Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Acting NTSB Chair Announces Study on Drug Use in Aviation

©iStockphoto.com/ carlosphotos
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Acting Chair Christopher Hart has announced that the NTSB is studying drug use trends in general aviation. The announcement was made during Hart’s testimony to the House Subcommittee on Government Operations on the federal government's response to marijuana legalization as it pertains to transportation policy.

Hart says the focus of the forthcoming results tracks drug use among general aviation pilots over time, juxtaposes that trend against other populations and considers the safety implications and possible need for improvements regarding pilots usage of drugs.

"In general aviation, our investigators sometimes see evidence of drug use by pilots involved in accidents,” Hart says. “We decided it was time to look at this issue more in depth," Hart says.

NTSB will hold a public meeting in September to discuss drug use in general aviation through examinations of toxicology testing results conducted on fatally injured pilots.