Former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut down engines in-flight shares his story

This is way too soon for him to be doing the media rounds, filming a documentary, and starting a charity. Too many things going on and it seems like attention seeking behavior or trying to control the narrative of the event.

He tried to take down a plane only 10 months ago. There is still an ongoing legal battle. He should get more time in mental health treatment and take care of himself before he tries to be an advocate for pilot mental health.
 
I'm very happy he is speaking out about the draconian mental health policies that pilots have to live with. Policies that a friend who is an actual medical doctor described as "medieval".

Also my understanding is that he did not try and "take down a plane." He woke up from a dream reaching for the fire handles and then asked to be excused from the cockpit. He then over reacted to this action which is what got him into a lot of trouble.

Even the working group that was asked to advise the FAA on pilot mental health has advocated for major changes to pilot mental health practices. Practices that likely would have created a mental health environment for pilots at my place of employment where this incident never would have happened.
 
BEEF SUPREME said:
Also my understanding is that he did not try and "take down a plane." He woke up from a dream reaching for the fire handles and then asked to be excused from the cockpit. He then over reacted to this action which is what got him into a lot of trouble.
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He was able to get to the airport, list for the flight, go through TSA, coordinate with the gate agent, talk to the pilots and get in the jumpseat then fly 45 minutes. It's hardly a task that you just slip in to. It took effort.

Also, he tried to open a cabin door when he was out of the cockpit.

My point isnt that he needs to be burned at the stake, it's that his priority should be on himself this soon after his very serious incident. Then when he's healed and through all his federal court dates and treatment, can he come and be an advocate for the industry.
 
Skåning said:
He was able to get to the airport, list for the flight, go through TSA, coordinate with the gate agent, talk to the pilots and get in the jumpseat. It's hardly a task that you just slip in to. It took effort.

Also, he tried to open a cabin door when he was out of the cockpit.
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I'm impressed. I'm actually speechless at your complete lack of empathy.
 
BEEF SUPREME said:
I'm impressed. I'm actually speechless at your complete lack of empathy.
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Keep reading

Skåning said:
My point isnt that he needs to be burned at the stake, it's that his priority should be on himself this soon after his very serious incident. Then when he's healed and through all his federal court dates and treatment, can he come and be an advocate for the industry.
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He also missed a federal court date a few weeks ago. Not a good look.

katu.com

Alaska Airlines Pilot accused of attempting to cut flight engines waives court date

the off-duty alaska pilot accused of trying to shut down a plane full of passengers midflight -- was *not in federal court today.his legal team continues to wai
katu.com katu.com
 
Skåning said:
Keep reading



He also missed a federal court date a few weeks ago. Not a good look.

katu.com

Alaska Airlines Pilot accused of attempting to cut flight engines waives court date

the off-duty alaska pilot accused of trying to shut down a plane full of passengers midflight -- was *not in federal court today.his legal team continues to wai
katu.com katu.com
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Well cool edit to add that you're apparently not sitting on the sidelines screaming "BURN THE WITCH". Oddly similar to the FFDO's I overheard fantasizing about shooting someone in mental health crisis.

Gotta love pilots. I can't wait for the personal insults about how I'm not tough enough for the job because I don't want to shoot one of my coworkers or burn them at the stake.
 
Skåning said:
I didnt edit anything. Your reading compression needs improving.
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I quoted your post above. I didn't alter it in any way. I don't do that.

I'm glad you think you sound like an asshat and are trying to back pedal your way out of this.

Because you are one.
 
BEEF SUPREME said:
Well cool edit to add that you're apparently not sitting on the sidelines screaming "BURN THE WITCH". Oddly similar to the FFDO's I overheard fantasizing about shooting someone in mental health crisis.

Gotta love pilots. I can't wait for the personal insults about how I'm not tough enough for the job because I don't want to shoot one of my coworkers or burn them at the stake.
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Why does every thread you join in on turn into some kind of catfight?
 
