I'm not convinced that his intention was to kill himself at the time he made the decision to take the aircraft. He may have made the decision inflight, as the seriousness of his action fully dawned on him. One of the characteristics of many types of personality disorders is poor impulse control. These people get an idea in their head that becomes overpowering and they find themselves unable to stop, even though they are dimly aware of the possible consequences. Many prescription medications can also disrupt normal thought processes and lead to poor impulse control and suicidal ideation. I think that this MAY be the issue behind many of the headlines of late (Robin Williams? Anthony Bourdain? Mass shootings?) The percentage of Americans who regularly take some type of psychotropic drug is staggering (and increasing). According to a recent article in The Washington Post, "more than a third of American adults take prescription drugs linked to depression."
Last edited by cthruit; 20th Aug 2018 at 18:56.