What an idiot.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
Remember the stolen Dash 8 from last August? TheFlightChannel just put up a great simulator video dramaticizing the flight.

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lQy3e5yUKvo" width="560"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

That was quite interesting. I wonder if the USAF birds had the authority to force him down if he headed to populated areas while being crazy?

There are only three with authorization to direct a shoot down.

The Dash-8 isn't that big, it was nearly out of fuel, and any attempt to shoot it down would produce as much if not more collateral damage.

The flight was largely conducted over populated areas.

IT was an example of a person with some problems, who needed counseling. I don't know if he thought he would get it off the ground, and when he became airborne, the sound of his voices changed to excitement. None of that makes it right, but I believe he was cognizant of the implications, and not wanting to hurt others - as evidence of turning toward the mountains.

All things considered, it was a miracle that he was the only casualty.

I mourn the loss of the airframe...

For people largely untrained to deal with suicidal people, everyone did a great job of trying to talk this dude down.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
For people largely untrained to deal with suicidal people, everyone did a great job of trying to talk this dude down.

I was struck by that as well. Neither the AF or ATC guy had any idea this was coming and kept trying to coax him into coming down if possible. Most of us would have been tempted to ask him instead to just crash his stupid ass into the water to avoid hurting anyone else. Or tell him there's a pot of gold under the water, whatever.

Agreed. They didn't chastise him or order him around which could only piss him off and destabilize him further.

At a minimum, they kept him aloft as long as possible giving everyone more time, info and options.

He sounded quite calm and thoughtful.

Wild.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
For people largely untrained to deal with suicidal people, everyone did a great job of trying to talk this dude down.

I don't think he was suicidal. He had no game plan. He narrowed his options step by step until he ran out.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
For people largely untrained to deal with suicidal people, everyone did a great job of trying to talk this dude down.

Yes, indeed.

Had I been one talking to him, I would have found his “apology” very significant as indicating his intention to commit suicide along with his “If I land this” and other statements and actions that didn’t show any intention of following the suggestions to land successfully. I believe both the controller and pilot recognized his possible intent, and were careful to not exacerbate the situation by reacting to his comments about having played video games or asking if he could get a job as a pilot if he landed.

If he had been serious about getting down safely, he had plenty of opportunities to start acting like it.

God rest his soul. The insurers took a hit, first responders made a bundle cleaning up the mess, and I'll remember the audio of the guy who sounds like "Andy" from Parks & Rec for all time.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:
He sounded quite calm and thoughtful.

I think psychiatrists say that's an indication that the suicidal individual has made a decision...to go through with it. They're actually at peace within themselves that they're no longer in a quandary as to what to do. Really sad...

I've seen that calmness first hand with an acquaintance of mine. He went from very troubled to very calm literally overnight. We thought he had turned a corner. Unfortunately, it was the wrong corner. And in his case, he took two people with him.

quote:

Originally posted by jaaron11:
I've seen that calmness first hand with an acquaintance of mine. He went from very troubled to very calm literally overnight. We thought he had turned a corner. Unfortunately, it was the wrong corner. And in his case, he took two people with him.

Another thing to be concerned about is an increase in someone’s energy. Someone depressed often doesn’t have the energy to kill themselve. When they brighten up and start doing things they may then have the energy to kill themselves.