Germanwings fallout - EASA foreslår regler - AIN

EASA Issues Proposal for EC Rules Tied to Germanwings Crash

The European Aviation Safety Agency on Tuesday published a set of proposals to the European Commission for an update of the rules concerning pilots’ medical fitness as part of a so-called action plan following the March 24, 2015 crash of Germanwings Flight 9525. The copilot, who had a history of mental illness, intentionally crashed the Airbus A320 in the Alps, killing all on board. Released in a document known as an opinion, the proposals include strengthening the initial and recurrent medical examination of pilots by including drug and alcohol screening, comprehensive mental health assessment and improved follow-up in case of medical history of psychiatric conditions. The opinion also calls for improving the quality of aero-medical examinations through enhanced training, oversight and assessment of aero-medical examiners (AMEs). Finally, it calls for a more systematic approach to preventing fraud by mandating aero-medical centers and AMEs to report all incomplete medical assessments to the relevant authority. The proposals address safety recommendations made after the Flight 9525 accident by the EASA-led task force as well as by the French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA). Highlights of the task force’s recommendations included maintaining the principle of two people in the cockpit at all times, a requirement for psychological evaluation of pilots as part of their training, systematic drug and alcohol testing, “strict oversight” of AMEs and a need for “an appropriate balance” in national regulations between patient confidentiality and the protection of public safety. Read More