they weren’t on this flight but they both lost valued colleagues and more importantly friends. The prime time news report on this incident is the only one I remember to this day. It is burned into my memory and will be there forever.

Everyone, we must give respect to the crew and especially the pilot, the pilot tried his best to save him but most importantly the passengers.

This guy isnt suicidal, he’s borderline insane

Simplicissimus and Hoog are an amazing trio. Never thought it could be this good! Keep it going! Cheers.

Great video. Unfortunately, that german school class was from my school. Although I was not visiting the school at the time, many people in my class knew people who died in the crash and every year on that day we're still remembering them at our memorial. It is just horrible, that one person who can't controll himself took so many innocent people's lives. Nevertheless it was still interesting to be explained what exactly happend since I was too little when it happened and I never properly informed myself afterwards. Once again, great video and good luck with this channel!

At the end you mentioned their rebranding to Eurowings and chill ran down my spine as I realized I flew with them.

You have the absolute best videos on RU-vid. Wish you had more

My Dad just recently told me about this and its really heartbreaking. I can't wrap my head around the fact that someone like this with a medical record and depressive episodes PLUS THE FACT HE CAUGHT LYING ABOUT IT, was able to still keep his pilot license. There have to be better background checks and harder punishments!

Just came here from Simplicissimus and watched the first few minutes of the video. Great animations, great story and such an interesting story. Im hyped to see more videos on this channel❤

This event is really tragic and horrific, a betrayal by a crew member and a forced crash of a plane is truly horrifying event. Hope that families will find peace of mind!

I think we are at a point in technological advancements now, where it doesn't seem unrealistic to develop a computer pilot which takes full control of the plane when it detects erratic and possibly crash-inducing behavior by human pilots. Unfortunately, this is a particular case which is impossible to fully prevent because you can never know what's going on inside a human's head. But the implementation of such a system (coupled with remote control technologies for the landing) can give the passengers and the rest of the crew onboard a surviving chance.

Thanks a million! God bless you always for your work.

My parents and I were about to take that plane. Our idea was to go to Barcelona then to Germany and then back to where I live. 1 day after, my dad broke his arm while walking in the street and we could make the flight. Days later, we read what happened. We were all shocked. That was a miracle!! Thanks to my dad, we didn't DIE.

This channel seems promising! As a first video it feels like your quality is out of this world. Though I prefer longer videos especially regarding such topics you still managed to keep me engaged and summarized it well. Don't be afraid to try longer videos and keep up the good work, your channel heavily reminded me of Lemmino which clearly is an example of how outstanding your first video was!

Imagine being the captain, trying to tell the passangers and kids that we’re all gonna die.

The pilot had no chance and I can’t imagine how scared the passengers felt. The co-pilot is so a coward ..

This is awesome. Many of my friends really enjoy Simpli but always get tired of reading the often janky subtitles since they dont speak german. This is a gift to them and so many more. Also, Elmers visuals look stunning, and we all are looking forward to your future endeavors

They need to make it so when a door is locked from inside the cabin, the flight tower gets a signal. Flight tower can then choose to override that command and unlock the door remotely if they’re unable to make contact.

man ur editing is soo good

Your videos are excellent..keep them coming!!!

I’m blown away by this amazing video!🔥 The visuals and animations are absolutely stunning. Impressive work from all of you! Congratulations, on starting the next big thing on RU-vid. I’m super excited for the future uploads 💙✨

For everyone thinking that this man killed himself and took 144 other souls with him because he had a depression: he may have had one, but the fact that he was seeing lights and was even diagnosed with an "emergent psychosis" says that at that point he was at the beginning of a Schizophrenia, which is a totally different class of mental illness. I've suffered from severe a Depression along with anxiety disorders through most of my teen years (finally recovered at almost 20), and i've got to say that it never even crossed my mind to take others life. When you are depressed, you can't really feel anything but your pain. Your world gets smaller, and you often have the feeling that you just want to disappear on the spot. But there is a clear line between wanting to end your own suffering and taking the life of others. A depression is about oneself, you don't want to damage others, instead just to end the pain inside. I feel really sorry for all the lives that were lost that day, i remember reading about it in the news when i was younger. I strongly encourage everyone who feels that something isn't right with their emotions to get help. It may sometimes feel pointless, but it is really worth, there is a way out. And while i appreciate the privacy laws we have here in Germany, there is a saying: your rights end when you (are about to) break the rights of others. The laws are clear in that regard, and i know that my therapist would have acted accordingly if i've would have expressed any intention of harming others, and i'm fine with how it is.

