Safety
Airline Community Unites to Combat Pilot Mental Health Issues
Representatives from airlines, government, safety groups and pilots' unions find common ground

“We need to do more to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness in the aviation industry so pilots are more likely to self-report, get treated, and return to work,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. He was addressing recommendations from an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) released on June 9 targeting efforts to improve mental health evaluations and encourage voluntary reporting. The issue came under the spotlight after Germanwings copilot Andreas Lubitz, who had an unreported history of depression and suicidal tendencies, deliberately crashed his Airbus A320 in a mass-murder suicide. Flight 9525 crashed in the French Alps on March 24, 2015, killing all 144 passengers and six crew members.