FAA Ends Ban on Depressed Pilots in Cockpits
By DEVIN DWYER and LISA STARK
April 2, 2010
Pilots taking medication for mild or moderate depression will soon be allowed in the cockpit under new Federal Aviation Administration guidelines that reverse a nearly 70-year ban. Clinically depressed pilots, including those undergoing therapy or prescription treatment, are currently prohibited from flying.
The policy change, which takes effect Monday, was sparked by reduced risk of antidepressant side effects, such as drowsiness, and a need to "change the culture and remove the stigma" associated with the illness, said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.
It's also an attempt to get active pilots who need treatment or are already using antidepressants in violation of FAA rules to come clean, making the skies safer in the process.
"In the interest of safety we would much rather have them in a program that's monitored and we know what they're doing," Babbitt said, comparing the initiative to one that targeted alcohol abuse among pilots several years ago.
But allowing pilots who take antidepressants to legally fly an airplane comes with strings attached. Under the new rules, pilots will be restricted to one of four FAA-approved antidepressants -- Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa and Lexapro -- and required to see a psychiatrist every six months.
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