Are commercial pilots 'allowed' to suffer from mental illness?

Question

At what point would a pilot be grounded because of mental health issues? Problems can range from simple depression caused by divorce or tragedy, to stress related psychosis. Are they allowed to fly while taking medication for ANY of these? Whats allowable?

Also, which of these conditions would exclude someone from becoming a commercial pilot in the first place?

Answer 1

Well, you listed quite a range.  I'm sure many people have flown after experiencing a tragedy (death, divorce.......).  However, more serious mental illnesses are disqualifying for obtaining a pilot license.  It all depends on how truthful the person is in filling out the medical information though.......

In terms of drugs, there is a very large list of drugs that pilots are not allowed to fly after taking.  Many list 12 or 24 hours after taking before flying.

Answer 2

Apparantly. Most of us do according to our wives.

Answer 3

Many pilots have depression and they dont tell anyone because they dont want to lose their license, think about that.

Answer 4

Psychotropic drugs (drugs that affect your thinking) are disqualifying, and for the FAA this means all sedatives, tranquilizers, antipsychotics, antidepressants, analeptics, anxiolytics, and hallucinogens.

Disqualifying mental illnesses include ADD, bipolar disorder, depression, history of suicide attempts, smoking-cessation programs using drugs, psychosis, substance abuse or dependence,  and adjustment disorders.

Answer 5

I know that many military pilots suffer delusions quite commonly

They get strange ideas in their heads, like 'the aircraft is mine' when all the ground crew know its the property of the crewchief and only on loan on sufferance. They also get q***r ideas that they are somehow immune from emptying their own P bladders after filling. But that can be quite easy to correct, you just give it to them full next flight

Answer 6

If an airline pilot begins acting strangely or saying weird things, that pilot will probably be taken off the line for an ad hoc evaluation.  Obviously a person who is hearing "voices" or being chased by giant green spitting-turtles is not fit for the responsibilities of the flight deck.

Airlines try to keep a pool of furloughed or reduced-duty crew members that they can call on in case a pilot loses the key to reality one morning.  I never did find out exactly what a spitting-turtle was, but Charles had a bunch of them after him one night.  We had to leave him behind, and the company sent us a relief crew member to take Charles's place.

But such occurrences are rare.  Most of the mental conditions that cause people to see or hear things that aren't there are the result of chemical imbalances or damage to the brain, and they don't suddenly happen to mature people very often.  The aviation career doesn't fall in the period of life in which, say, schizophrenia usually starts.

Most "mental problems" are ordinary matters of depression and anxiety that get out of hand.  People make allowances for a talented worker who goes through a hard time in a life crisis.  And, in my experience, pilots tend to be among the more thick-skinned people in the world, and tend to tough things out.  Most of them would not say "Doc, I need something for this depression."

So the answer is "yes and no, I think."  Severe mental disruption is rare in the profession, and ordinary life badness is just something to tough your way through.

Obviously, schizophrenia, any kind of convulsions, any kind of delusions, or severe chronic depression or a chronic anxiety disorder would prevent a person from passing the medicals at some point along the way.

Charles is managing a laundromat, now, takes his meds, and he is content.  That's life.

Answer 7

NO - they are not allowed to suffer. They are 'put down' instead.

Answer 8

You are talking about two different things - one, stress related issues of life and the other is mental illness - enough to see a healthcare professional for medication.

To answer the mental illness question - during the FAA Medical Process, a pilot is to disclose any medical issues and medications they are taking. The FAA provides a list of medications that are not okay to use while flying.

If you are taking any of the medication banned by the FAA, you will not be able to pass your exam.

If you take any of this medication and do not tell you examiner - you can very easily lose your license.

To answer the other part - about stress.

Pilots - even private pilots - are expected to know their limitations and to not fly an aircraft when they are under stress or unable to perform at their best... this can be caused by fatigue, illness or stress.

Answer 9

Most pilots that I know are about half a bubble off anyway. Who could tell the difference if they went 'round the bend?

Seriously, if they're on meds for mental illness, the Feds won't want to touch them. They're really just as human as anybody else out there, and prone to the same pressures and problems. If you want to keep on flying, you'll have to learn how to cope with life. When the spitting green turtles start showing up however, all bets are off. Now we're talking serious stuff.

Part 67 deals with medical certification. As near as I can tell, ANY history of mental illness requiring medication is grounds for disqualification. I'm kinda shooting from the hip here, but your answer lies somewhere in that section of the regs. (FAR 67.307)

Answer 10

Sorry Stingjam, I don't know the answer- but I intend to ask about female pilots- I am curious as to why I have never seen many of them before.

Interesting query.