article_snippet: Images of the crash site of Germanwings flight emerged as confusion reigned over the final minutes of the doomed Airbus A320 after air traffic controllers claimed they received no SOS despite the jet nosediving 32,000ft in just eight minutes.
article_snippet: Germanwings chief executive Thomas Winkelmann said the aircraft began descending at 10.45am, a minute after reaching cruising height of 38,000ft.
article_snippet: This descent lasted eight minutes, Germanwings chief executive Thomas Winkelmann told reporters in Cologne.
article_snippet: Radar and air traffic control contact broke off at 10.53am when it is understood to have crashed at more than 400mph.
article_snippet: The last routine maintenance check of the aircraft took place on Monday by Lufthansa technicians.
article_snippet: The last major overhaul was in mid-2013.
article_snippet: the aircraft had suffered technical issues, including a landing gear problem.
article_snippet: Mr Winkelmann said the captain on board was experienced and been with the airline and with Germanwings' parent company Lufthansa for more than 10 years and had clocked up 6,000 flying hours on this particular Airbus model.
article_snippet: Ms Bishop said it would be premature to speculate about the cause of the crash but said German airline Lufthansa, which owns the budget carrier Germanwings, was working on the assumption it was an accident.