Josh,
I agree this is a great thread - unlike the main one on R&N.
I also agree that this person did not suffer from depression. Any connection with mental illness issues with pilots does not or should not include concerns about depression. Depression can be treated and in the case of pilots should be able to be treated without stigma or threat of loss of licence. It is stigma and threat of loss of licence that will prevent pilots from seeking the treatment that will help them.
Depression does not make one a mass murderer.
It is probably more interesting to look at the mental state of those who have committed mass murder/suicides in the past, such as the kids who shot up schools in the USA, or the muslim extremist suicide bombers. The pilot who has just been through a divorce and lost his house and kids is not your target.
Deep seated long term anger or agression is probably the area to be looking at.
However, I disagree with your vague conclusion that pilots are more likely to be sociopaths or psychopaths due to the personality types that are attracted to aviation. Commercial aviation is a "keeping people alive" game. Whilst some assertiveness is essential, it also involves a lot of humility and submission (to rules, SOPs, learning from mistakes and one's superiors), and is essentially quite boring compared to the gigs that usually attracts sociopaths or psychopaths.
This guy hadn't been in the game very long. That may be a factor.
Last edited by Derfred; 1st Apr 2015 at 09:18.