Air Transport World story today..
This may have been picked up already in another thread but may be relevant here as well.... ATW story this morning.
"The US FAA said it is working with the commercial aviation and medical
communities to study the emotional and mental health of US commercial pilots. The joint FAA and industry group - known as the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST)—recommended the study based on the disappearance of Malaysia Aii-lines flight MH370, a Boeing 777, which disappeared March 8, 2014 while on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard, and the March 24, 2015 crash of a Germanwings Airbus A320 into the Southern French Alps while on a scheduled flight from Barcelona to Diisseldorf, killing all 150 people on board. The investigation revealed the co-pilot intentionally downed the aircraft.
The Pilot Fitness Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) will provide FAA with
recommendations within six months. The group will include US and international government and industry aviation experts, including a working group of medical professionals who specialize in aerospace medicine.
According to FAA, US pilots undergo robust medical screening, but recent accidents in other parts of the world prompted FAA to take a new look at the important issue of pilot fitness.
"The ARC will examine issues including the awareness and reporting of emotional and mental health issues, the methods used to evaluate pilot emotional and mental health, and barriers to reporting such issues.
"Based on the group's recommendations, the FAA may consider changes to medical methods, aircraft design, policies and procedures, pilot training and testing, training for Aerospace Medical Examiners, or potential actions that may be taken by professional, airline, or union groups. The ARC's meetings will not be open to the public," FAA said in a statement.
Federal Aviation Regulations outline the medical requirements for pilots. US airline pilots undergo a medical exam with an FAA-approved physician every six or twelve months depending on the pilot's age."