A pilot realizes after the fact that he was flying while using a prescription drug that was not allo...

Narrative:

I was improperly granted class III medical certificate on jun/wed/02, and have probably been flying illegally since soloing as a student on jun/mon/02. The certificate was probably invalid because I was taking both zoloft and aricept. When I went to the AME's office yesterday for renewal of prescriptions and for some other minor issues, doctor asked if I had been flying while on the medications. I confirmed that I had. The doctor then called another doctor, discussed my situation with him and returned to tell me that I should not fly until I had been off of the drugs for 90 days. He also questioned whether I had made him aware that I had been taking the mentioned drugs at the time of my class III medical examination, which I said that I had. He then checked his files and discovered that the relevant pre-examination questionnaire form indeed had a clear written indication that I was then taking both of the mentioned drugs. I have discontinued both flying as PIC and taking the mentioned drugs. My intent is to stay off of both mentioned medications and then to fill out a new pre-examination questionnaire form and to take the examination again 90 days hence. If I pass that examination then I will fly again afterwards.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT REALIZES AFTER THE FACT THAT HE WAS FLYING WHILE USING A PRESCRIPTION DRUG THAT WAS NOT ALLOWED.

Narrative: I WAS IMPROPERLY GRANTED CLASS III MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ON JUN/WED/02, AND HAVE PROBABLY BEEN FLYING ILLEGALLY SINCE SOLOING AS A STUDENT ON JUN/MON/02. THE CERTIFICATE WAS PROBABLY INVALID BECAUSE I WAS TAKING BOTH ZOLOFT AND ARICEPT. WHEN I WENT TO THE AME'S OFFICE YESTERDAY FOR RENEWAL OF PRESCRIPTIONS AND FOR SOME OTHER MINOR ISSUES, DOCTOR ASKED IF I HAD BEEN FLYING WHILE ON THE MEDICATIONS. I CONFIRMED THAT I HAD. THE DOCTOR THEN CALLED ANOTHER DOCTOR, DISCUSSED MY SIT WITH HIM AND RETURNED TO TELL ME THAT I SHOULD NOT FLY UNTIL I HAD BEEN OFF OF THE DRUGS FOR 90 DAYS. HE ALSO QUESTIONED WHETHER I HAD MADE HIM AWARE THAT I HAD BEEN TAKING THE MENTIONED DRUGS AT THE TIME OF MY CLASS III MEDICAL EXAM, WHICH I SAID THAT I HAD. HE THEN CHKED HIS FILES AND DISCOVERED THAT THE RELEVANT PRE-EXAMINATION QUESTIONNAIRE FORM INDEED HAD A CLR WRITTEN INDICATION THAT I WAS THEN TAKING BOTH OF THE MENTIONED DRUGS. I HAVE DISCONTINUED BOTH FLYING AS PIC AND TAKING THE MENTIONED DRUGS. MY INTENT IS TO STAY OFF OF BOTH MENTIONED MEDICATIONS AND THEN TO FILL OUT A NEW PRE-EXAMINATION QUESTIONNAIRE FORM AND TO TAKE THE EXAMINATION AGAIN 90 DAYS HENCE. IF I PASS THAT EXAMINATION THEN I WILL FLY AGAIN AFTERWARDS.

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.

Attributes
ACN	589159
Time
Date	200306
Day	Tue
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7.3 flight time total : 170 flight time type : 170
ASRS Report	589159
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	FAA

A pilot realizes after the fact that he was flying while using a prescription drug that was not allowed.