US must do more on mental health of aviation professionals -safety official
Reuters
Published Dec 06, 2023 07:09PM ET
Updated Dec 07, 2023 10:31AM ET
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States must do more to prioritize the mental health of pilots, air traffic controllers and other aviation professionals, a top safety official said on Wednesday, after an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot allegedly tried to crash a commercial flight in October.
The pilot was charged with trying to disable the engines of a jet in flight and told police afterward he was suffering a nervous breakdown.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a day-long forum on the issue that regulators must empower people to get help.
"There is a culture right now that you either lie or you seek help. We can't have that. That's not safety," she told reporters.
Pilots are required to report certain mental health conditions to aviation medical examiners, who determine fitness to fly.
Homendy cited challenges such as controllers being forced to work mandatory six-day work weeks because of employee shortages, and backed amnesty for pilots and others to "come forward and be honest about struggles."
Jeremy Horn, managing safety director of Horizon Air, a unit of Alaska Airlines, said the incident involving the off-duty pilot in the cockpit "jump seat" of the Oct. 22 Horizon flight had prompted a wider discussion about mental health.
Horizon is holding a quarterly safety day on Monday focused on self-care.
The Federal Aviation Administration said last month it was naming a pilot mental health committee with about 20 members to provide recommendations to encourage pilots, air traffic controllers and others to report mental health issues.
The FAA said it will address open recommendations from a July inspector general's office report which found the agency's ability to reduce safety risks is "limited by pilots' reluctance to disclose mental health conditions."
(This story has been refiled to say safety official, not regulator, in the headline)
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.