Safety

The regulations have something to say about
this as well. Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) section 61.53 outlines operational prohibitions
for pilots when they know, or have reason to know,
of any medical condition (whether it’s a chronic
disease, or a 24-hour bug) that would make them
unable to meet the requirements for the medical
certificate necessary for the pilot operation, or — for
those not requiring medical certification — make
them unable to operate an aircraft in a safe manner.
Although vague in design, the rule prompts pilots
to use good judgment and voluntarily ground
themselves when they’re not feeling up to the task
of aviating.
Medication — Have I Taken Any Prescription/
OTC Meds?
As we noted earlier, medications can have a
clear impact on a pilot’s ability to perform. While
some effects are obvious, others can be deceivingly
detrimental and may vary according to an individual’s
tolerance level. Among the top offenders are
sedating antihistamines, in particular, diphenhydramine
(aka Benadryl). In addition to being an active
ingredient in many cold medications, diphenhydramine
is also used as an OTC sedative and is the
sedating agent in most PM pain meds.
Evidence of rising antihistamine use (as well
as other OTC medications) was at the forefront of a
2014 NTSB study, in which the percentage of pilots
with potentially impairing drugs found in their
system after an accident was greater than 20 percent
in 2012. That was more than double the rate found
at the outset of the study in 1990. The most common
potentially impairing drug found in this study of
nearly 6,600 aviation accidents: you guessed it,
diphenhydramine.
A good way to ensure the medications you use
don’t impair your flying is to first check the labels.
Thankfully, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has strict labeling standards for all OTC
medications so it’s easy to make comparisons
and spot any potential side effects. The FDA also
has a handy, online label checker you can use too
(http://labels.fda.gov/). For medications that have a
warning about using caution when driving a vehicle,
the FAA recommends using the “Rule of 5” — waiting
at least five times the longest recommended
interval between doses before flying.
Labels won’t always answer all your questions
so contact your Aviation Medical Examiner if you’re
unsure about a particular drug or would like to know
more about safer alternatives. For more information,
go to http://go.usa.gov/xkMvh.
Stress — Do I Have Any Job, Money, Family,
or Health Issues?
We may not always think about it, but we’re
under some level of stress with almost everything
we do — whether on the job, with family, or even
during what’s supposed to be a relaxing backcountry
camping trip. Stress can affect people differently, so
it’s really important for you to have a way of gauging
a clear head and a sound state of mind before taking
that flight.
A brief quarrel with your spouse, while seemingly
insignificant, can easily cloud your thoughts
and cause you to be distracted during flight. (Been
there, done that, and learned a valuable lesson!) A
more severe event, like the loss of a job, or a loved
one, requires even more attention and self-examination
to assess whether or not you’ve been able to
properly come to terms with your situation and your
emotions. It may not always be the easiest thing to
January/February 2017 FAA Safety Briefing 13