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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1977

Joint Committee on Aviation Pathology: VII. Aviation pathology in relation to aviation safety.

The mainstay of accident-prevention programs--and accident prevention programs, after all is said and done, are the ultimate objective--has been to educate populations exposed to certain hazards with respect to the nature of the risks involved. While human engineering can frequently limit or diminish the hazard potential in a given situation, it is unlikely that mechanical contrivances alone will offer a pragmatic solution to the human-factor accident. I would invite this group to expend its talent in further developing the application of clinical pathology as well as pathologic anatomy to the still-unanswered problems in aviation safety and join with us at the Naval Safety Center in an effort to make our air operation as safe as possible.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1977

Joint Committee on Aviation Pathology: XI. Evaluation and disposition of Army helicopter aviators with finger amputations.

During the period 1969-1975, 12 disqualified U.S. Army helicopter aviators with various finger amputations were evaluated by the U.S. Army Aeromedical Consultation Service for return to flying duties. The evaluations included both medical examinations and in-flight performance observed by aviation medicine specialists and standardization instructor pilots. The criteria for aeromedical disposition are presented with a discussion of the hand and finger requirements to fly U.S. Army UH-1 rotary wing aircraft. All evaluated aviators were presented to a board of senior U.S. Army flight surgeons, who recommended return to flying. Ten of the disqualified aviators were returned to unrestricted flying. Two required limitations to fly with another qualified aviator. At this time, 1 to 7 years after evaluation, 11 are current Army aviators. None have had to be reevaluated or suspended as a result of problems with their amputations. Not one of these aviators has had a fatal accident. The comprehensive medical and in-flight evaluations of well-motivated, disqualified aviator finger amputees has proven to be of benefit in retaining valued assets for U.S. Army aviation.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Review of aviation safety measures which have application to aviation accident prevention.

Introduction of certain human-factors techniques has been followed by market reduction in military and airline accident rates. In this study, these safety measures are analyzed to determine the value of their application to general aviation activity. Some techniques are already in use. They are: 1. medical evaluation of iarcrews; 2. aeronautical innovations which tailor the machine to the man; 3. imporvement of precision navigational air traffic control and flight procedures; 4. standardization of flight training and flight procedures. A remaining field of interest, and one which appears to be underused, is that of supervision. After ending his association with the flight instructor, the general aviation pilot is essentially unsupervised. Accident data gathered over several years show that with increases in the proportion of pilots who have not maintained an association with a flight instructor, the general aviation fatal accident rate is increased. Current regulations, which require revalidation of airman's certificates, provide a method by which this association can be maintained. The flight instructor, or some similar aviation professional, can maintain an element of supervision with otherwise independent general aviation pilots. Data from previous years supports the hypothesis that such a program would make a substantial improvement in general aviation safety.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1991

Toxicological findings in Federal Aviation Administration general aviation accidents.

Blood, urine, and tissue specimens were received from 377 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation fatalities during fiscal year 1989. Carbon monoxide at less than 10% saturation was found in 94% of the cases, and cyanide at less than 0.5 mg/L was found in 96% of the cases. Ethanol at greater than 10 mg/dL was found in 14.8% of the cases, but only 4.5% were determined to be due to ethanol ingestion from toxicological findings. Excluding nicotine and ethanol, 12.6% of the cases were positive for one or more drugs. Acetaminophen and salicylate were the most frequently found drugs. Cannabinoids were found in 1.3% of the cases and benzoylecgonine in 1.6%. There was minimal use of therapeutic drugs that cause central nervous system depression or stimulation. These results show no consistent pattern of drug involvement in civilian aviation fatalities.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1991

Sickle cell anemia trait in the military aircrew population: a report from the Military Aviation Safety Subcommittee of the Aviation Safety Committee, AsMA.

The question of whether sickle cell trait (SCT) is potentially dangerous to military aircrew personnel who have it and, consequently, whether such individuals should be allowed to fly in military aircraft is a very emotional issue. This article traces the evolution of how the U.S. military has dealt with the problem, and the present status of individuals with SCT in the U.S. military aviation community. Extensive studies and means for subjectively evaluating the problem were instituted by the Department of Defense in 1981, after making the decision not to restrict aircrew with the trait from aviation duties. All research projects and educational programs were abruptly stopped in 1985. Today, there are no actual restrictions on individuals with SCT for duty in the aviation and diving communities.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1977

Joint Committee on Aviation Pathology: XVIII. Correlation of occurrence of aircraft accidents with biorhythmic criticality and cycle phase in U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and civil aviation pilots.

