A passenger with a suicide history

I have once flown with somebody something like this, but I knew them well. I was more nervous about this passenger getting scared and maybe loud versus suicidal, and I had a plan to get back on the ground. In the event it actually worked out well.

I'd take it on a case by case basis, and want to know the individual a bit before committing to the flight. I expect that for most young people the excitement of flying would push aside, at lease temporarily, their short life history.

On the other end of the spectrum a guy I know took a old man he didn't know (an ex-pilot) for a ride in his open cockpit biplane. The guy jumped out, and it eventually it was determined that he'd been terminally ill. At least his was a rational plan, and he didn't directly harm the pilot... Who is a quite self absorbed type and was seemingly unperturbed afterward. I guess both of them were rational in their own way.

There is a difference between high-risk and low-risk patients. You do get people who leave the bedroom door open and take 20 paracetamol 5 minutes before their flatmate is due to get home (now what could go wrong with that?).

On the other hand there are the people who wait 'til everybody else has left the house for the day, lock themselves in the bathroom, and then carry out 3 different suicide methods simultaneously.

You do tend to draw the conclusion that the first group didn't really mean to die (even though they are sometimes 'successful') whereas the second group did. Technically, the first scenario would be classed as 'parasuicide'. It's disconcertingly common - a medium sized hospital probably averages a case a night.

Why did she try it? If it was a one-off teenage situation, which she's got over - no problem. If it was a result of long term problems - be more careful. But she might still be O.K. if SHE wants to go flying and you know one-another. (Ex biology teacher who, over 43 years, had teenage female pupils who had attempted suicide, but it was never a worry in class)