Annie Vargas could see her son slipping away and pleaded with him to seek help. But her son, Brian Wittke, a 41-year-old Delta Air Lines pilot and father of three, pushed b
ack, terrified that getting treatment for depression would cost him his license and livelihood.
The drop in air travel during the pandemic kept Wittke at home more and affected his mental health, Vargas told Reuters.
On the morning of June 14, 2022, Vargas tried to reach Wittke by text, but his location data was disabled. By the time it reappeared, Wittke had died by suicide in the Utah mountains near his home outside Salt Lake City.
Read more: Murder-Suicides by Pilots Are Increasing Share of Aviation Fatalities
Commercial airline pilots often conceal mental health conditions for fear that disclosing therapy or medication, or even just seeking help, could mean having their li
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cense pulled, putting themselves and their passengers at risk, according to Reuters interviews with three dozen pilots, medical experts and industry officials, as well as a review of medical studies.
For this story, Reuters spoke to at least 24 commercial pilots at U.S. and foreign carriers who said that they were reluctant to disclose mental health issues — e
ven minor or treatable ones — fearing immediate grounding and a lengthy, costly medical review that could end their careers.
The pilots Reuters spoke to cited multiple reasons for not coming forward with mental health challenges, including airline policies, regulatory requirements and social stigma.
Real People, Real Problems
“Real people have real problems,” Vargas said. “And they shouldn’t be penalized for dealing with it.”
Vargas said she was speaking to Reuters because she hoped the family’s tragedy would cha
llenge the culture surrounding mental health in the aviation industry. The news agency corroborated details of her account with Wittke’s wife.
Delta said Wittke was a valued team member and called his death “tragic and heartbreaking.” It also said the pilot community had a stigma against seeking mental health services.
Like many major U.S. carriers, Delta offers confidential peer support programs and counseling services for staff. It recently launched a new employee assistance program for pilots, offering access to therapy and coaching and taking into account medical certification requirements.