FAA: No psychological testing needed of airline pilots

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration has ruled out requiring psychological testing for airline pilots in favor of enhanced mental health support programs in response to a crash last year in which a German pilot deliberately flew an airliner full of passengers into a mountainside, agency administrator Michael Huerta said Thursday.

Airlines and pilot unions will be encouraged to expand programs to assist pilots, including the use of "peer-to-peer" programs that connect troubled pilots with other pilots for help and make mental health hotlines available.

The agency also began additional training for aviation medical examiners earlier this year to help them spot mental health warning signs.

Airlines generally require pilots to take psychological tests before hiring them, but they are primarily personality tests used to judge whether a prospective pilot will fit well with the company rather than attempts to uncover mental illness, Berry said.

The Aerospace Medical Association, which researches aviation health issues, is asking the American Medical Association to set a national standard that clarifies when public safety trumps patient privacy and whether congressional legislation is needed to allow examiners to alert the FAA to a pilot with a mental health condition that should prohibit flying, Berry said.