Analyses of the National Transportation Safety Board's aviation accident data were made for 1983–1998 to discern those caused by suicide during flight in general aviation and to determine if the public is placed at risk by them. It was found that suicides were about 0.06% of the accidents and that about 1.4 occurred per year. The characteristics and predisposing circumstances of the crashes are described. Most crashes were into mountains, hillsides or bodies of water. Public property was rarely damaged and no injuries to the public were recorded. Based on these data the public is at little risk from suicides in general aviation aircraft.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CanfieldD.FlemingJ.HordinskyJ. J.BirkyM. (1995) Drugs and alcohol found in fatal civil aviation accidents between 1989 and 1993. Report DOT/FAA/AM-95/28, Office of Aviation medicine, Washington, DC.
2.
CullenS. A. (1998). Aviation suicide: A review of general aviation accidents in the U.K., 1970–1996. Aviation, Space & Environmental Medicine, 69, 696–698.
3.
JonesD. R. (1977). Suicide by aircraft: A case report. Aviation, Space & Environmental Medicine, 48, 454–459.
4.
KuhlmanJ. J.LevineBSmithM. L.HordinskyJ. R. (1991). Toxicological findings in FAA general aviation accidents. J. Forensic Sciences, 36, #4, 1121–1128.
5.
MurphyS. L. (2000). Deaths: Final data for 1998. National Vital Statistics Report, 48, (11), Department of Health & Human Services, Publication (PHS) 2000–1120.
6.
PattersonJ. C. (1988). Suicide and suicide attempts: USAF aviators. Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association, New Orleans, Louisiana.
7.
UngsT. J. (1994). Suicide by use of aircraft in the United States, 1979–1989. Aviation. Space & Environmental Medicine, 65, 953–956.
