Report: FAA investigating pilots over suspected falsified health records

ACCORDING TO AN EXCLUSIVE WASHINGTON POST REPORT FROM OVER THE WEEKEND — THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION IS INVESTIGATING NEARLY 5-THOUSAND PILOTS.

THE PILOTS ARE SUSPECTED OF FALSIFYING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS TO HIDE THAT THEY WERE RECEIVING BENEFITS FOR CONDITIONS THAT COULD BAR THEM FOR FLYING.

THE ROUGHLY 48-HUNDRED PILOTS UNDER INVESTIGATION ARE ALL MILITARY VETERANS.

THEY ARE SUSPECTED OF FAILING TO REPORT DISABILITY BENEFITS THEY WERE RECEIVING FROM VETERANS AFFAIRS — AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

ACCORDING TO A SPOKESPERSON — THE F-A-A HAS CLOSED ABOUT HALF THE CASES IT WAS INVESTIGATING.

THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ORDERED ABOUT 60 PILOTS TO STOP FLYING ON AN EMERGENCY BASES WHILE THEIR RECORDS ARE REVIEWED.

WHILE PILOTS MUST PASS REGULAR HEALTH EXAMS — THE F-A-A RELIES ON PILOTS TO SELF-REPORT CONDITIONS THAT CAN OTHERWISE BE DIFFICULT TO DETECT — LIKE DEPRESSION OR P-T-S-D.

ACCORDING TO PHYSICIANS WHO SPOKE TO THE POST — SOME VETERAN PILOTS MINIMIZE THEIR AILMENTS TO THE F-A-A SO THEY CAN KEEP FLYING — BUT EXAGGERATE THEM TO THE V-A TO MAXIMIZE THEIR DISABILITY PAYMENTS.

ONE AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER SAID QUOTE  “THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO I THINK ARE TRYING TO PLAY BOTH SIDES OF THE GAME…. THEY’RE BEING ENCOURAGED BY VA TO CLAIM EVERYTHING. SOME OF IT IS ALMOST STOLEN VALOR.”

THE F-A-A INVESTIGATION HAS ALREADY FACED HEAVY SCRUTINY FOR SEVERAL REASONS.

FIRST — THE F-A-A USED V-A RECORDS FOR ITS INVESTIGATION — LEADING TO CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THAT INFORMATION WAS ACCESSED AND USED.

CRITICS ARE ALSO ACCUSING THE F-A-A OF TARGETING VETERANS WITH ITS INVESTIGATION — SAYING NON-VETERAN PILOTS ARE ALSO FALSIFYING HEALTH RECORDS.

ONE COLORADO AVIATION-LAW ATTORNEY TOLD THE POST IT’S AN OPEN SECRET THAT QUOTE “PROBABLY GREATER THAN 85 PERCENT OF PILOTS ARE LYING ON THEIR MEDIAL FORMS.”

FINALLY — THERE’S THE FACT THAT — ACCORDING TO THE POST — INVESTIGATORS DISCOVERED INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN V-A AND F-A-A DATABASES MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO — BUT THE F-A-A HAS KEPT THE INVESTIGATION MAINLY A SECRET FROM THE PUBLIC UNTIL NOW.