The National Transportation Safety Board will host an in-person roundtable discussion on mental health concerns in the aviation community Dec. 6, 2023.
The summit will bring together safety experts from the aviation industry, academia, the mental health profession, and government to examine the unintended consequences of the current system for evaluating mental fitness in the aviation workforce, and to explore ways the U.S. can modernize its approach to mental health while managing risk in the national airspace, according to NTSB officials.
“Everyone should feel safe speaking up, getting the mental health care they need, regardless of their profession. Aviation should be no different, and yet it is different,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “Current federal rules incentivize people to either lie about their needs or avoid seeking help in the first place — and that’s not safe for anyone.”
The summit, “Navigating Mental Health in Aviation,” is open to the public. It will be held Dec. 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the NTSB Boardroom and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC.
While the event won’t be livestreamed, a video recording will be uploaded to the NTSB’s YouTube channel several days after the summit, NTSB officials noted.
The summit agenda is available at Navigating Mental Health in Aviation.