Why is the Germanwings crash called a suicide?

Many people in the media and also investigating officials are saying it is not just a suicide. Clearly it isn’t.

Could simply have been a big botch up. Or not?

It has to be a suicide and not a mistake, because Germans do not make mistakes. And German technology never malfunctions.

@ragingloli I think the point is that it is a murder and a suicide. Of course, the technology wouldn’t dare to fail!

It’s awkward to call it a murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder murder suicide.

I don’t know why to bring up the word “suicide”. The terrorists who blow themselves up (911 etc.) are commiting suicide too aren’t they?

@flo That’s why the call the terrorists “suicide bombers.”

@janbb That is what I mean, there is no point in contemplating whether it was suicide or terrorist action.

There is no rule that a suicide must occur in a total vacuum of other events.

(1) The pilot killed himself—> suicide
(2) The pilot killed a bunch of other people—> mass murder

Saying that (1) is true doesn’t mean that (2) is not true. Both are true at the same time.

I’m not trying to play devils advocate, but I’m still not totally convinced that it was murder/suicide. They said in the recording that the co-pilot was breathing evenly. I don’t know about anyone else, but if I’m getting ready to crash a plane and end my life, I’m pretty sure I’d be breathing hard from nerves.
Of course that doesn’t explain why the door was locked. And perhaps I haven’t heard the whole story that would convince me that it was suicide.

I mean there must be another term for when your primary intention is to kill people even if means you die as opposed to when your primary intention is to kill yourself even if it means other people die too.

Thank you all.
Maybe soon they’ll find a message from him.

@flo Regardless of which was his primary intention (I’m not sure how we could find that out, unless he left a note of some kind), if he died as a result of his own deliberate actions, he committed suicide.

@chyna, I think at this point, it’s hard to see how this crash could have been anything other than a deliberate action on the co-pilot’s part.

@dappled_leaves I don’t see where I’m arguing that it’s not suicide, just that it’s not just suicide. They were saying something like: ”...there was no link to a terrorist group so it looks like it is a suicide action….”

@flo Ah, so we agree. But I haven’t seen anyone call it just a suicide. The story in the link you provide does not do so. Do you have a link to a story where someone does that?

Suicides always have victims beyond just the deceased. In most cases, the casualties are merely grief-stricken, so we really don’t think much about them. In this case, the person who committed suicide just happened to take a few people with him, that’s all.

The difference between this suicide and that of the 9/11 hijackers is intent; they intended to kill as many people as possible even if it meant dying in the process whereas here we have a pilot that wanted to to kill themselves even if it meant killing a few other people at the same time.

If it is later discovered that there was ANY motive other than just offing himself, I am sure investigators will turn something up. Until then, I suggest we leave it to investigators.

1)149 people is not “just a few people”
2)“If it is later discovered that there was ANY motive other than just offing himself…” by @jerv.
There is one proof right there @dappled_leaves
It doesn’t need to be the media.

For starters pilots don’t actually make that much. The odds are pretty good your plumber makes more. It is entirely possible he was suicidal and hated his job. If you were going to kill yourself anyway this is logical that he would want to cause massive financial damage to the company he hated. At the end of this he could have cost the company half a billion dollars.

As for being calm when he was crashing the plane. Entirely reasonable too. If you are killing yourself you probably wouldn’t be stressed or you would not be killing yourself.

I completely agree with @chyna. All the sound of even breathing proves is that the co-pilot was still alive during the last eight minutes. It does not answer the pivotal question: was he conscious during this period of time?

Someone put the plane into a decline. I’d imagine they’ve had experts analysing the recording to determine whether he was conscious or unconscious. His breathing might have been steady but perhaps indicated he was performing actions of some type. I don’t think we’ll ever have the full story. I also don’t think any rational, caring person can truly imagine how someone could in such a calculated way, fly a plane with 150 people into a mountain. It beggars belief.

Murder suicide. Self-centered idiot at work.

I’d call it an act of supreme cowardice & overwhelming selfishness.

Would the plane typically be on autopilot? I haven’t heard any stories talking about that, but I haven’t had a chance to read up since early this morning.

If the plane typically would be on autopilot then it has to be a suicide. I think it was suicide even without that information; I thought that immediately. It’s just horrible.

As to why the media is harping on suicide, and not necessarily using the word murder as much, I think it is because the big question in everyone’s minds is if the crash was intentional. That’s what is mostly being discussed. If the plane crash was unintentional then it isn’t murder.

What’s the chance that the pilot in the cockpit became incapacitated the two minutes the other pilot was outside the cockpit and at the same time the lock on the door malfunctioned?

Autopilot was turned off. It was intentional. At this point it is pretty clear that it was intentional. And the door was turned off. The co-pilot had to flip a switch to lock the pilot out.

Really, it was intentionally downed. The airline has said so. They wouldn’t make that shit up for giggles. This is going to cost them so much money.

News sites in Australia are reporting he had girlfriend troubles. He’d also had a mental breakdown a few years ago but had then had psychological testing and had been found to be fine to go back to his job.

Well, we know why those 149 died – they were in a plane crash. What we want to find out is the reason for this crash – that’s the mystery, it’s what we are interested in. Knowing won’t bring those dead people back, but we do still want to know. The media is concentrating on the most juicy bit of the story, and that, so far, is the idea of the co-pilot committing suicide. It comes with the possibility of assigning blame for many, so that’s an added bonus.

This talk of “mentally unwell” ...when comes to this kinds of things, demonises people with mental health problems. Most don’t think of harming others much less go through with it.

@flo I don’t think anyone deemed “mentally unwell” should be flying a passenger plane whether they mean to harm others or not.

Report I heard was, autopilot was on but he had reset it to 100’, the lowest possible setting. He had even flown over the area in a glider, so he knew where he wanted it to go down.

@flo, given the pilot appears to have been suffering from mental illness, I don’t see how a discussion of this event can avoid a focus on mental illness and on protocols that are in place and/or should be in place in relation to the work people with mental health problems can do. I’d hope this ensuing discussion doesn’t end up demonising those experiencing mental health problems. Of course, most people are not going to act in the way this pilot did and I’m not sure there’s any way to prevent it happening again.

I could not agree more deeply. It is my guess that there were no other souls on that plane looking to end their life that day. I guess it would be more accurately termed a murder/suicide. Thoughts and prayer tot he families who lost loved ones.

@fluthernutter and @Earthbound_Misfit
I mean a lot of people who are committing all kinds of crimes pass the mental health test.
A lot of people who would never did/would do harm to others are labelled mentally ill. I don’t know what that necessarily means.