Toxicological Findings of Pilots Involved in Aviation Accidents Operated Under 14 CFR Part 135

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute2009PDFTech ReportBotch, Sabra R.Johnson, Robert D.United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Office of Aviation. Civil Aerospace Medical InstituteUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Office of Aviation. Office of Aerospace MedicineUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Office of Aviation. Civil Aerospace Medical InstituteUnited StatesEmergency medical servicesToxicologySafetyCrash investigation14 CFR \ua7 135aircraft accident investigationDOT/FAA/AM-09/15This work was accomplished under the approved task AM-B-0-TOX-204Introduction: Under the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), aircraft flown under Title 14 (Aeronautics and Space) Part 135 are operated as either commuter or on-demand flights. The rules governing the operation of and the crewmembers on board such aircraft are detailed within these regulations. Aircraft operated under 14 CFR Part 135 include medical flights, on-demand cargo flights, on-demand air-taxis, and scheduled/non-scheduled domestic passenger flights with or without air cargo. Pilots operating under these regulations carry with them the added responsibility of passenger safety or, for those involved in emergency medical flights, the importance of their role for the survivability of patients in critical condition. The purpose of this study was to examine the toxicological findings of pilots involved in aircraft accidents operated under 14 CFR Part 135.Methods: Toxicological and aeromedical findings from Part 135 pilots that were involved in fatal accidents between the years 1997 and 2007 were collected. Toxicological information was obtained from the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute\u2019s (CAMI\u2019s) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory. Accident information and the probable cause and/or factor(s) of these accidents were obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).Results: Between the years 1997 and 2007, CAMI received biological samples of 142 pilots operating under Part 135 who had been involved in aviation accidents. Of these 142 pilots, 139 had sustained fatal injuries. Of the 139 fatalities, 33 (23%) were found to have taken at least one drug and/or had consumed alcohol prior to the accident. The compounds detected in these pilots ranged from the benign (such as acetaminophen) to illicit compounds (such as cocaine and marijuana). The NTSB attributed either the cause and/or a factor in the accident to drugs and/or alcohol use in 6 of these 33 accidents.Conclusion: Over the examined time period, aviation accidents operated under these regulations accounted for ~4% of all fatal aviation accidents received at CAMI for toxicological analysis. Generally, these aircraft were operated without harm to crewmembers, passengers, or bystanders. When accidents did occur, the majority were not the result of drug or alcohol impairment but, instead, were due to mechanical malfunctions, pilot error, and/or operation of aircraft in adverse weather conditions.119