Airlines in u.S. face same peril

TAPE SHOWS HE WAS CRAZY CALM

AVIATION experts warned Thursday that America’s airlines are vulnerable to a deranged pilot like the one blamed for the deliberate crash of a Germanwings flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of pilots, which currently does not require psychological tests, needs to change in the wake of the wreck that killed 150 people, they said.

“It’s absolutely prudent to look at how we can improve the FAA and airlines as a whole,” aviation expert and pilot Brian Alexander told the Daily News.

“It’s like everything else — you learn lessons along the way, and sometimes it’s the hard way,” he added. “It’s an issue that absolutely needs to be evaluated better.”

Experts expect the FAA may start working on changes in protocol after the mass murder-suicide in Europe.

“The way things work in the United States — they’re very reactionary,” said retired airline Capt. Andy Danziger. “I’d be willing to bet there are people at the FAA talking about how we’re going to prevent something like this from happening here.”

Instead of psychological tests, the FAA relies on certified doctors to look for “red flags” during mandatory physicals. Pilots are required to renew their medical certification at least once a year.

The focus on pilots’ psychological health was spurred, in part, by the disappearance a year ago of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. No trace of the aircraft or the 239 people aboard has been found. One theory was that a member of the crew intentionally flew the plane to a remote location in the Indian Ocean and plunged it into a deep grave. The cause of the disaster remains a mystery.