Tough physicals, but ‘shallow’ mental exams for pilots
Criminal probe of missing jet may hinge on hindsight
The FBI is helping Malaysian officials determine whether the pilots of Flight 370 could have intentionally diverted or crashed the plane, raising questions about whether better psychological screening for pilots could prevent rare, but violent incidents.
Malaysian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the flight that disappeared March 8 because someone familiar with the 777-200ER’s controls is thought to have changed the plane’s course less than an hour after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur, based on military radar tracking.
The FBI will examine Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah’s personal flight simulator that he kept at home. It was flown to the USA.
The open question is whether one or both pilots might have diverted and possibly crashed the plane intentionally. The Federal Aviation Administration requires stringent physical exams for U.S. pilots but monitors their mental health largely through their own reporting and prescriptions.
“The mental component is alarmingly shallow in its probing,” said Greg Raiff, CEO of Private Jet Services in New Hampshire, an aviation consultancy that lines up charter flights for corporations, governments and sports teams.
Under FAA rules, commercial passenger pilots under age 40 have physical exams every year and those older every six months to keep their certificates to fly. Cargo and general-aviation pilots have less-frequent exams.
Before the appointment, the pilot fills out a medical history through part of the FAA’s website called MedXPress. Besides typical physical characteristics, the questions ask about medications, ailments such as vision or heart problems and mental disorders such as depression or anxiety.
A doctor — called an aviation medical examiner — then meets with the pilot to check vision, lungs, heart, abdomen, extremities for swelling that could signal heart failure and urine for possi- ble diabetes or renal failure, said Ryan Rees, who conducts the exams at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. Questions also cover mental status, asking about depression or suicidal feelings, or whether they a pilot takes medication like anti-depressants.
“Basically, the air medical is an overall survey to ensure that pilots don’t put passengers or people on the ground at risk,” Rees said. “If we see anything that raises a flag, we defer it for FAA review. All of the ones that we certify are also reviewed by the FAA. ... There’s a lot of fantasies about flying in the air and ending things with as much damage as you can. That never is far from our minds as a possibility.”
He estimated that 10% or 15% of the pilots he sees are declined immediately or deferred.
Commercial pilots aren’t allowed to have insulin-dependent diabetes, for example. But pilots can fly with high blood pressure that is treated and with coronary artery disease that is closely monitored. The FAA also can review driving infractions, such as drunken driving charges.