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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.