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Toxicological findings from 1587 civil aviation accident pilot fatalities, 1999-2003
Arvind K Chaturvedi1, Kristi J Craft, Dennis V Canfield
1Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory AAM-610, FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125-5066, USA. Arvind.Chaturvedi@faa.gov
Introduction:
The prevalence of drug and ethanol use in aviation is monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under such monitoring, toxicological studies for the 1989-1993 and 1994-1998 periods indicated lower percentages of the presence of controlled substances (illegal drugs) than that of prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs in aviation accident pilot fatalities. In continuation, a toxicological assessment was made for an additional period of 5 yr.
Methods:
Biosamples from aviation accident pilot fatalities submitted to the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) are analyzed, and those findings are stored in a database. This database was examined for the 1999-2003 period for the presence of controlled substances (Schedules I-V), prescription/nonprescription drugs, and ethanol in the fatalities.
Results:
Out of 1629 fatal aviation accidents from which CAMI received biosamples, pilots were fatally injured in 1587 accidents. Drugs and/or ethanol were found in 830 (52%) of the 1587 fatalities. Controlled substances from Schedules I-II (SI-II) and Schedules III-V (SIII-V) were detected in 113 and 42 pilots, respectively. Prescription drugs were present in 315 pilots, nonprescription drugs in 259, and ethanol in 101. SI-II substances were detected in 5 of 122 first-class medical certificate-holding airline transport pilots. In addition to the controlled substances, many of the prescription/nonprescription drugs found in the fatalities have the potential for impairing performance.
Conclusions:
Findings from this study were consistent with those of two previous toxicological studies and support the FAA's programs aimed at reducing the usage of performance-impairing substances.
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