Psychological Evaluations Proposed
Pilots should be required to undergo a psychological evaluation before starting work at an airline, and airlines should create internal pilot-support systems, according to a task force that reviewed the fatal March 24 crash of a Germanwings Airbus A320 (ASW, 6/15).
The airplane crashed in the French Alps, killing all 150 passengers and crew. Preliminary reports indicate that the first officer, who reportedly had been treated for depression, flew the airplane into the ground.
The task force, led by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), issued its recommendations in mid-July, based on an analysis of preliminary findings by accident investigators.
EASA’s other recommendations called for requiring at least two people in the cockpit at all times, random drug and alcohol testing programs, a program of oversight for aeromedical examiners and establishment o…
