FAA AME (Approved Medical Examiner) Durban, South Africa
A word of warning folk.
I've used a previously FAA approved AME (I'm not going to mention his name, you're welcome to verify by PM) in Durban, South Africa to renew my FAA flight physical for the past few years. Coincidentally I also use him for the renewal of my SA-CAA medical.
In March of this year the FAA did a routine review of my records and established that whilst I was still exercising the privileges of my FAA license I had no record of any medical status for the past few years - the doctor is required to make returns to the FAA on each medical which is conducted and this was not happening.
I had copies of all my past medicals (luckily) and sent them all off to the authorities as proof that I was in compliance. That set off a hornet's nest in the US - the doctor was still completing the FAA form 8500-9 (the medical certificate) in hand-writing - something that had ceased being acceptable years ago. And he wasn't sending the FAA any returns or ECG records.
The FAA advised me that my current medical was invalid and I was obliged to conduct another flight physical examination, with another doctor, prior to my next flight.
I contacted the doctor's secretary (also a relative of his) and advised her of the situation and she sounded concerned and said that she would "immediately take care of the situation". I believed her. I did hear that this issue had affected a number of other pilots, who were also contacted by the FAA and advised of the invalidity of their current medicals.
The FAA have also removed the doctor from their list of approved AME's and advised him of the withdrawal of his status as an AME.
However it has come to my knowledge today that this doctor is continuing to conduct FAA flight physicals in direct contravention of the FAA (he conducted at least one FAA flight physical in the past week) - it appears that he's going to continue to do so (and take your money) until the stack of form 8500-9's that he has runs out.
I hate to do this but any FAA medical that you conduct with this guy is invalid - please be careful.