General aviation advocacy groups have raised objections to a proposed FAA study aimed at assessing drug use among pilots by anonymously collecting and testing their urine during physical exams.
In an April 3 letter to the FAA, the groups expressed their strong opposition to the study, noting that the study is “fundamentally flawed and will not accomplish its stated goals.”
The letter also states that the study “does not comply with applicable legal requirements,” as well as “represents a waste of valuable time, money, and limited resources.
Furthermore, it will “further erode trust between the pilot community and the Office of Aerospace Medicine.”
The FAA study comes in response to a National Transportation Safety Board safety recommendation, A-14-95, that the agency assess the use of drugs among flying pilots not involved in accidents and compare the results with pilots who died from aviation accidents, according to officials with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
In the letter, the pilot groups call on the NTSB to rescind that safety recommendation, which was put forward after post-accident autopsy reports suggested an increase in traces of medications and drugs found in pilots, even though the causes of the accidents were not medically related.
AOPA and the groups opposing the study are calling for the FAA to focus its resources on educating pilots about harmful drugs identified in toxicology reports, point them to safe alternatives, and not waste limited resources on a nationwide, multi-year drug study.
The letter also renews a call for the Office of Aerospace Medicine to develop a comprehensive list of medications and publish it online.
The letter noted that a pilot who is being examined for his or her first, second, or third class medical often has no intention that day, or possibly that week, of operating an aircraft. Pilots often renew their medical certificate when it best fits their schedule and before their current certificate expires.
Medical exams are usually scheduled on days pilots are not flying, when a pilot may be taking cold, allergy, or other medication they would not use when flying an aircraft.
Moreover, pilots undergo FAA medical examinations to maintain medical certificate currency but may refrain from flying during times of surgical recuperation or short-term incapacitation.
Test results of a pilot who has no intention of flying on the day of examination will be erroneously reported as those of an “actively flying pilot,” resulting in flawed and inaccurate conclusions, according to the letter.
Privacy issues also are prevalent in the study, according to the advocacy groups. They say that the toxicology study violates federal regulations concerning research involving human subjects since the sampled pilot could be traced to a specific sample.
“Even though the FAA removed the geographic location from the initial urine cup label, the CAMI lab and personnel will be able to identify not only the region the cup came from but also the AME office, further eroding the privacy protections of the study,” the letter stated.
“Our organizations’ members comprise the vast majority of pilots certificated by the FAA who regularly undergo medical examinations. They are the subjects whose urine will be taken and analyzed without their knowledge or informed consent, and whose FAA medical examinations will be directly impacted by this proposed study,” the letter stated.
AOPA officials noted they are “hopeful that the FAA will abandon the study and refocus its resources on outreach, communication, and education — areas in which we can partner and work with the agency to achieve improvements to aviation safety.”
Read the full letter here.
Now that I think about it some more … it’s a doggone shame that Sen Inhofe (R-OK) had to force the FAA to institute the BasicMed rules after the DOT/FAA stonewalled the request for medical relief for years.
Now that BasicMed and Light Sport rules have been in place for years, airplanes are not falling out of the sky or crashing because of medical incapacitation. Proof positive that — at least for recreational flying — a driver’s license medical is all that’s required.
People are giving up some of their privileges in return for using BasicMed and … it’s working!
Tough question, certainly we worry about privacy versus the value of the data- and it may have real value. If it’s random and anonymous? Calling someone a socialist because they have a differing opinion is a bit much. (Name calling is rather a poorly structured argument.)
Socialism is a problem, though. Next thing you know we’ll be letting the government build roads and runways.
One more reason a LOT of pilots will switch to Basic Med. Rely on common sense to determine
whether you are medically fit to fly. It seems to be working for the majority of pilots.
If you have allergies kick in during Spring hay fever season, and the OTC antihistamine says
“Do not operate machinery while using this medication”, it is probably not a good idea to drive to the
airport, much less commit aviation.
MORE B$ from the people who over react to everything. The Aeromedical community within the FAA needs to spend their time and resources clearing out the backlog of special issuances and other such issues and stop worrying about drugs. IF, as Manny says, they tried this in States with legal marijuana laws, they’d be sued into oblivion.
Most people reading this assume they’re talking about illicit drugs or alcohol but that’d also include OTC or prescribed drugs, as well. Someone who took a couple of aspirins the prior day could be found to have something in their system. And is the random testing still going to allow them to know who’s blood it is or just an anonymous test to determine percentages among pilots.
This is just like ADS-B. Seems like a good idea — and, I mostly agree — but NOW your tail number is exposed to any and all who have the capability to use it.
ENOUGH already, FAA. Give it a rest. Advertise the issues, accentuate them in safety briefings and the like, and you’ve done your job.
If you read through the guidelines on medications you will see that there are more then just a few common prescription and non-prescription medications listed as prohibited for the pilot community. Never mind that there are thousands of motor vehicle operators out there under the influence out there who are constantly avoiding the near head on collisions at fatal speeds that we refer to as normal driving conditions. If implemented and the data then shows a significant number of deviations from the approved list just wait and see how long it takes for yearly screening and I do not mean anonymous. They might even want to to try to impose such restrictions on the basic med pilots, they do have to submit to exams still and with a simple re-write it can include collection of a specimen that would go to OKC for testing. Beware of good intentions for they often lead to disaster.
As a retired airline pilot who was subject to random samples throughout the portion of my career when checks were in effect, the only effective way for this to work is to require them randomly. A pilot who knowingly is going to be drug checked during a physical is going to make every effort to be clean for the sample.
There is no way random drug checks can be effectively accomplished for GA pilots without enormous expense and legal challenges that would yield minimal results. If there were a large number of post-mortem cases proving drugs being a major contributing factor in accidents, then perhaps something could be done, but I don’t think that’s ever going to be the case.
As a side note, ALL of my breath alcohol tests were given to me POST-FLIGHT, when 12-14 hours have passed from leaving the departure airport hotel (I primarily flew international legs). I always said they should have done those checks prior to boarding the aircraft at the beginning of the flight. You should have heard some of the replies to my reasoned queries.
Since there is more exposure to risk on the highways, random drug checking should be first started on drivers who are generally less responsible than a majority of the pilot community. Target the bigger or existing problem area, particularly in those states where marijuana use is legal. Imagine the howling that would ensue.
Any drug testing of pilots is a GOOD thing. AOPA is wrong. Anyone innocent woud not be afraid of such testing.
Typical response from socialists. If you are not guilty you should not mind _________ (fill in the blank) This “study” is bogus. AOPA has it right.
I agree, Mike. Educate me, remind me once in a while and then … stay the hell out of my business.
Socialist? Laughing. Making sure others are not going to kill you high on drugs is not socialism. We are all free but only to the extent you do not step on the freedom of others.
Jawohl, iff you haff nodding to hide, you haff nodding to fear . . . und your paperss pliss?
I am glad you have sufficient confidence and trust in our government to know they NEVER make mistakes, NEVER get anything wrong, NEVER have an agenda, and are NEVER arbitrary and capricious, and they are ALWAYS looking out for us little people who pay their salaries (and for their $30,000 office redecorations, and world-wide taxpayer funded “fact finding trips” to the Caribbean, Monaco and the South Pacific, along with their friends, kids, pets and security details, who promptly hire hookers on their time off, and that gets written off as “miscellaneous expenses”.)
And you know that eighteen years after 9/11, we STILL don’t have photographs on our pilot’s certificates? These morons in DC need to work on their priorities. Pity we can’t fire ’em all.
I sure hope you are not in government or contemplating such a career.