The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has proposed new rules that will require airlines to conduct a pre-employment psychological assessment of pilots.
The proposal was prompted by the March 24, 2015, crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, an Airbus A320-200 that, according to the French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA), was intentionally flown into the ground in the French Alps by its first officer, killing himself and all 149 others in the airplane. EASA’s proposed rules, submitted to the European Commission on Dec. 9, also call for support programs to be available for all pilots dealing with mental fitness issues.
Other proposals call for the introduction of systematic drug and alcohol testing of flight and cabin crewmembers upon their employment, after their involvement in an accident or serious illness, “with due cause (i.e., following reasonable suspicion)” and following their retur…
