Analysis of NTSB Aircraft-Assisted Pilot Suicides: 1982-2014.
On March 24, 2015, a Germanwings aircraft crashed in the Alps. The suicidal copilot killed himself and 150 others. Pilot suicide is rare, but does happen. This research analyzed the National Transportation Safety Board's accident database (eADMS) looking for pilots who died by suicide in flight. Fifty-one suicides were identified. Gender, age, and other characteristics were examined. Average age of suicidal pilots was 38, significantly different from the average age of 45 for all male pilots involved in aircraft accidents. A discriminant function accurately identified suicidal incidents at 96%. There was a high false-positive rate limiting the usefulness of the discriminant function.
Department of Psychology, The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
P Michael
PM
Politano
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide, Berlin, Germany.
Robert O
RO
Walton
D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000070356:Pilots / Q000523:psychology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention