Aeromedical Safety Coalition

Safer Skies Through Healthier Aviation Personnel

Advances in healthcare, aviation technology, and data-driven risk management suggest that we can improve the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certification system while sustaining aviation safety. Aviation leaders have created the Aeromedical Safety Coalition (ASC), to elevate physical and mental health as a safety risk mitigation.

Leaders Working Together

We are driving innovation in managing aviation safety risks related to mental and physical health through information sharing and systems-of-systems analysis. ASC members currently include:

• Airlines
• Airline associations
• Pilots
• Pilot associations
• Healthcare professionals
• Aeromedical researchers
• FAA

We are also exploring collaboration with air traffic controllers. The not-for-profit MITRE Corporation serves as an independent, conflict-free convener and steward for this voluntary initiative.

ASC goals

Working together, we aim to:

• Elevate and normalize health and human performance as safety topics
• Reduce uncertainty about medical-related aviation safety risks and mitigations
• Foster ongoing SMS-based integration, coordination, and education among stakeholders
• Reduce negative consequences stemming from health issues affecting pilots, ATCs, the flying public, and the US economy
• Promote both Safety I and Safety II approaches
• Optimize the future of medical oversight for pilots and air traffic controllers

ASC in action

We are conducting action-oriented studies about mental and physical health and their relation to human performance and safety–focusing on studies where trust may need to be established and data may not exist.

Studies range in size and scope, from tabletop exercises to expert elicitation. As our data and capabilities mature, we will conduct more complex, privacy-protected studies that illuminate the linkages between health, human performance, and safety.

We are also developing position papers to spur innovative thinking and advance the field of aeromedical safety.