A damning report out today alleges that up to 5,000 pilots are either unfit for duty, defrauding the US government, liars, or all three.
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Up To 5,000* Pilots Under Investigation, Big Claims
A report from the Washington Post today announced that nearly 5,000 (about 4,800) pilots are under investigation in the United States regarding conflicting medical claims. Some of those claims would uniformly disable the pilot’s ability to perform their duties and disqualify them from piloting an aircraft.
“FAA spokesman Matthew Lehner acknowledged in a statement that the agency has been investigating approximately 4,800 pilots “who might have submitted incorrect or false information as part of their medical applications.” The FAA has now closed about half of those cases, he said, and has ordered about 60 pilots — who Lehner said “posed a clear danger to aviation safety” — to cease flying on an emergency basis while their records are reviewed.” – Washington Post
Our first major caveat comes in the form of the numbers being investigated. The article’s title says 5,000, then reduces it to “nearly” and states it’s 4,800, and then we learn that half of those cases have been closed with just 60 pilots removed from eligibility. Just 600 of those under investigation are/were passenger commercial airline pilots.
“About 600 of the pilots under investigation are licensed to fly for passenger airlines, according to a senior U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing case. Most of the rest hold commercial licenses that allow them to fly for hire, including with cargo firms, corporate clients or tour companies.” – MSN
The crux of the issue comes at the hands of a $3.6MM investigation whereby investigators cross-referenced Veteran’s Administration claims with current flight health records. The article then says this:
“Many veterans minimize their ailments to the FAA so they can keep flying but exaggerate them to VA to maximize their disability payments, physicians and former officials at the aviation agency say.” The article continues:
“There are people out there who I think are trying to play both sides of the game,” said Jerome Limoge, an aviation medical examiner in Colorado Springs who gives physicals to hundreds of pilots a year. “They’re being encouraged by VA to claim everything. Some of it is almost stolen valor.”
It’s a big claim to suggest that pilots are committing stolen valor by claiming benefits from the VA while self-reporting clean records to continue flying. Especially, when it’s the FAA’s own physicians who are suggesting the pilots should not disclose their VA claims.
“Aviation authorities also learned that some pilots did not disclose their VA disability benefits because FAA-contracted physicians advised them to withhold the information, officials said.”
The article on the one hand states that pilots are intentionally withholding information about concerning data to enrich themselves and defraud the US government while continuing to fly, and on the other hand claims that its FAA doctors who told them to omit information. It says that of the 4,800 half of the cases are already cleared resulting in just 60 who have lost their ability to fly. The article does not state just how many of those 60 were commercial passenger pilots for airlines.
Mental Health Concerns
There’s no doubt that mental health issues for a pilot are of considerable concern not just for themselves but for passengers and those on the ground. The article cites three cases: a China Eastern 737 crash (that was heretofore not yet classified as a pilot suicide), a Germanwings A320 confirmed pilot suicide in the Alps, and then takes the leap of determining the cause of MH370 to be a pilot suicide as well when that is just one of a number of possibilities none of which have ever been confirmed.
Generally speaking, mental health concerns are stigmatized particularly for males with men under-reporting mental health concerns comparatively to women, more likely to serve in the military (the article notes symptoms of PTSD as one of the common VA claims), and more likely to be pilots. In fact, just 4.6% of US pilots in 2021 were female:
“At the end of 2022, Southwest Airlines had 413 female pilots, 4% of the total pilot workgroup. In 2021, 5% of American’s pilots were women, according to the carrier.” – Dallas Morning News
However, not all of these claims are confirmed to be mental health-related. The report does cite that two of ten that were effectively prosecuted experienced a crash:
“Court records show at least 10 pilots have been prosecuted since 2018 on federal charges of lying to the FAA by hiding their veterans disability benefits and obscuring their health histories, including two whose cases were discovered only after they crashed aircraft.” – Washington Post
Despite some of the positioning of the lead article from the Post, it’s not clear just how many of those with VA claims are for mental health-related issues nor how many are a matter of following instructions from conflicting aviation-related sources.
Pilot Shortage
This summer has been one of the busiest and this site has covered the pilot shortage well before the myriad pilot contract stories that have come out this summer. Piloting aircraft is complex, difficult, and stressful and the pilot shortage has not helped to ebb those issues.
But investigators allege that they believe this is a case of defrauding the US government for benefits rather than being compelled to fly by employers.
Conclusion
The flashy article that’s already seeing considerable coverage makes some lofty claims and conclusions. While there is no doubt some pilots that have concealed health concerns to overcome medical evaluations that determine whether they are fit for duty, and while some may have even acted nefariously to enrich themselves, the vast majority have been cleared of wrongdoing and continue to fly. Mental health concerns are stigmatized particularly in males, underreported, and of concern specifically in this field. If a pilot is experiencing any type of health concern that jeopardizes themselves, the flying public, or those on the ground, there should be a clear path for seeking and receiving the help they need that will not forever bar them from flying. However, this article overstates the number of pilots investigated especially when half have been cleared and only 10 in 4,800 to this point have been prosecuted.
What do you think?
