Pilot Mental Health: Expert Working Group Recommendations - Revised 2015

In September 2012, the Aerospace Medical Association published and distributed recommendations from its Pilot Mental Health Working Group to improve awareness and identification of pilot mental health issues during the aeromedical assessment of pilots. Following the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in March 2015 with pilot suicide as the probable cause, the Pilot Mental Health Working Group reconvened to review their recommendations. As a result, the working group revised the recommendations which are provided here and which were distributed worldwide. The Working Group continues to emphasize the importance of assessing and optimizing pilot mental health, while providing additional recommendations on building trust and rapport between the aeromedical examiner and the pilot, on utilizing aviation mental health and aeromedical specialists, and on the balance between medical confidentiality and risk to public safety. The working group encourages all organizations involved in flight safety to review and consider implementing these recommendations within their usual operations.