4
standards, and are reexamined on a more frequent basis than private pilots who
typically operate smaller aircraft not capable of carrying large numbers of
passengers, and therefore are only required to maintain a third-class certificate.
6
The Federal Air Surgeon also has identified certain medical conditions as
specifically disqualifying for issuance of all classes of Airman Medical
Certificates because these conditions could compromise a pilot’s ability to safely
operate an aircraft.
7
These include conditions ranging from heart problems to
neurological and psychiatric disorders, for which psychotropic drugs are often
prescribed—the use of which in itself is disqualifying.
As of June 2007, FAA’s database included 625,922 pilots with current Airman
Medical Certificates, consisting of 111,222 certificates with first-class privileges,
118,250 with second-class privileges, and 396,450 with third-class privileges.
During calendar year 2006, FAA received 439,390 Airman Medical Certificate
applications, issued 421,106, and denied 5,947. Ninety-one percent of the denied
applications (5,421) resulted from applicants who failed to provide additional
information requested in conjunction with their application or to take other actions
required by FAA, such as a letter from their doctor about a particular condition.
FAA was awaiting additional information on the remaining 12,337 applications,
which as of December 30, 2006, were still pending an issuance or denial decision.
Multiple Indicators Show Problems with Pilot Disclosures About Potentially
Disqualifying Medical Conditions. In addition to Operation Safe Pilot, both
NTSB and FAA have published reports reflecting that pilots did not disclose
serious medical conditions, which sometimes resulted in accidents and fatalities.
For example, a May 2006 FAA research report
8
of post-mortem toxicology for
4,143 pilots who died in aviation accidents between 1993–2003 disclosed that 387
(nearly 10 percent) were taking some type of psychotropic, cardiovascular, or
neurological medication not reported on their Airman Medical Certificate
applications. The report’s authors concluded that pilots who took psychotropic or
neurological medications and were involved in fatal accidents rarely reported the
medications or their underlying medical conditions to FAA.
In addition, our examination of the NTSB Aviation Accident/Incident Database,
using keyword searches, identified 128 aircraft accidents attributable to pilot
6
Generally speaking, first-class certificates are valid for 6 calendar months after issuance,
second-class certificates for 1 year, and third-class certificates for 3 years for pilots under age
40 or for 2 years age 40 and over.
7
Under certain circumstances, FAA may exercise discretionary authority—under special issuance
provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations—to issue an Airman Medical Certificate to
applicants with some of these conditions.
8
FAA, May 2006, Comparison of Pilot Medical History and Medications Found in Postmortem
Specimens (Final Report), Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Oklahoma City, OK.