FAA creates special committee dedicated to pilot mental health rules

Summary

• The FAA has established a committee to address mental health issues with pilots and air traffic controllers.
• By March, the committee hopes to come up with recommendations to encourage pilots to disclose their mental health conditions.
• While procedures already exist to evaluate pilot mental health, the FAA aims to reduce stigma in the aviation community.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday officially formed a new committee to address mental health issues with pilots and air traffic controllers. The committee will complement the agency’s ongoing work to address mental health, including encouraging pilot medical screenings and pilot peer support programs.

The development comes as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Wednesday it will hold a roundtable discussion on mental health issues in the industry in Washington, DC. Pilot mental health has been in the spotlight since the latest incident in October, when an Alaska Airlines pilot tried to shut down a plane’s engine.

Encouraging pilots to speak up

FAA Administrator Mike Whittaker announced the formation of the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearance Rulemaking Committee, which will make recommendations. “To identify and break down remaining barriers that discourage pilots from reporting mental health problems and seeking care.” The agency also confirmed that the committee will “consider the same issues” for air traffic controllers.

The committee is expected to submit its recommendations to the FAA by the end of March 2024, and the names of aviation and medical experts who will serve on the team will be announced later.

“We’re doing everything we can.”

The FAA already has “Comprehensive Procedures for Evaluating Pilot Psychological Health”. According to the US Department of Transportation’s Inspector General (OIG), in July of this year, the pilot released a report on mental health challenges. In May 2015, following the incidents of MH370 and Germanwings Flight 9525, the Institute established the Pilot Fitness ARC (Air Control Committee) to evaluate mental health.

The ARC reportedly provided the FAA with several recommendations on pilot medical fitness. As a result, the agency expanded mental health training for airline medical examiners and encouraged airlines and unions to organize pilot peer support programs.

RELATED: Alaska Airlines pilot incident raises mental health concerns

FAA Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. Susan Northrup, spoke about the importance of putting mental health first.

The FAA is committed to prioritizing the mental health of pilots. We do everything we can to encourage open discussion about these issues and prompt intervention where necessary. In many places we have tried to reduce the stigma in the aviation community. Society is struggling to further reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.”

Trying to “dispel the myths”.

Earlier this year, the OIG’s report found that the FAA’s procedures for screening pilot mental health are a key component in mitigating potential safety risks, but can be limited if pilots are unwilling to disclose their mental health conditions. According to the FAA, the primary reasons that discourage pilots from talking about their mental health are the stigma associated with the topic, the potential impact on their careers, and fear of financial hardship.

“Most conditions, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying. In fact, only about 0.1% of all medical certificate applicants disclosing health problems are denied.” Northrup explained. “Through our educational and outreach efforts, we’ve tried to dispel myths. A mental health diagnosis is not a career.”

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Joseph Emerson, a former pilot charged with manslaughter in connection with the attempted crash of an Alaska Airlines plane, said the death of a close friend left him with overwhelming grief and long-term and unresolved mental health issues.

The FAA has reportedly set a deadline of April 30, 2024, if the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearance Rulemaking Committee needs more time to identify additional mental health solutions by its expected date of the end of March.