Page 96 - Self Reporting News Today

>> well, kate, i have been doing this for 20 years, and over 20 years, and im -- i have been taking care of pilots who have had substance abuse problems, and substance abuse and alcohol problem, and what is critical is the pilot self-reports, and that is the rule all along with the flying public. >> and it seems a whole room for error or a loophole or withhold org the not self-reporting, and how often do you believe it happens? >> well, it is very difficult to tell. one of the reasons why the fa...

They can monitor and make sure that i am safe to fly. >> chris jansing? >> michael, are there any restrictions that you know of of the kind of medications that a pilot can take and if for example, he was diagnosed with a clinical depression could he be on antidepressants and still fly? im just trying to figure out what the medical background might be and what they might be looking at. >> right. basically up to five years ago you were not allowed, at least in the united states to take any antidep...

You say -- >> its on the computer. and you check it. there are some airlines that you do have a piece of paper, you sign it and say, im fit for duty. >> its self-reporting. >> yes. >> what about when theyre going through training? before they become pilots is there some sort of a psychological examination? >> its a psychological test. youre being pushed to the limits as far as what you can and cannot do. youre put in simulators constantly grilled. like a very intense college where youre going th...

From six weeks ago that i should go to work now. and until they were satisfied, i did not fly. but once i completed the exam and they had measured it all and decided that i was fit to fly, thats when they returned me to the schedule. >> but whats disturbing is that you were self-reporting. it was not something that they put on you, you reported this yourself. how does the public now have any assurances that there is a process that discovers this if you dont have someone as responsible as you tha...

Cockpit, you have no business being there. and you may fly with one person one day and then not see that person again for three years with the amount of pilots and so sometimes its not so easily recognizable that somebody may have a problem. >> dr. kay, this is something. theres so much stigma associated with mental illness in society, not just the pilot community, but its very difficult for people to come forward and say, im having an issue no matter what realm of life theyre in and just in ter...

Attendant is a person that we can rely upon anymore than a pilot? i thought the pilots would be more reliable. >> certainly it has started the conversation, as you mentioned, whether there should be another person or even a third person, just a rotation of people that are always there in the cockpit. but a question many people are asking, given that many of these airlines rely on self-reporting, do you think that -- does that work, self-reporting of mental illness? >> well, i think it does gener...

A self-reporting requirement. you say that gets tricky. >> its not self-reporting. >> i mean its among pilots. >> the other pilots would have to report somebody acting a little strange and that just human nature youre going to be very reluctant to say first officer smith, im not so sure about him. >> you dont want to go down in the plane. >> its like police its not going to be something obvious. if somebody is muttering under their breath and hearing voices youre going to report that. but what w...

Psychological testing. kathleen, is that a mistake? >> i dont think so. what test could it be? how could all these countries agree on what test we would use? i think its important that most carriers people know who the weak link is. people know that person that doesnt really fit the bell curve of being a pilot. >> they do? >> theres not a company you cant go to where pilots dont sit around and talk about the one or two pilots they wish the airline would get rid of. >> thats not good. >> i know. ...

Psychological testing. kathleen, is that a mistake? >> i dont think so. what test could it be? how could all these countries agree on what test we would use? i think its important that most carriers people know who the weak link is. people know that person that doesnt really fit the bell curve of being a pilot. >> they do? >> theres not a company you cant go to where pilots dont sit around and talk about the one or two pilots they wish the airline would get rid of. >> thats not good. >> i know. ...

Thats the responsible thing to do. >> how do you encourage these pilots to self-report, especially if they are suffering from some sort of mental as opposed to physical ailment? >> i think the thing thats important here is that you have an honor system where self-reporting is encouraged is mandated but its a two-way street. the airlines themselves have to be willing to protect this asset of theirs their pilots. what we have seen since deregulation is constant stress on the pilots. the airlines d...