The correlation of occurrence of aircraft accidents to critical and negative phases of the biorhythm cycles was investigated. Data from 880 U.S. Air Force pilot-involved accident cases were studied and added to 4,279 previously reported cases. The data were tested by chi-square analysis under the null hypothesis that there is no effect of biorhythm on aviation accidents. Under this hypothesis, the expected number of accidents occurring on critical days should be 179.13 for the U.S. Air Force; there were 179. In analyzing the effect of biorhythmic criticality for pilot-involved cases from all sources, there were were 300 individual chi-square values computed. The frequency of these values by their percentile distribution so closely matched the theoretical distribution that there was no evidence whatsoever to indicate an effect of biorhythmic criticality. There no correlation between multiply negative or individually negative phases of the biorhythm cycles and aircraft accidents in the U.S. Air Force or in the combined pilot-involved accident group.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1977

Joint Committee on Aviation Pathology: XVII. Round window tear in aviators.

It is the intent of this paper to draw attention to round window tears with the inherent symptomatology that has, for the first time, been documented in two aircrew members. It is also felt important to emphasize that the condition, regardless of etiology, could be catastrophic to the flying pilot and may be an up-recognized cause of otherwise unexplainable accidents. Not all cases of window tears cause vertigo-but some do. Not all vertigo so caused is prostrating--but some is. Because of the findings in two reported cases, it is postulated that round window membrane tear may be a significant cause of pilot disorientation. It may have been the root cause of peculiar and previously unexplained air crashes. The corollary of this hypothesis is the proposition that, in the future, careful attention be paid to the ears of pilots recovered from what would otherwise appear to be a mysterious accident.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Joint Committee on Aviation Pathology: XII. Sarcoidosis: a review of some features of importance in aviation medicine.

Sarcoidosis is defined in terms of its histology and natural history. Emphasis is placed upon its insidious nature and potentially pronounced pathophysiological effects. The use of lung function studies as an index of disability in the three described phases is discussed. Though we have only found the disease coincidentally in aircraft accidents, stress is placed upon the need for careful monitoring of affected aircrew and the necessity for respiratory function tests.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Disease prevention strategies for Army aviators: clues from a descriptive analysis of the flying duty medical examination.

The U.S. government spends approximately $300,000 to train an Army aviator. Maintaining a healthy aviator population is important not only to the completion of the aviation mission, but also for budgetary reasons. We reviewed Army aviator physical examinations and self-reported risk behavior questionnaires from the Aeromedical Epidemiological Data Repository at Fort Rucker, Alabama, to assess aviator health. Overall, aviators are healthy adults; however, the health status of aviators can be improved by reducing tobacco use, limiting cholesterol and fat intake, and wearing hearing protection devices both during and off duty.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The adequacy of corrective lenses worn by United States Air Force aviators for annual flight medical examinations.

Aviators presenting for annual flight medical examinations at the 379th Strategic Hospital at Wurtsmith Air Force Base were studied to determine the prevalence of substandard visual acuity. The prevalence of the use of outdated (superseded) corrective lenses was also studied. We conducted 342 examinations on different aviators and 92 (26.9%) of these aviators were found to require corrective lenses. There were 23 (6.7%) aviators who were found to have inadequate visual acuity and 14 of these (4.1%) were found to be wearing superseded lenses. The visual screening method prescribed by the United States Air Force did not identify four of the aviators who wore superseded lenses. Three aviators were found to be wearing lenses obtained from civil sources. The study suggests that improvements could be made in U.S. Air Force visual screening and care.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Estimate of requirements for detection and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in U.S. Army aviators.

In May 1988, the Army Surgeon General issued guidelines and a preliminary plan for evaluation and treatment of hypercholesterolemia, based on the recommendations of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel. Implementation of this plan in the aviation population would require an unknown number of aviators to undergo testing and possibly therapy for hypercholesterolemia. This study uses a mathematical model and information from the Aviation Epidemiology Data Register to estimate the number of aviators who would require detailed lipoprotein analysis and at least dietary therapy, based on evaluation of their total serum cholesterol and other coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors, as described in the expert panel report. The model predicts that at least 27% of all aviators would require LDL screening, and 24.6% of all aviators would require dietary or drug therapy.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1991

The career impact of keratoconus on Air Force aviators.

