Aerospace Medicine Technical Reports

FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-05/20

Title and Subtitle: Epidemiology of Toxicological Factors in Civil Aviation Accident Pilot Fatalities, 1999-2003

Report Date: November 2005

Authors: Chaturvedi AK, Craft KJ, Canfield DV, and Whinnery, JE

Abstract: Prevalence of drug and ethanol use in aviation is monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under such monitoring, epidemiological studies for the 1989-1993 and 1994-1998 periods indicated lower percentages of the presence of illegal (abused) drugs than that of prescription and nonprescription drugs in aviation accident pilot fatalities. In continuation of these studies, an epidemiological assessment was made for an additional period of 5 years.

Postmortem samples from aviation accident pilot fatalities submitted to the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) are toxicologically analyzed, and those analytical findings are stored in a database. This CAMI database was examined for the period of 1999-2003 for the presence of controlled substances of Schedules I-V, prescription and nonprescription drugs, and ethanol in the pilot fatalities. Out of 1629 fatal aviation accidents from which CAMI received biosamples, there were 1587 accidents wherein pilots were fatally injured. Drugs and/or ethanol were found in 830 of the 1587 fatalities.

Controlled substances of Schedules I and II and Schedules III-V were detected in 113 and 42 pilots, respectively. Prescription drugs were present in 315 pilots, nonprescription drugs in 259 pilots, and ethanol in 101 pilots. Controlled substances of Schedules I and II were detected in only 5 of the 122 First-Class medical certificate-holding airline transport pilots.

In addition to the controlled substances, many of the prescription and nonprescription drugs found in the fatalities have the potential for impairing performance, thereby adversely affecting the ability of an individual to optimally pilot an aircraft. Findings from this study were consistent with those of the 2 previous epidemiological studies and support the FAA's programs, including the FAA's drug-testing program, aimed at identifying potentially incapacitating medical conditions and reducing the usage of performance-impairing drugs or ethanol.

Key Words: Epidemiology, Toxicological Factors, Pilot Fatalities, Civil Aviation Accident Investigation

No. of Pages: 17