US EditionAirline Pilots Hide Mental Health Struggles To Continue Flying: Study
Pilots avoid disclosing mental health issues due to fear of grounding and costly reviews; over half of US and Canadian pilots reported avoiding care, a 2023 study found.
- On June 14, 2022, Delta Air Lines pilot Brian Wittke died by suicide in the Utah mountains after disabling location data, while Reuters found pilots often conceal mental health issues to avoid losing licences.
- Because aviation requires frequent Federal Aviation Administration medical certification, pilots fear disclosing therapy could trigger grounding and costly reviews that can last up to a year and cost about $11,000.
- A 2023 study of 5,170 US and Canadian pilots found more than half avoided healthcare fearing licence loss, and the pilot community sums it up with `If you aren't lying, you aren't flying`.
- Pilot unions and the US House of Representatives pushed the FAA to adopt rule changes, while Delta Air Lines and airline peer support programmes recently expanded confidential assistance and therapy services for pilots.
- Globally, ten years after Germanwings, a 2024 report flagged insurance gaps and out-of-pocket costs as safety concerns, after the Air India crash that killed 260 people.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Airline Pilots Hide Mental Health Struggles To Continue Flying: Study
Commercial airline pilots often conceal mental health conditions for fear that disclosing therapy or medication, or even just seeking help, could mean having their license pulled, putting themselves and their passengers at risk.
Airline pilots hide mental health struggles to keep flying
Commercial airline pilots often conceal mental health conditions for fear that disclosing therapy or medication, or even just seeking help, could mean having their licence pulled, putting themselves and their passengers at risk, according to Reuters interviews with three dozen pilots, medical experts and industry officials, as well as a review of medical studies.
‘If you aren’t lying, you aren’t flying.’ Airline pilots hide mental health struggles
Aviation operates under stricter standards than other industries. Dozens of commercial airline pilots tell Reuters they are reluctant to disclose mental health issues — even minor or treatable ones — because of the risk of grounding and a career‑ending review
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