The QantasLink Boeing 717-200 was on approach to Hobart (Tasmania, Australia) Airport when the pilots smelled chlorine for about 10 seconds; soon afterward, the captain, and then the first officer, experienced hypoxia-like symptoms. They landed the airplane safely, but doctors said the captain had persistent symptoms consistent with impairment, and both had lingering headaches. Angus Mitchell, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), said the June 6, 2023, serious incident was “a reminder to pilots to be alert to the potential hazard posed by odours and fumes, and t ..read more

A panel of mental health experts has recommended that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) act to mitigate potential safety risks by removing barriers that often prevent pilots and air traffic controllers from reporting and seeking care for mental health issues. Among the specific recommendations in the panel’s April 1 report is a proposal to allow pilots and controllers to participate in talk therapy (psychotherapy) without requiring them to disclose their participation during FAA aeromedical examinations.  Pilots and controllers currently are required to disclose talk therapy ..read more

Pilots’ health issues made up a small, but probably underestimated, proportion of factors associated with aircraft accidents, according to a study by U.S. researchers.1 Their review of U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) aviation accident reports from 2013 through October 2022 found that, of 15,654 events, medical factors were involved in 703 accidents, or 4.5 percent. Their accompanying review of medical literature on the subject found gaps between the information contained in the published literature and existing data on the human factors associated with accidents. “Health-relat ..read more

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should update its substance misuse programs for pilots and flight attendants and improve associated data collection and transparency, according to a panel of specialists in treating people who misuse alcohol and drugs.1 In a report issued in late June by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the panel said substance use disorders in the United States as a whole are “profound” and estimated that they occur among pilots and flight attendants at about the same rate as in the general population — around 15 percent. However, the ..read more

The emergency medical services Bell 407 was 10 to 15 ft (3 to 5 m) above the ground and approaching the helipad at Headland (Alabama, U.S.) Municipal Airport, when it abruptly rolled left; the pilot made no attempt to correct the roll, and the 407 crashed into the ground. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its final report that the probable cause of the Dec. 25, 2019, accident was the incapacitation of the 61-year-old pilot because of a sudden cardiac event associated with his severe coronary artery disease. The pilot died in the crash – with his death attributed to ..read more

A study of European pilots grounded for medical reasons found a link between their unfitness to fly and aging, with cardiovascular problems the most common cause of grounding. The study, commissioned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and published in the December issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, reviewed the cases of 82,435 pilots evaluated by six European national aviation authorities (NAAs). Of that number, 2.1 percent were assessed as unfit for flight. The reasons for their unfitness were cardiovascular problems (19 percent), psychiatric issues (11 perce ..read more

Although the rate of incidents involving unruly passengers on U.S. airlines has dropped sharply in recent months, incidents continue to occur at about twice the rate recorded at the end of 2020, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA ) says. In a statement issued in late September, the FAA credited its zero-tolerance policy with achieving the lower rates. Data showed that in mid-September, incidents occurred about six times in every 10,000 flights – about half as often as early in the year. Under the zero-tolerance policy, the FAA has stopped writing warning letters to unruly passengers ..read more

A small survey of student pilots working toward aviation careers found that 89 were aware that self-medication is a danger to flight safety, and 78 percent said they did not use over-the-counter drugs while flying, according to a report on the survey.1 However, the 97 student pilots – enrolled in ab initio programs at five flight training organizations in Turkey – also said that a fear of medical disqualification and subsequent job loss is the most significant contributor to self-medication among ab initio pilots, said the report, published in the March issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Pe ..read more

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not implemented an effective method of ensuring that general aviation pilots who use an alternative to the standard medical certification process are meeting all eligibility requirements, a government watchdog agency says. A report by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG) says the FAA has no way of confirming that the more than 55,000 pilots in the BasicMed program meet two conditions: that they have a valid U.S. driver’s license and that their medical examinations are conducted by state-licensed physicians. The Ba ..read more

A British operator whose pilots have experienced six recent encounters with fumes on the flight deck says the company is implementing action aimed at alleviating similar events in the future, according to a report by the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The AAIB said, in a report issued in late July on the Sept. 23, 2019, fumes event during approach and landing at London Heathrow Airport, that it was unable to identify the source of the fumes in any of the events. Nevertheless, the report added, “a number of common factors have been identified. The majority of events occurred af ..read more