Killer co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was able to hide his psychological problems from airline bosses because of a 'gaping hole' in the system for assessing pilot health, an air safety expert has claimed. Lubitz had torn up a sick note declaring him unfit to fly on the day he crashed a Germanwings plane into a rocky ravine in the Alps, killing himself and everyone on board. The 27-year-old is believed to have consulted medics about severe psychological and visual disorders and been told he was too ill to fly by two doctors before the crash. But due to confidentiality rules, this information was not passed onto Gemanwings operator Lufthansa and he was able to fly the doomed Airbus A320 that day. Scroll down for video . Andreas Lubitz was able to conceal his health issues from Lufthanza because of Germany's privacy laws which mean GPs cannot disclose information about their patients' health and the onus rests of employees . Under patient confidentiality rules, which also operate in the UK, pilots do not have to disclose their profession to GPs and doctors are not able to pass on their concerns to airlines. The onus of reporting any health issues rests solely on the 'honesty' of pilots. Tony Newton, a British pilot who has flown Airbus A320s for 20 years and who also works as a Civil Aviation Authority examiner, said that the system 'has to change'. 'It's a gaping hole in the system. It would happen in the UK as well,' he said. 'As a pilot, my medical life at work and my medical life at home are absolutely separate, unless I choose otherwise. Nobody checks that you communicate your health problems to the airline. 'Pilots have a yearly medical examination, which includes a chat about how we've been feeling psychologically, but it's fairly low-key. 'If I go to the GP, there it no requirement for me to disclose that I'm a pilot. 'And if I see the doctor for something that may affect my ability to perform my duties, he is prevented from communicating that to the airline because of medical confidentiality. 'The onus is on me to hold my hands up and tell the aviation authorities. The system is not well policed. It relies on honesty. A simple headstone has been laid in Seyne-les-Alpes, the closest accessible site to the area of the crash . Flowers have been laid at the headstone, known as a stele, to remember those who died in the crash . 'There is a legal obligation for pilots to tell their employers if they have surgery, or an illness that requires more than 21 days off work, or have been prescribed a long list of certain drugs. 'But the GP doesn't get involved.' Lubitz had visited Dusseldorf University hospital in February and more recently on March 10 and is believed to have been concerned about vision problems. An ex-girlfriend claimed he had always dreamed of flying larger planes but had recently recognised his ambition could not come true because of his mental health problems. The co-pilot had previously been treated by psychiatrists for 'burnout syndrome' which required him to take a break from pilot training in 2009. He was allowed to complete his training in 2013 and get a pilot's licence, under the condition he had regular medical exams. But it appears that because of confidentiality laws governing GPs, Lufthansa would not have been informed about Lubitz's struggles unless he told them himself. French gendarmes have been at the crash site, recovering clues and body parts from the wreckage . Dozens of search workers have been deployed by helicopter because the crash site is so inaccessible . Officials confirmed that Lubitz's remains have already been found, and not a single body had been recovered . Mr Newton added: 'I'd like to see a more robust mechanism. Most pilots don't go around intentionally exploiting it, but the door is open for someone who has serious mental problems to hide it from the aviation examiner. 'It also leaves the door open for mistakes. 'A pilot friend of mine quit smoking with help from a drug prescribed by his GP. 'He mentioned it casually to the airline examiners a few months later, and they told him he shouldn't have been flying under the influence of that drug. 'He had no idea. If there had been a crash, it would have been appalling. 'It's very dangerous and the system needs to be tightened up.' Lufthanza said it was unaware of any psychosomatic or other illness affecting the co-pilot. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported investigators had found evidence to suggest Lubitz was concerned he was losing his eyesight, possibly because of a detached retina. The condition causes the thin lining at the back of the eye to detach from blood vessels that supply it with oxygen and nutrients and is often marked by flashes in the eye. Relatives of victims, including Philip Bramley (centre) have gathered at the site of the crash in Le Vernet . Flowers and candles have been laid by mourners at the headquarters of Germanwings in Cologne . It causes blurred vision and without treatment can lead to blindness. The newspaper reported that it is unclear whether his vision problems had physical or psychological causes. Lubitz is believed to have locked pilot Patrick Sonderheimer out of the cockpit when he left to go to the toilet before he put the plane into a descent. Black box recordings revealed that Sonderheimer hammered on the door asking to be allowed in, but Lubitz failed to answer. Minutes later on Tuesday morning the plane crashed into the Alps at a speed of 400mph, killing everyone on board. Among the dead were three Britons - including a seven-month-old baby. Since the tragedy a picture of Lubitz has emerged as a passionate and dedicated flyer who had previously struggled with a bout of depression. He was focused on flying, having joined a glider club when he was just 15. Committed and ambitious, his former girlfriend Maria told German newspaper Bild that Lubitz had hoped to fly larger planes, such as the Boeing 747 jumbo jet. 'She said that he recognised in the last month that his dream cannot come true because of his mental illness,' Bild reporter John Puthenpurackal told the Sunday Times. Lubitz's former girlfriend also said he would get 'angry' about his conditions at work and struggled with the pressure of holding onto his job. She claimed she ended the affair because she realised the pilot had problems. French Red Cross members and residents living nearby have paid tribute to the 150 people killed in the crash . While Maria claims to have been in a relationship with him, he shared his Düsseldorf flat with a woman who was believed to have been his fiancée. Large quantities of prescription medicines for treating mental illness were found at his flat. As well as his passion for flying, he is believed to have been an avid runner - training for the Iron Man endurance rest in Hawaii. Bernard Bartolini, the mayor of Prads-Haute-Bleone, said he met the father of Andreas Lubitz at a memorial on Thursday for relatives of those who died in the crash. 'He was distraught with grief. He was a completely broken man who is carrying all the responsibility of this drama on his back,' Bartolini said on BFM-TV. 'He lost a loved one, but also because his son is perhaps the (cause) of this tragedy.'
Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz tore up a sick note declaring him unfit to fly . Confidentiality laws mean doctors could not disclose medical information directly to Lufthansa . In both Europe and the UK, pilots are supposed to tell airlines if they have health problems, but this is not policed . A British air safety expert said, 'the door is open for someone who has serious mental problems to hide it from the aviation examiner'