Germanwings crash could prompt remote override tech review

The head of Germany's air traffic control agency says the crash of a Germanwings jet in France last month raises the question of whether technology should be put in place allowing authorities on the ground to take control of a plane and remotely land it.

Investigators believe the plane's co-pilot deliberately crashed it during a flight from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, killing all 150 aboard.

Speaking Wednesday in Frankfurt, Klaus Dieter Scheurle said "such an event might cause us to reconsider systems which would allow the control of aircraft to be taken over by personnel on the ground in emergency situations," according to a statement from the agency.

He said similar technology is already available for piloting drones, but it could take a decade to develop it for passenger jets.

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