Andreas Lubitz: What we know about the co-pilot accused in Alps air disaster

German and French prosecutors have been searching the homes of the co-pilot they believe deliberately crashed the Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 plane he was flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.

They have been attempting to find some indication of his motives for killing 149 people as well as himself, and some significant details have been uncovered over the past 24 hours.

Flawless flier

• Andreas Lubitz, who was 27, joined Germanwings in September 2013.

• He had complete 630 flight hours, and his flying skills were described by the CEO of Lufhansa as "flawless".

• He was not previously known to authorities, and there are no indications he was a wanted terrorist.

• He took a "medical break" during his training in 2009, but resumed and passed all his medical tests.

• The medical break lasted six months, but Lufthansa would not elaborate on the details.

Unable to work

• After searches of his parent's home in Montabaur and the home he sometimes shared with his girlfriend in Dusseldorf, German prosecutors found evidence that he had an long-term existing medical condition.

• Several medical sick notes saying he was unfit for work were found in his home, torn to pieces, prosecutors said.

'Serious depressive episode'

• German newspapers said the young pilot had suffered a "serious depressive episode" six years ago.

• After this episode, he spent a year and a half in psychiatric treatment.

'Increasingly withdrawn'

• Lubitz learned how to fly gliders at a local club before advancing to commercial aviation.

• A friend from his flying school said he was a nice, fun and polite young man, but over the past year had become increasingly withdrawn.

Stunned sadness

• Friends in Montabaur, a small town of 12,000 people near the Rhine River said they were stunned and saddened.