Mental health checks in the civil aviation industry lack the rigour needed, a former BA pilot has claimed in the wake of this week's Germanwings disaster. Alastair Rosenschein, now an aviation consultant, made the comments after it was revealed co-pilot Andreas Lubitz hid an illness from his employers and crashed the plane into a mountain killing 149 people on board. 'This recent accident demonstrates that the mental health checks lack the rigour that is specifically required in a safety sensitive industry like civil aviation,' he said. Scroll down for video . Killer in the cockpit: Andreas Lubitz - pictured competing in a half-marathon in 2013 - was reportedly in the middle of a 'relationship crisis' when he crashed the Germanwings airliner into the Alps, killing himself and 149 others . German detectives were also pictured carrying computer equipment from Lubitz's family home in the small town north of Frankfurt . Potential breakthrough: German detectives carry evidence boxes from the 28-year-old's apartment on the outskirts of Dusseldorf on Thursday . Yesterday, the boss of Germanwings admitted Lubitz had slipped through the 'safety net' and should never have been flying. And today it was discovered the co-pilot hid an illness from his employers. Following a search of his Dusseldorf apartment, investigators revealed they had found torn-up sick leave notes - current ones and one issued for the day of the disaster. Lubitz locked the pilot out of the Airbus A320's cockpit before setting the plane's controls to descend into a rocky valley, French prosecutors said yesterday. He had previously been signed off from training with depression in 2008 and was reportedly receiving mental health support up until Tuesday's crash. The 28-year-old was also in the middle of the 'relationship crisis' with his girlfriend in the weeks before the crash and may have been struggling to cope with a break-up, German newspaper Bild reported. It was  claimed this morning that the couple may have previously been engaged to be married next year. Mr Rosenschein, who was previously a researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, added: 'The safety net has a very wide mesh and that mesh needs to be narrowed. 'Athough suicide among pilots is not uncommon, murder-suicide is extremely rare.' Slipped through the net: Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had suffered from depression and ‘burnout’ which had held up his career . Investigators enter Lubitz's house on the outskirts of Dusseldorf yesterday as the probe into the crash continues . In a blunt admission, Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa, which owns the budget airline, admitted Lubitz had slipped through the safety net. ‘The pilot had passed all his tests, all his medical exams,’ he said. ‘He was 100 per cent fit to fly without any restrictions. 'We have at Lufthansa, a reporting system where crew can report – without being punished – their own problems, or they can report about the problems of others without any kind of punishment. 'All the safety nets we are all so proud of here have not worked in this case.’ Lubitz passed one of the most rigorous assessments when he was accepted for flight training by Lufthansa, according to The Telegraph. The airline said Lubitz trained at the Lufthansa Flight Training School in Bremen. An assessment required by Germany's civil aviation authority, the DLR, plus standards imposed by Lufthansa were needed before he was accepted. However, although the process includes psychometric testing of the candidate's ability to work under pressure and handle stress, they do not examine personality or lifestyle more closely, The Telegraph reported. Lufthansa, like other airlines, does not operate a formal vetting process for aspiring pilots. Investigation:  French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation for what appears to be a case of suicide involving mass murder . Search: Teams working in the difficult Alpine terrain clear scattered crash debris and search for bodies and belongings . Debris from the jet, operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline, was found near Barcelonnette . New information about Lubitz's life emerged just hours after police investigating the disaster began a four-hour search of his flat, which he is said to have shared with a girlfriend. Officers  found 'evidence of mental illness' but no suicide note, Der Spiegel reported. It is understood detectives have found significant material on Lubitz's computer, which they are now carefully examining for any explanation for his terrible actions. He reportedly received a year and half of psychiatric treatment and was at one point recommended to be examined by a doctor before flying. However, he passed his psychological assessments and was later considered fit to fly. Germany’s Federal Aviation Office confirmed this morning that Lubitz had a medical condition noted in his pilot’s records which required him to have a regular examination. Doctors giving pilots their regular medical checks assess their psychological soundness at the same time, according to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. This is done before they first fly and at regular intervals after that – once a year for under-40s and every six months for those over that age. Pilots are not made to sit detailed psychological tests, but the doctors are qualified to spot problems including signs of stress, fatigue and drug or alcohol abuse. CAA standards state: ‘During assessment of the applicant’s history, the doctor should make a general inquiry about mental health, which may include mood, sleep and alcohol use. ‘The doctor should observe the applicant during the process of the examination and assess the mental state of the applicant.’ A CAA spokesman said: ‘There is a psychological element to the pilots’ medical assessments. It forms part of the medical examination which pilots have to undergo to get their medical certificate without which they can’t fly.
Claims made after it was revealed Airbus A320 co-pilot crashed deliberately . Today it was discovered Andreas Lubitz hid an illness from his employers . Lufthansa flight training assessments don't examine personality or lifestyle . Lufthansa does not operate a formal vetting process for aspiring pilots .