JordanD said:
Why does every thread you join in on turn into some kind of catfight?
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Possibly when guys like @Skåning who have made themselves judge, jury and executioner hear something other than the JC echo chamber of "You're not tough enough for this job. Stop complaining and try being more senior." He's advocating for someone who was limited by law access to mental health care, to be not only prosecuted to the full extent of the law for a mistake but to also be limited from trying to change the hopeless situation that they were placed in. Benefiting pilots he doesn't even know and changing one of the worst aspects of being a professional pilots: limiting mental health care by a threat to employment.

I couldn't dream of a worse quality in a human being.

The fact he's now back pedaling on his draconian stance speaks volumes.
 
As someone who experimented with magic mushrooms quite a bit in my youth, I know exactly what he is talking about when referring to what is real and isn't. That feeling comes and goes frequently while peaking on the mushrooms or hours after. I had experienced it a few times. You will feel normal for awhile then suddenly you are in a cartoon world that feels like a dream. It also depends on the strength of the mushroom. Some just make you giggle at everything and some a full blown experiences. I cant image that happening in the confined space of a flight deck? That isn't going to be a good outcome. All in all though, I am not defending him for taking them. It is still an illegal drug that can have nasty results. I am just sharing that I have had similar experiences. If someone does take them, it should be in an environment where you don't have plans to go anywhere for 8 hours or so, like camping or a music festival etc.
 

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Skåning said:
This is way too soon for him to be doing the media rounds, filming a documentary, and starting a charity. Too many things going on and it seems like attention seeking behavior or trying to control the narrative of the event.

He tried to take down a plane only 10 months ago. There is still an ongoing legal battle. He should get more time in mental health treatment and take care of himself before he tries to be an advocate for pilot mental health.
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Meh, 10 months and going through all that I'd say he's doing well having the mental capacity and fortitude to manifest all that. That stuff IS healing and helping him. The damage is done, the event happened, now life goes forward. He can't fly, his story is everywhere, gotta do something and support yourself somehow. There is some misconception behind therapy related to mental health; it doesn't magically heal you. You have the issues you have and you just have to live with them if you are a pilot or something else where meds aren't allowed, and a LOT of pilots do that. Good for him to make things known.

I know for myself it has been hard to get ANY basic help like people in most career fields could get because it is hard for mental health professionals to understand that LIFE problems don't always come into the cockpit and flying is an escape for a whole lot of us who can be sharp at the controls of a plane but then moping around everywhere else. Hard or impossible to get help when they try to "fix" the rest of your life by jeopardizing the one thing that makes you happy and keeps you going (assuming you are still flying safely and competently), so there is MUCH room for reform on this subject and pilots need all the advocates they can get before more crap like this happens. Because a lot of people are probably a lot more sick than this guy was and are out there flying you and your families around every day trying to deal with it, because pilots are people and people lie to protect their interests. This time it was a jumpseater trying to pull the handles thinking he was in a dream and needed to wake up, several times in the past its been a full A319 flown into a mountain, or an E190 diving into a Safari park mid-route, or an Egyptian 767-300 dropping into the Atlantic, or an ATR42 being used to take out 2/3 of the fleet of an African National carrier...it can happen here. Don't think it can't.
 
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BEEF SUPREME said:
Possibly when guys like @Skåning who have made themselves judge, jury and executioner hear something other than the JC echo chamber of "You're not tough enough for this job. Stop complaining and try being more senior." He's advocating for someone who was limited by law access to mental health care, to be not only prosecuted to the full extent of the law for a mistake but to also be limited from trying to change the hopeless situation that they were placed in. Benefiting pilots he doesn't even know and changing one of the worst aspects of being a professional pilots: limiting mental health care by a threat to employment.

I couldn't dream of a worse quality in a human being.

The fact he's now back pedaling on his draconian stance speaks volumes.
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I see someone disagreeing with your viewpoint and then you immediately launching into personal attacks.
Two things can be true at once. It’s tragic that his mental health state got him to this point and it should have been easier for him to get help sooner before he got to that point. It’s also true that his actions put a lot of people in danger, could have killed many, and he needs to be held responsible and probably not touch an airplane again.
 
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