nothing is followed up on like a marital or financial issue. it's up to a pilot to self-report. if he or she doesn't self-report, what happens? >> if you don't self-report, it's really gone unnoticed. typically what happens is, if you have an issue, one of your crew members might recognize something like that. >> reporter: the faa did not respond to our questions about the criticism of that system. some current and former pilots argue the rules don't need to be tightened. the vast majority of pilots are stable, but critics say there are dangerous gaps in the system that out of fear of losing their careers, pilots won't self-report psychological issues or if they seek counseling, they won't tell their bosses. brian todd, cnn, reagan national airport. >> joining us now is eric fisher, a licensed psychologist