Narrative:

*Under far (67.13, 67.15 and 67.17, which outline medical certification and issuance of first, second and third class airmans medical certificates respectively, provisions exist that require non-issuance or suspension of the medical certificate for alcoholism for a period first officer not less than 2 yrs of confirmed abstinence. Pilots flying under the provisions of part 121 of the air regulations may have their medical certificates suspended for a lesser period (typically 30-60 days), provided they are enrolled and are active in a supervised alcohol treatment program, and are routinely checked for alcohol consumption. This provision to the far's is by agreement between the pilots air carrier employer and the FAA. GA pilots, however, remain subject to the full minimum 2 yr suspension of pilot privileges. It is alleged that the policy of the FAA and the provisions of the applicable air regulations tend to discourage pilots from seeking proper treatment for alcohol abuse. Inasmuch as alcoholism, if not admitted to by a medical applicant while undergoing examination, may be difficult if not impossible to detect on the part of the medical examiner, examinees are actually discouraged from the admission of, or the seeking out of treatment for alcoholism. In support of the preceding contention, review of available statistics indicates that the rate of alcohol abuse and/or treatment that is reported to the FAA is far less than for the national average. It is suggested that review of far's 67.13, 67.15 and 67.17 be undertaken, with an eye to reducing the period of medical certificate suspension from 2 yrs to a period of 6 months to 1 yr, provided proper treatment and supervision of the medical applicant is provided for. In addition, the following recommendations are made: 1) change the current 8 hour bottle to throttle rule to 12 or 24 hours. 2) reduce the legal blood alcohol count from .04% to .00%. 3) revoke the medication certificate of any pilot convicted of drunk driving. 4) have FAA encourage pilot participation in available industry associations for alcoholism, such as 'birds of a feather.' 5) restructure the FAA and recruit alcohol specialists, particularly as AME's. The navy's alcohols program appears to have been, at least initially, more successful than the army or air force programs because program administrators were themselves recovering alcoholics. 6) include more information in FAA publications about alcoholism. 7) make a medical history or clinical diagnosis of alcohol abuse automatic disqualification for a medical certificate. In review, current FAA policy tends to induce pilots not to admit to, or seek treatment for alcoholism. Additionally, the discrepancy in policy on the part of the FAA between air carrier and GA pilots is seen as unfair. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback was undertaken to thank the reporter for his submission, compliment him on the depth of his research and to advise him that proper review will be given to his report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER CONTENDS THAT CURRENT FAA POLICY AND AIR REGS DISCOURAGE PLTS FROM ADMISSION OF AND TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOLISM.

Narrative: *UNDER FAR (67.13, 67.15 AND 67.17, WHICH OUTLINE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION AND ISSUANCE OF FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD CLASS AIRMANS MEDICAL CERTIFICATES RESPECTIVELY, PROVISIONS EXIST THAT REQUIRE NON-ISSUANCE OR SUSPENSION OF THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE FOR ALCOHOLISM FOR A PERIOD FO NOT LESS THAN 2 YRS OF CONFIRMED ABSTINENCE. PLTS FLYING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF PART 121 OF THE AIR REGS MAY HAVE THEIR MEDICAL CERTIFICATES SUSPENDED FOR A LESSER PERIOD (TYPICALLY 30-60 DAYS), PROVIDED THEY ARE ENROLLED AND ARE ACTIVE IN A SUPERVISED ALCOHOL TREATMENT PROGRAM, AND ARE ROUTINELY CHKED FOR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. THIS PROVISION TO THE FAR'S IS BY AGREEMENT BTWN THE PLTS ACR EMPLOYER AND THE FAA. GA PLTS, HOWEVER, REMAIN SUBJECT TO THE FULL MINIMUM 2 YR SUSPENSION OF PLT PRIVILEGES. IT IS ALLEGED THAT THE POLICY OF THE FAA AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE APPLICABLE AIR REGS TEND TO DISCOURAGE PLTS FROM SEEKING PROPER TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOL ABUSE. INASMUCH AS ALCOHOLISM, IF NOT ADMITTED TO BY A MEDICAL APPLICANT WHILE UNDERGOING EXAMINATION, MAY BE DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO DETECT ON THE PART OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER, EXAMINEES ARE ACTUALLY DISCOURAGED FROM THE ADMISSION OF, OR THE SEEKING OUT OF TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOLISM. IN SUPPORT OF THE PRECEDING CONTENTION, REVIEW OF AVAILABLE STATISTICS INDICATES THAT THE RATE OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AND/OR TREATMENT THAT IS RPTED TO THE FAA IS FAR LESS THAN FOR THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT REVIEW OF FAR'S 67.13, 67.15 AND 67.17 BE UNDERTAKEN, WITH AN EYE TO REDUCING THE PERIOD OF MEDICAL CERTIFICATE SUSPENSION FROM 2 YRS TO A PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS TO 1 YR, PROVIDED PROPER TREATMENT AND SUPERVISION OF THE MEDICAL APPLICANT IS PROVIDED FOR. IN ADDITION, THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE: 1) CHANGE THE CURRENT 8 HR BOTTLE TO THROTTLE RULE TO 12 OR 24 HRS. 2) REDUCE THE LEGAL BLOOD ALCOHOL COUNT FROM .04% TO .00%. 3) REVOKE THE MEDICATION CERTIFICATE OF ANY PLT CONVICTED OF DRUNK DRIVING. 4) HAVE FAA ENCOURAGE PLT PARTICIPATION IN AVAILABLE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS FOR ALCOHOLISM, SUCH AS 'BIRDS OF A FEATHER.' 5) RESTRUCTURE THE FAA AND RECRUIT ALCOHOL SPECIALISTS, PARTICULARLY AS AME'S. THE NAVY'S ALCOHOLS PROGRAM APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN, AT LEAST INITIALLY, MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN THE ARMY OR AIR FORCE PROGRAMS BECAUSE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS WERE THEMSELVES RECOVERING ALCOHOLICS. 6) INCLUDE MORE INFO IN FAA PUBLICATIONS ABOUT ALCOHOLISM. 7) MAKE A MEDICAL HISTORY OR CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION FOR A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. IN REVIEW, CURRENT FAA POLICY TENDS TO INDUCE PLTS NOT TO ADMIT TO, OR SEEK TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOLISM. ADDITIONALLY, THE DISCREPANCY IN POLICY ON THE PART OF THE FAA BTWN ACR AND GA PLTS IS SEEN AS UNFAIR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK WAS UNDERTAKEN TO THANK THE RPTR FOR HIS SUBMISSION, COMPLIMENT HIM ON THE DEPTH OF HIS RESEARCH AND TO ADVISE HIM THAT PROPER REVIEW WILL BE GIVEN TO HIS RPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.