I was 2 weeks from graduating Army Flight school in 1987. My wife decided she could not see herself married to a guy who was married to flying. She split and I mentally crashed and attempted suicide. I am now 62 and no longer fly. From 1987 through 2003, I was hospitalized two more times for attempting to kill myself. I suffered - and continue to experience - depression. I NEVER EVER EVER EVER even thought about harming another human being. Crashing the aircraft I was flying NEVER CROSSED MY MIND!
In the early 1990's, I made earnest moves to get help and went through OK City and FAA Mental Health Doctors to get my 3rd class special issuance and eventually, a 1st class. Between then and now, I remarried, continued to fly both heli's and airplanes, completed an engineering degree, completed trooper school and became a Georgia State Trooper, adopted a newborn girl who is 19 and in Embry-Riddle Daytona, studying Aerospace Engineering. I have built experimental airplanes and helicopters and owned an FAA Certificated heli and a Piper Tomahawk. I have never failed a checkride, never scratched an aircraft I was flying, and carried a gun the entire time. Much of that 33 years, as a pilot and as a cop, I was taking an unreported antidepressant.
We have to do something in America to become able to identify those citizens that are a danger to others. I don't know the answer. The correct solution does not need to unduly focus on people like me that are not dangerous, but identify and break-the-chain of people who have mental health issues AND have been saying and posting weird disturbing things, and have been searching all over the internet for crazy stuff or joining violent internet groups. Those contemplating crashing planes full of people or cargo should never make it onto an aircraft, period!
Bryan