Expert Opinion
AINsight: Atrial Fibrillation in Pilots
The diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeats), while disqualifying for pilots, is usually approvable through the special issuance process.
The FAA recently issued new guidelines for the initial evaluations of pilots who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. These conditions involve irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia), either episodic or chronic.
Atrial fibrillation is not all that uncommon. It can run in families but doesn’t follow specific genetic patterns. A review of current literature shows that at least three to six million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, with higher rates noted in Europe.
Robert Sancetta, M.D.
AIN Contributor
About the author
Dr. Robert Sancetta is a former DC-10 captain with 11,000 flight hours. He has worked as a Senior AME since 1993 and is appointed as AME Consultant to the FAA Federal Air Surgeon.