Sadly, we now know that if a window had been breached at a reasonable altitude, the door would have given way. This was apparently not known by many at the time, and doing it wouldn't have been very safe. It would have been a difficult call.

“Pilot hijacked a plane” Holy crap I gotta watch this

Horrifying. A sick person couldn’t just shoot himself in the head, he needed to take over 100 other people with him. Disgusting, and I feel for the friends and family that lost loved ones that day

My father was supposed to be on this flight but he changed his ticket last minute because something came up. It’s crazy how he would have perished amongst the other passengers if he wouldn’t have to change his plans

I just rewatched this video and am reminded of a recent story that is kind of its opposite. Recently, in the US, an off duty pilot in the cockpit who had been suffering from depression tried to crash an Alaska Airlines flight. Thankfully, because the copilot and pilot were also there, the plane did not crash. But the incident may have been caused by his failure to seek treatment which would have suspended his license, and his decision a couple days before the flight to try to self medicate with psilocybin.

Both pilots need to get a daily generated code that opens the door to evade that type of situation, they'll just remember it. If not and if something bad happends they can always destroy the paper with the code

Wow, what a start. Definetly one of the best crafted videos I've seen in a long time on YT. Those animations are top-notch. Jonas and Davids research and Elmers animation is a match made in heaven. I wish you all the best for this channel 💜

I’ll never understand how someone can be so evil and self centered that they think “when I die I want to take hundreds of strangers with me”

really needed this one rn

I love the way that you told this story, you don't reveal everything upfront, you slowly reveal what happened

I still remember the day we had a minute's silence in our school after the crash. My class teacher also taught senior year students, and two siblings from that year lost their parents in that terrible crash. That mood that day burned into me, even though I was only 11 years old at the time.

Crazy Quality, good luck with this new RU-vid Journey! 🔥

Thanks sounds very simple the way you put it

I saw this while I was in an Airport. Thanks, RU-vid!

This is such a horrible, frightening scenario. I feel so sorry for all the innocent people that died.

I absolutely adore hoog's voice and artstyle in his videos. great to see more on here together with one of my favourite german channels

perfect vid to watch when im about to fly tomorrow!

This topic is always so hard to watch. One of the teachers of my high school back then was the mother of one of the school girls who died during the accident. She received the message while working and broke down in class. To make things even worse, her other daughter was diagnosed with some kind of cancer some time after this, not sure if she recovered from it. I can't understand how one person/family can have so much bad luck, it's such a tragedy.

Elmer, David, Jonas, Lucas, Nora you all did a great job! 🎉 Thank you!

Interesting fact: The Luthansa airline claimed in court that the passengers didn't suffer as they "likely didn't know what was happening until it was too late" and they only had to pay a total of 7m in wrongful death payouts to the 149 passengers families. So the Pilot locked out of the cockpit desperately trying to break down the door as you are descending into a mountain isn't distressing?

After the tragic events, two things happened that made this more sad: Lufthansa (owner of German Wings) avoided to pay an appropriate compensation to the families...the families had to sue the airline. Can you image how terrible this must have been for the realtives that have lost their loved ones...And: Lufthansa & the Pilots Union said that they dont see any reason that in future two persons needs to be on the flight deck always - the pilots dont wanted flight attendants there as a second person. Evil

I wish you the best with this channel, I followed Simplicissimus for some years now, where they constantly uploaded interesting and high quality videos, which Im loving! I definitly will support you on this journey! Great Video ❣

Wow! That's crazy production value for a new channel! Keep it up!

awesome animations and video, thank you!

What a vid guys! High quality animations and informations! Thank you! It is a very good move to not speculate on certain issues cause it shows the needed respect to all involved. Oh just saw you are the Simplicissimus guys. Liebe Grüße Jungs :)

Regardless of the perspective, it's crucial to acknowledge that ending one's life in a way that involves strangers, traumatizes families, or negatively affects others is an act of deep selfishness. It's not about who gets triggered, but about considering the aftermath. If, hypothetically, someone were to take their life (which I strongly discourage), at least choose a method that minimizes the impact on loved ones and strangers alike. Let's remember the Germanwings flight incident - a painful reminder of the far-reaching consequences that such selfish actions can have on everyone involved.

In germany we say: Respekt wie viele Mühe ihr euch für euren Zweikanal macht

As a German, I remember this tragic plane crash to this day. Especially the fate of the school class was in the news for weeks. It was so sad - all those kids with their lives still ahead of them and their loved ones at home. I am now a father myself and I just can't begin imagine what I would do if this happened to my kid...

that's the most red flags i have seen a pilot have and all of them were ignored...