A big part of this is the VA disability game. When you retire from the military you are very strongly incentivized to claim as much disability as you can with the VA. Things like sleep apnea for example. Because that contributes to your percentage of disability and that percentage is tax free retirement income. If you cross a certain threshold you can be considered fully disabled and get 100% of your retirement tax free.
But those same people aren’t truly disabled. Take a guy who spent a career flying fighters. He’s almost guaranteed to have back and neck issues from the effects of turning your head with a helmet on it while pulling 7gs. Maybe he developed a bit of a stomach issue while on active duty. His hearing isn’t what it used to be. Just before retirement he gets tested and found to have sleep apnea. Start stacking all that up and boom in the eyes of the VA he’s fully disabled. But the reality is he’s perfectly capable of flying a 737 around the country.
Throw in a little PTSD too. We’ve been at war for so long that everyone has seen combat. Guys don’t talk about it much but when you spend a decent chunk of your 20+ years in the service killing people that takes a toll. So that’s in your VA profile. But the FAA has a tendency to go a little nuts when you report any kind of mental health issue so guys get told not to mention it. And when you do your medical can be on hold for months while they decide what to do because that part of the FAA is way behind.
Finally there is an element of unfairness that one part of the government creates this system which incentivizes you to claim as much disability as possible as a result of your military service. And frankly the vast vast majority of what gets claimed is fully deserved. But then another arm of the government will potentially seriously penalize you for that. And it’s also not right that the FAAs solution to the pressure they were getting to do something is being applied solely to veterans. You spent 20+ years making multiple combat deployments and being a stranger to your kids. Losing close friends and all the other negatives that come with flying fast jets for a living in a country at war. And now the FAA is thanking you for that by trying to figure out if they can find a way to prosecute you because you’re an easy target since they have access to all your records. I’m not saying it was right for guys not to disclose stuff. But the FAA medical form and process are far from being crystal clear.
Good summary. Another problem is the threshold for a VA service connected disorder is different from being unsafe to fly or being disabled to the point of being crippled. Have a little hay fever and that might be 10% disability then have some other stuff and the percentages add up.
A better hypothetical term would be “VA service connected possible compensation related condition”, not disability.
Great summary from 121Pilot and kudos on your addition, too. I’m 100% “disability” rated from the VA and was medically retired, but it’s for an illness that 100% does not affect me physically in any discernible way nor would prevent me from flying. So the use of that term makes it easy to conflate being disabled or otherwise unfit to fly and being otherwise impaired but not in a manner that reduces capability. To wit, I know a TON of guys I served with that have, questionably, both sleep apnea and tinnitus. Yet they’re still doing reserve time and keeping their hours current. But I guess $500/month or whatever is $500 more than they had before
Make flying lessons less expensive! As I have heard, at $400 an hour who can afford to do that!?
Only the wealthy can afford it and the wealthy ‘tend to take’ mind-altering drugs and drink alcohol.
Even though I’m too old to become an employable pilot, I can help out in some way.
I have no criminal record, as a Registered Nurse in my current profession,
I don’t drink alcohol or have ever taken drugs.
What happen to the airline company physicals?
Are they a sham?
Yes.
It’s a total racket.
1. The FAA is required to align its standards with ICAO, thereby limiting the types of doctors who can perform the exams. This often excludes the most well-prepared doctors and other clinicians.
2. The doctors have a massive incentive to pass every pilot, every time. If you get a reputation for “failing” pilots, you will not get any business.
3. The pilot pays in cash for the exam, so it’s like saying, “here’s a few hundred dollars in exchange for your signature.”
4. It seems that most examiners just flip through the questionnaire. They don’t ask questions… if you ask questions, you might have to do more work or “fail” the pilot.
5. The examinations are often conducted by someone who does not know the pilot, so it’s much easier to hide information. The burden is on the pilot to come forward.
Interestingly, flight attendants have ZERO medical requirement in the USA.
I just saw a pilot with aortic regurgitation that you could probably hear from the room next door. Of course he massed his FAA exam. I saw two more who had been actively suicidal within the past six months. They got their certificates; no problem at all. I’m sure that the examiner was “dialling it in,” took their credit cards, and probably makes quadruple my salary.
The Air Force has this scam down. PTSD for a bunch of clowns, most of whom fly a desk. Meanwhile, the Army and Marines who actually fight cannot get covered for missing limbs. It’s shameful
It is utterly unfair and insulting to suggest that the Air Force doesn’t fight. It’s also utter and total nonsense. For example you know who calls in Air Strikes for Army units? Air Force units embedded with them on the ground.
If what you say about vets who list limbs is true then yes it’s utterly shameful. But you can make that point without denigrating an entire service.
Do AF pilots provide Forward Air Controller (FAC) duties for Army infantry units? Why can’t rotary wing Army pilots do it? Not enough of them or what?
I don’t know why the system is the way it is. I strongly suspect it’s because a pilot brings with him the understanding of what it’s going to take to safely deliver ordinance to the desired spot. Perhaps the Army doesn’t use its aviators because flying a hello and a fast jet are very different disciplines.
“In fact, just 4.6% of US pilots in 2021 were pilots:”
I think this is much more troubling than being on disablility.
Frank, get your quote right “In fact, just 4.6% of US pilots in 2021 were female:…”