How Air India Flight 171 Exposes the Need for a New Approach to the Mental Health Epidemic

The recent crash of Air India Flight 171—a tragedy that appears to have been caused by one of the pilots deliberately cutting fuel to the engines immediately after takeoff—reminds us once again of the importance of mental health support, not just for pilots but for all working professionals. Tony discusses a similar accident 10 years ago, when the pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 deliberately crashed the airplane into a mountainside during an ongoing mental health crisis. Based on the evidence collected from Flight 171 thus far, it is very likely the pilot responsible was also suffering from personal mental health issues. And while some positive steps were made after Flight 9525 to better identify struggling pilots and help—rather than punish—them, more work still needs to be done to address mental health struggles across professions and in society. Tony closes by offering his own insight into additional steps that could be taken to help prevent more of these incidents in the future.