ABSTRACT
Assessment of potential clinical risk is the raison d’etre of the aeromedical examiner and others involved in aircrew health. Determining risk of incapacitation is the usual benchmark, but distraction may be as likely to jeopardize safe flight operations. The most common cause of in-flight incapacitation is acute gastrointestinal disease, which is usually mild in nature and self-limiting. Conditions that cause acute pain or loss of consciousness are likely to be immediately incapacitating; loss of mental capacity may render aircrew unable to safely perform critical flight duties. Single-seat aircrew, especially if flying high-performance aircraft, do not have much leeway with regards to conditions that distract or incapacitate. Most multi-crew pilots can expect to return to flying duties if their condition and/or treatment has a 10-year incapacitation risk of less than 10%. For non-pilot aircrew a 10-year incapacitation risk may be acceptable, depending on flight/mission or safety criticality of their role.
