Crazed: Andreas Lubitz (pictured) accelerated the doomed Germanwings jet into the mountain, data from the second black box recorder shows

Killer pilot Andreas Lubitz accelerated the doomed Germanwings jet into the mountain, data from the second black box recorder revealed today.

French air accident investigators said the 27-year-old used the automatic pilot to put the plane into a descent and repeatedly adjusted the controls to speed up the aircraft.

The revelation adds further weight to evidence from the cockpit voice recorder that Lubitz acted deliberately when he crashed the Airbus A320 in the French Alps at 430mph, instantly killing all 150 people on board.

A judicial source working alongside Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said the information confirmed their worst fears.

The second black box, which was found charred and crumpled at the crash site yesterday, measures data such as speed, altitude and pilot action and was an 'indispensable element' in the investigation, said the source.

The BEA air accident agency said in a statement that investigators have so far only obtained initial readings from the device and were continuing to extract data.

Meanwhile, forensics experts have also identified DNA strands from all 150 victims of the crash, meaning that scientists can examine Lubitz's.

Forensics experts have been pouring over DNA evidence that has been painstakingly collected from among the debris scattered across the mountainside.

Lubitz's forensic remains may help to answer a number of questions, including whether he was on medication.

Some 600 body parts have been found, and not a single corpse, meaning identifying people had been hugely difficult.

There are some 500 gendarmes and emergency workers currently securing the crash site, as they search for more human remains.

French emergency rescue services are pictured here sifting through the wreckage of the crashed plane

Battered: A picture from the French Aviation Authority BEA shows the crumpled second black box containing the Flight Data Recorder from the Germanwings A320 airplane that crashed in the French Alps

The second black box, which was found charred and crumpled at the crash site on Thursday, measures data such as speed, altitude and pilot action and was an 'indispensable element' in the investigation, said a source

The second black box recovered from the wreckage of Germanwings flight 4U9525 shows that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz accelerated the aircraft as it descended into the Alps, French aviation officials said

Images showing the damaged black box data flight recorder, the second from the Germanwings Airbus A320

The second black box from the Germanwings plane, seen during a press conference of the French prosecutor in Marseille, was found 'usable' condition

French president Francois Hollande made it clear earlier this week that all those aboard the claim would be identified formally 'by this weekend'.

The revelations from the second black box recorder comes after it emerged Lubitz had researched suicide methods and cockpit door security in the days leading up to the disaster.

Prosecutors said an examination of a tablet computer found at his apartment revealed he had recently used internet search terms such as cockpit doors and their security and suicide methods.

It was also reported that Lubitz told doctors he was on sick leave rather than flying and had been prescribed an anti-anxiety drug so strong it can increase the risk of suicide.

Wreckage: Rescue workers and investigators pictured at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 in the Alps

French emergency rescue services work at the crash site of the Germanwings plane where 150 people died

Rescue workers and investigators work at the crash site of a Germanwings Airbus ear Seyne-les-Alpes

Arduous task: A photo provided by the French Interior Ministry shows emergency rescue services working among the debris of the Germanwings passenger jet at the crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes

French emergency rescue services work among debris of the Germanwings passenger jet at the crash site

Forensics experts have also identified DNA strands from all 150 victims of the crash, meaning that scientists can examine Lubitz's

People who use Lorazepam are advised not to drive a car, let alone fly a commercial jetliner.

Medical experts say it can also increase the risk of self-harm at the start of treatment.

Prosecutors yesterday announced that the second black box from the flight had been found in a blackened state, but said it was 'usable'.

It was said to be in a good condition and was likely to yield more information.

The Germanwings Airbus A320 (above) crashed into a mountain at 430mph, killing all 150 people on board

The first black box voice recorder from the Germanwings flight that was recovered last week and revealed Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane. The second has now also been retrieved from the wreckage

Investigators believe Lubitz locked his captain out of the A320’s cockpit on March 24 and deliberately crashed the plane, killing all 150 people on board – possibly because of suicidal tendencies or fears he may lose his pilot’s licence.

Citing sources from the investigation, German newspaper Bild reported that he sometimes lied to doctors that he was off work and wanted to get better so he could fly again.

It said he gave them information about his job as a pilot and his employer, Germanwings, but concealed that he was still working.

Evidence: Police carry a computer out of the house Lubitz shared with his parents in Montabaur, Germany, two days after the disaster. Investigators have also found a tablet computer which revealed a search history from March 16 to March 23 that included medical treatment, suicide methods and cockpit door security

Team talk: French gendarmes get ready to visit the crash site of the German Airbus A320 as part of the search operation in Seyne-les-Alpes

THE ALPS CRASH COMPENSATION LOTTERY: PAYOUTS TO VARY BASED ON NATIONALITY AND INCOME Families of those killed in the Alps crash are likely to receive vastly different payouts depending on their nationality, where they bought the ticket and how much they earned, lawyers said today. Claims can be made either where the ticket was purchased, in the home country of the airline, at courts in the passenger's destination or in the passenger's home country. But in air crashes, the amounts awarded for pain and suffering vary by country even though they may all have shared the same fate. Victims from the U.S. tend to receive higher payouts, followed by Europeans and Asians. Lawyer James Healy-Pratt at Stewarts Law LLP, which is advising families of those killed in the Malaysian Air disasters last year, said British parents who lose an adult child can expect compensation of around £20,000, while American parents could expect £1.5million. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said on Wednesday that the airline would provide assistance to the families of those killed 'for as long as help is needed'. Advertisement

INCREASED RISK OF SUICIDE AND MEMORY LOSS: LORAZEPAM IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY Lorazepam belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines which treat a variety of conditions including anxiety, sleeping problems and other mental health disorders. Patients with psychiatric issues are warned it could lead to changes in behaviour. Worryingly, this can include an increased risk of suicide, particularly in the early stages of treatment. Users are also advised to get at least seven hours continuous sleep or it can cause memory loss from the time you wake up to the time the effects of the drug have worn off. Due to its strong soporific effect, it can hamper your ability to drive or operate machinery. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

He was apparently more stable in recent years, but in the past few weeks had reportedly seen doctors three times for depression and an eye doctor over fears he was losing his sight.

Bild said it discovered that he was prescribed drugs, including the sedative Lorazepam, to combat to range of disorders.

A pharmacologist said: ‘It is prescribed to combat anxiety, tension and sleep disorders. Whether you should fly a plane or even drive is questionable.’

Doctors had recently found no sign that Lubitz intended to hurt himself or others.

But he was receiving treatment from neurologists and psychiatrists who had signed him off sick from work a number of times, including on the day of the crash.

German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt yesterday announced the setting up of the task force that would look at, among other things, whether extra checks on the mental health of pilots should be introduced.

Investigators continue to deny reports that mobile phone footage from on board the jet had emerged.

They say they have found phones amid the wreckage but the devices have yet to be thoroughly examined.

Special mountain troops are continuing to search for personal belongings.

French forensics experts confirmed yesterday they had identified DNA strands from all 150 victims of the crash.

A member of the Dog Services of the French Gendarmerie carries a dog as he prepares to visit the crash site