Germanwings co-pilot hid sick leave note for crash day

Düsseldorf - The co-pilot thought to have deliberately crashed his Germanwings jet into the French Alps, killing all 150 aboard, kept secret the fact that he was written off sick on the day, German prosecutors said on Friday.

Searches of his homes had netted "medical documents that suggest an existing illness and appropriate medical treatment", including "torn-up and current sick leave notices, among them one covering the day of the crash", they said.

This "backs up the suspicion" that the co-pilot, who reportedly suffered from severe depression, "hid his illness from his employer and his colleagues", said prosecutors in the western city of Düsseldorf in a statement.