EU Proposes Stronger Pilot Mental Health Checks

December 9, 2016

European aviation safety regulator EASA has published proposals to improve support to pilots who have mental health concerns, and increase checks before and during employment.

The European Aviation Safety Agency proposals include access by pilots to mental health programmes; a requirement for airlines to carry out psychological assessments of pilots before employment; and drug and alcohol testing after incidents. Random tests would also be carried out after pilots return to work.

EASA said stakeholders have been consulted on the proposals, and that they complement previous proposals issued in August after a Germanwings plane crashed into the Alps in March 2015, killing all 150 onboard.

France's BEA air crash investigation agency found that the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked the captain out of the cockpit and steered flight 9525 into a mountain.

Prosecutors found evidence that Lubitz, who suffered depression, had researched suicide methods and concealed an illness from his employer

The European Commission will introduce legislation based on the proposed rules during 2017.

(Airwise)