The issue of mental health usually becomes a national discussion only after a horrifying tragedy, such as a mass shooting.
The issue of mental health usually becomes a national discussion only after a horrifying tragedy, such as a mass shooting.
The latest disaster that brought the problem into focus is the apparently deliberate crashing of a Germanwings airliner in the French Alps on March 24, killing the 27-year-old co-pilot at the controls and the 149 other people on board.
French authorities say Andreas Lubitz, who locked the pilot out of the cockpit before initiating the deadly descent of the aircraft, was being treated for an unidentified mental illness he was keeping from his employer.
Lubitz’s mental health is causing re-examination in this country and around the world about psychological testing of airline pilots. Although pilots are required to undergo an annual medical physical — twice a year for those older than 40 — there is no specific mental health examination after an applicant finishes the initial training.
During the medical physical, pilots are asked (either in a questionnaire or by the physician) about life changes, emotional state or other things that might give a hint about their mental health.
So, the pilot is on the “honor system” when it comes to letting an airline know about any mental problems or stress.
In the case of Lubitz, investigators found doctors’ notes excusing him from work, including one for the day of the fatal flight. There should be a better system than having pilots self-report an illness.
The risks are too high to keep that method in place.
— Fort Worth Star-Telegram