That’s sad, mental illness is a bitch. So many inconsistencies with what the guy was saying. Like chalk it up to minimum wage. A&P don’t make min wage.
He’s familiar enough with the aircraft to know how to power it up and start the engines. Taking off is the easy part, but he looked under control in the air. The oddity was the lack of understanding of his fuel burn. I’d think an A&P would know that, unless he didn’t work on this type or he had the mixtures full rich and never leaned it out.
Glad nobody else was hurt and sad he couldn’t find help. After 911 I got to witness some F16s scrambled when a local pilot out of my FBO flew over cook nuke power plant. It used to be fun to do so and look at the water tubes that go out deep into the lake. That dude was scared shitless after that and the FAA gave him a good talkin to.