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A system meant to screen for mental health can keep pilots

from

seeking care

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Dozens of commercial pilots tell Reuters they are afraid

to

disclose even easily treated conditions

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Many say disclosure can trigger immediate grounding and a

lengthy, expensive review

By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Dan Catchpole

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Annie Vargas

could see her son slipping away and pleaded with him to seek

help. But her son, Brian Wittke, a 41-year-old Delta Air Lines ( DAL )

pilot and father of three, pushed back, terrified that getting

treatment for depression would cost him his license and

livelihood.

The drop in air travel during the pandemic kept Wittke at

home more and affected his mental health, Vargas told Reuters.

On the morning of June 14, 2022, Vargas tried to reach

Wittke by text, but his location data was disabled. By the time

it reappeared, Wittke had died by suicide in the Utah mountains

near his home outside Salt Lake City.

Commercial airline pilots often conceal mental health

conditions for fear that disclosing therapy or medication, or

even just seeking help, could mean having their license pulled,

putting themselves and their passengers at risk, according to

Reuters interviews with three dozen pilots, medical experts and

industry officials, as well as a review of medical studies.

For this story, Reuters spoke to at least 24 commercial

pilots at U.S. and foreign carriers who said that they were

reluctant to disclose mental health issues - even minor or

treatable ones - fearing immediate grounding and a lengthy,

costly medical review that could end their careers.

The pilots Reuters spoke to cited multiple reasons for not

coming forward with mental health challenges, including airline

policies, regulatory requirements and social stigma.

REAL PEOPLE, REAL PROBLEMS

"Real people have real problems," Vargas said. "And they

shouldn't be penalized for dealing with it."

Vargas said she was speaking to Reuters because she hoped

the family's tragedy would challenge the culture surrounding

mental health in the aviation industry. The news agency

corroborated details of her account with Wittke's wife.

Delta said Wittke was a valued team member and called his

death "tragic and heartbreaking". It also said the pilot

community had a stigma against seeking mental health

services.

Like many major U.S. carriers, Delta offers confidential peer

support programs and counseling services for staff. It recently

launched a new employee assistance program for pilots, offering

access to therapy and coaching and taking into account medical

certification requirements.

"We will continue to work tirelessly to deliver additional

solutions," the airline said.

In most industries, individuals can seek medical or

psychological treatment without involving employers or

regulators, such as the Federal Aviation Administration.

Aviation operates under stricter standards: pilots must meet

rigorous physical and psychological criteria to maintain their

FAA medical certification, in some cases undergoing medical

exams every six months. Pilots who report anxiety or depression

may be grounded. While mild cases can be cleared quickly, severe

conditions require an extensive FAA review that can take up to a

year or more.

The FAA said in a statement that it is committed to

prioritizing the mental health of pilots and is continually

updating its approach based on the best medical science

available.

FEAR OF BEING GROUNDED

A decade after a Germanwings pilot with a history of severe

depression flew an Airbus A320 jet into a French mountainside,

the global aviation industry has yet to formulate a uniform

global framework for addressing pilot mental health and stigma

remains a major barrier, according to Reuters interviews.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency requires airlines

to offer peer-support programs for pilots and has strengthened

oversight of medical examiners.

In the United States, the FAA has broadened its list of

approved antidepressants and other medications used to treat

mental health conditions. It has established a pathway for

pilots who disclose an ADHD diagnosis. Meanwhile, airlines and

pilot unions have expanded confidential peer support programs.

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority allows pilots

with depression and anxiety to keep their medical certification

on a case-by-case basis - even while receiving treatment - if

safety risks are managed. Kate Manderson, CASA's principal

medical officer, said her team typically resolves certification

reviews in 20 days.

But the gap between policy and perception remains wide. In

a 2023 study of 5,170 U.S. and Canadian pilots, more than half

reported avoiding healthcare because of concerns about losing

flying status. The feeling is captured by a morbid saying in the

pilot community: "If you aren't lying, you aren't flying."

Pilot unions, advocacy groups, and industry organizations are

urging the FAA to adopt the recommendations of its Aviation

Rulemaking Committee - steps to protect pilots who disclose

issues and speed their return to duty. In September, the U.S.

House of Representatives voted to require the FAA to implement

those changes within two years.

WAITING TO BE CLEARED TO FLY

For U.S. commercial airline pilot Elizabeth Carll, 36, those

reforms can't come soon enough. In 2021, she was grounded during

her pilot training after she disclosed she was on a low dose of

an anti-anxiety medication. After a mandatory six-month waiting

period, she waited six months for an appointment with an

FAA-approved mental health specialist. The regulator then spent

more than a year reviewing her report - only to deem it outdated

and order a new exam.

Carll, who worked as a flight dispatcher while training, did

not face financial hardship, but she told Reuters any medication

change could trigger the same lengthy, costly process.

"The joke is you just ignore it and pretend it doesn't

happen because people are afraid that their livelihoods are

going to be taken away."

An FAA spokesperson told Reuters the agency is updating its

mental health policiesand has approved more medications. The

spokesperson did not comment on Carll's case when asked, and did

not disclose the typical turnaround time to review medical

reports for pilots who have undergone mental health treatment.

"We encourage pilots to seek help early if they have a

mental-health condition since most, if treated, do not

disqualify a pilot from flying," the FAA spokesperson said.

Pilot wellbeing returned to the spotlight in June when an Air

India Flight 171 crashed after takeoff, killing 260 people. A

preliminary investigation report found both fuel cutoff switches

had been manually moved, ruling out mechanical failure. The

final report is months away.

After the crash, the Indian government said Air India

recorded a slight increase in pilots taking sick leave across

all fleets. The airline responded by directing pilots to a

mental wellness app, Reuters found.

Air India did not provide a comment.

In November, former Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph David Emerson

was sentenced to time served and three years' probation after

pleading guilty to interfering with flight crew and attempting

to shut down the engines of a passenger plane in 2023 while

riding off duty in the cockpit. Court documents show Emerson

told police he was having a nervous breakdown and had taken

psychedelic mushrooms, which are sometimes used to treat

depression.

He declined to be interviewed for this story.

'A BETTER PILOT TODAY'

When a pilot is grounded for a health concern, the financial

fallout can be significant. After using up sick time, they are

often placed on disability, which can significantly reduce their

income.

Troy Merritt, a 33-year-old U.S. commercial airline pilot,

voluntarily grounded himself in December 2022 and started taking

medication after realizing depression and anxiety had

compromised his ability to fly safely, he said.

Getting back in the cockpit meant six months on stable

medication and a series of psychological and cognitive tests -

some of which were not covered by health insurance. He told

Reuters the process cost him about $11,000.

Reuters could not independently confirm this figure.

By the time Merritt returned to flying, he had been grounded

for 18 months and was living on disability insurance. He said

pilots should not have to wait six months to reapply for a

medical certificate if they respond well to treatment, and that

the FAA should review such applications within 30 days.

"Avoiding mental health care opens up the door to pilots who

avoid taking care of their health. And that's when problems can

arise in the cockpit," Merritt said from his home near Los

Angeles International Airport.

Merritt, who spoke on the condition that Reuters did not

identify his employer, said he's living proof that mental health

care makes for better pilots in the long run.

After recovering, he trained to fly on larger aircraft and

to destinations like Shanghai and Hong Kong, long-haul flights

he once found too daunting.

"I'm a better pilot today than I was before," he said.