Interactions with Tower Supports the Theory of Pilot Suicide, Possibly due to Pilot Receiving Psychiatric Medication.
Interaction with the Tower is one of the best data sources for understanding the pilot’s mental state. We will highlight how the Tower tries to direct the pilot to a safe landing or take-off in many incidents. But due to personal factors, the pilot still appears to lose control of the plane. Lack of response to the Tower is often observed before a suspected pilot-initiated crash. Recently, we have been experiencing several crashes that occur within minutes of take-off, which is a highlighted feature of the breakout of pilot suicides. This suggests a breakout of pilot suicide, since it appears that the pilot simply loses their ability to fly the plane.
San Diego, California, Crash June 8th, 2025
On June 8th, 2025, Landon Baldwin from Phoenix, Arizona, was piloting a twin-engine Cessna 414A with his wife, three brothers from the Bingham family, and their father when the plane crashed into the Ocean.
Baldwin took off from San Diego KSAN to Phoenix KPHX but unfortunately crashed into the ocean, 2 miles offshore, within 5 minutes of departure, with six people onboard. The transcript with the Tower before this tragic incident is as follows.
San Diego Tower: “WHAT IS YOUR ALTITUDE?”
Pilot “1000 feet”
San Diego Tower: Low Altitude Alert
San Diego Tower: Advise you to go to 4000 feet immediately.
Pilot Acknowledges: Climb and Maintain 4000 feet.
San Diego Tower: “Are you doing OK there? Do you need any assistance?”
Pilot: Affirm, I could right now
San Diego Tower: What seems to be the Issue?
Pilot: Just struggling now to maintain headings and altitude and climb.
San Diego Tower: “You are struggling to maintain headings and altitude. For now, maintain as high as you can, at least above 2000.”
Pilot Acknowledged: “Maintain above 2000”
San Diego Tower, “the closest airport I can get to you is North Island airport, which is off your left in about one mile. Do you see that?”
Pilot: Negative
**The dialogue stopped for a bit**
San Diego Tower: “There is an airport off your east side—about 3 miles away. It’s a criss-cross runway. It’s North Island, and it’s your closest airfield.”
Pilot: (echoing): “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY”
San Diego Tower: If you see North Island, you’re clear to land. If you see the airport, you are clear to land.”
San Diego Tower: “Approach.”
At this point, the pilot no longer responded, implying that the plane was crashing.
Landon Baldwin with the Opto-Screen Biomarker Right Eye, Suggesting He Was Taking Psychiatric Medication:
Further conversation about the crash can be found in the video below:
Further information can be found here
The India Flight 171, June 12, 2025
Air India Flight 171 took off on June 12th, 2025. There were 241 people on the Dreamliner who were killed, and 19 people on the ground. There were 68 injuries; it was one of the worst plane crashes ever recorded. Early determinations indicated that both engines had stopped generating thrust as the cause of the crash. Flight data recordings showed that the fuel control switches were switched from RUN to OFF seconds after takeoff. The flight was off the ground for only 32 seconds before the crash. Cockpit recordings indicated that the first officer, who was in control at the time of take-off, asking the Captain why he had shut off the engines.
Captain Mental Health Issues
Air India Captain Mohan Ranganathan, and a former 737 instructor pilot for Boeing, has reported that several pilots have indicated that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, age 56, suffered from depression and mental health issues. He had taken leave on various occasions due to mental health concerns. From his photos, it appears that Captain Sabharwal was taking psychiatric medication, which raises questions about how he passed his airworthiness test in September of 2024. He would have been prohibited from being in the cockpit and maintaining his pilot’s license according to FAA rules and regulations. A side effect of medication could explain his behavior. Captain Sabharwal appeared delirious compared to the First Officer, who appeared calm throughout the short flight.
In the picture below, you can see the image of his eyes. The image of the Captain’s pupils suggests that he was taking psychiatric medication.
Prescribing of psychiatric medication among pilots is a critical but often overlooked issue in aviation. The Germanwings Flight 9525 (2015), where a First Officer Andre Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane into the Alps, after locking the Captain out of the cockpit, highlighted the dangers of pilots flying with mental health conditions. In the case of Air India Flight 171, the pilot’s depression and medication could have impaired his judgment and caused him to have suicidal ideation.
Key findings of the Air India Preliminary Report:
- Dual engine shutdown – fuel cutoff switches moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’
- Confusion between pilots – cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked ‘why did you cut off’, the other replied ‘I didn’t’
- RAT deployed – as seen in CCTV footage before the crash
- Engine relight attempted – fuel switches were found returned to the “RUN” at the crash site
- 32 seconds – the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed
- Thrust levers mismatch – Thrust levers found at idle, but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged
- Fuel test pass – fuel was clean without any contamination
- Normal take-off set-up – Flaps and landing gear correctly configured
- No bird activity – clear skies, good visibility, light winds
- Pilot credentials clear – both medically fit and rested
- No sabotage detected – although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India
- Aircraft loading – the flight was within weight and balance limits
Dialogue With the Tower:
Shortly after takeoff, and after the First Officer asked Captain Sumeet Sabharwal why he shut off the engines, the Tower received a Mayday alert from Sabharwal. During the Mayday alert, Sabharwal’s voice appeared to indicate he was delirious, and when the Tower asked him, “What is your altitude?” The pilot’s response did not make any sense. He responded, “We are rolling, rolling, rolling.” Following this response, the pilot screams, “We are going to crash.” Captain Sabharwal’s voice showed he was in a state of delirium. This could explain why he switched off the engines.
Captain Sabharwal Pupil Distortion Photo Suggesting the Use of Psychiatric Medication:
We should keep in mind that it is a combination of factors that cause us to conclude that the pilot was taking psychotic medication and suicidal. Due to the interaction with the Tower, their actions at the controls, and the Opto-Screen Biomarker’s presence.