Our AOPA library circulates numerous government and private aviation safety periodicals throughout AOPA headquarters. Among those is NTSB Reporter, which provides closeup details of aviation accidents, including the probable cause.
Few accidents are attributable wholly to "mechanical error." Almost all have some degree of "pilot error" attached to the probable cause. In most respects, the machines we fly are more reliable than our own human machines. If a rough runup doesn't smooth out, our steed is telling us not to take the active runway. When the windshield suddenly becomes black with oil and cruise power goes away, there is no doubt that a landing is imminent.
The human machine, though, will sometimes press on even when there are internal signals that something isn't right. A severe upper respiratory infection may start out innocuously enough as a scratchy throat and slightly stuffy head in the morning. By noon, that scratchy throat has been made worse by a stressful IFR approach to minimums, a quick turn for the next departure, and a soda and candy bar that serves as breakfast and lunch. As you feel worse seemingly by the minute, you head for the FBO counter to self-medicate with aspirin, ibuprofen, an antihistamine, and a decongestant — or a combination of all of these remedial over-the-counter drugs. You may ask yourself, "Is this drug legal to fly with?" The FAA doesn't provide a list of medications approved for flying, but AOPA's Guide to Medical Certification and the "Over-the-Counter Medication in the Cockpit" pamphlet can provide valuable tips.
Your passengers call to say that they will be late, so you get a chance to recline in the crew lounge and actually begin to feel better. Once airborne, and under pressure to make up for lost time, the climb to altitude finds you feeling worse than ever. You hope that the concoction of drugs with names you can't even pronounce will start to work soon, and that your copilot can handle things if you go south. It's then that you pull the bottle out of the flight bag and begin to read the cautions and contraindications for using this drug. "Do not drive or operate machinery while using this medication. Side effects may include drowsiness; shortness of breath; increased heart rate; dryness of the mouth, nose, or throat ..."
Why do I feel so rotten now, you ask? There are probably several reasons, the first one being that you're sick and should be resting in bed. Since you're not, the symptoms are getting worse because whatever has attacked and gotten past your natural immune system is going to run its course, be it two days or two weeks. Any nonprescription remedies are going to treat only symptoms at best. Altitude is increasing as you climb out, heading for the rarer air, and the partial pressures of oxygen and the other various gases we inhale are lower than at the surface. Your body is now working harder to deliver all the oxygen and nutrients necessary to keep you functioning and alert. Unfortunately, all those drugs that you've taken are also being transported at the same time. Now that you're operating in a different environment than when you took the medications, their effectiveness may actually be working against you.
Professional pilots are really under the gun, because their livelihood depends on showing up for work. Although a brief ailment may be just an annoying inconvenience, a more prolonged or serious illness can be devastating. AOPA's Loss of License Protection Plan is one way to ensure an ongoing income while you're grounded. And, although many medical certificate actions don't involve a legal issue, some do. The Legal Services Plan provides coverage for representation in the event of a medical revocation, as well as other FAA enforcement actions, contract reviews or disputes, and many other aviation-related legal challenges.
AOPA's Medical Certification Department can help you when it comes to medical certification issues. The Pilot Information Center, 800/USA AOPA, is staffed by pilots and trained specialists to help you with any aviation-related questions.
Related Articles