Keratoconus causes progressive blurring and distortion of vision, which threatens the career of a military aviator. To assess the impact of keratoconus on flying careers, we reviewed the records of all aviators with keratoconus who have been examined at the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine over the past 23 years. Of the 22 aviators observed for more than three years, 18 were still qualified to fly at their most recent examination. The remaining four aviators were permanently removed from flying duties because of visual dysfunction caused by keratoconus. Of the 22 aviators examined, 15 required hard contact lenses for optimal correction of vision. No aircraft accidents or incidents, attributable to visual factors, were documented. We concluded that the majority of aviators with keratoconus are able to continue their flying careers safely with the aid of spectacles or contact lenses.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The history of aviation medicine in Argentina.

Ascents in balloons were first performed in Buenos Aires in 1855, and this activity was later regulated through the "Argentine Air Club," founded in 1908, whose Vice President, Jorge Newbery, subsequently became officially known as the "Founder of Argentine Aeronautics." Airplanes appeared and the first pilots' licenses were granted on June 17, 1910. Medical advice was given for such feats as crossing The Andes Cordillera in a balloon in 1915. Medical requirements for flying activities led to the creation of the Psychophysical Fitness Center in 1922, the first of its kind in Argentina and South America. There, selection and periodical check-ups were performed according to medical standards prepared by Agesilao Milano, M.D., the Founder of Aviation Medicine in Argentina. Sanitary aviation began in 1911, and was formally organized in 1940. The first paper in aviation medicine was published in 1924. Teaching and research in aviation medicine started in 1933, and continued after the creation of the National Institute of Aviation Medicine in 1945, taking as its basic objective the physical fitness qualification for all flying activities. The Institute has been recognized as a University Establishment and rules Argentine national policy in aviation medicine.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1991

Work-related aviation fatalities in Colorado 1982-1987.

On-the-job deaths related to aviation are the seventh leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States. In Colorado, they comprise 37% of all air transport deaths. A review of all occupational aviation-related fatalities in Colorado during 1982-1987 identified 86 deaths. Data sources were death certificates, Workers' Compensation records, and National Transportation Safety Board reports. Of the fatalities, 5 involved commercial air service, 16 were military personnel, and 65 (76%) were associated with general aviation. Non-military occupations included 21 pilots, 5 flight instructors, 4 crop sprayers, and 3 search and rescue workers or firefighters. There were 18 people going to or from work sites. The 15 weather cases, 7 aircraft malfunctions, and 4 power transmission wire strikes were the most significant factors in two-thirds of the crashes of civilian aircraft. Even experienced pilots exercised poor judgement. The prominence of general aviation in work-related aviation fatalities indicates a need for greater attention to the safety of workers whose jobs entail flying.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1978

U.S. fatal general aviation accidents due to cardiovascular incapacitation: 1974-75.

A study was undertaken to determine the relative impact of inflight cardiovascular incapacitation among general aviation pilots with respect to general aviation flight safety. During calendar years 1974-75, the National Transportation Safety Board reports reveal that 13 U.S. general aviation pilots died of cardiovascular incapacitation during flight. The analysis of these accidents will bear on any suggested changes in pilot medical screening procedures for cardiovascular disease, as well as on pilot safety education programs. Of the 13 cases noted above, nine pilots were flying alone. Of the remaining multiple occupant cases, the nonpilot wife of one deceased victim managed to land the aircraft. Eighteen deaths resulted from the inflight incapacitations. The ages of the pilots ranged from 33-68 years, with both a mean and a median of 52. Postmortem examinations revealed extensive coronary disease (atherosclerosis) in 12 cases (no pilot autopsy data is available in the case where the passenger landed the aircraft). Of these 12 cases, five demonstrated recent occlusions. In four more, evidence of old infarcts was revealed by the postmortem examination. It is concluded that these 13 inflight cardiovascular incapacitations, occurring among a total of 1,404 fatal general aviation accidents in the 1974-75 period, constitute such a small proportion (0.93%) of the documented fatal general aviation accidents that extensive additional cardiovascular screening procedures are not justified at present on cost/yield basis.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1992

The pigmentary dispersion disorder in USAF aviators.

The pigmentary dispersion syndrome (PDS) can have serious ocular consequences. Visual changes due to glaucoma and the treatment required can threaten the high level of visual function necessary in military aviation. We reviewed the records of 50 aviators with PDS who were evaluated at the Aeromedical Consultation Service (formerly the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine) over the past 10 years. At last evaluation, 48 were still qualified to fly. Only two aviators were permanently removed from flying duties due to glaucoma. Initial intraocular pressures, cup-to-disc ratios, and refractions were not statistically correlated with progression to glaucoma, but sample sizes were small. At final evaluation, 20 of the 34 aviators with follow-up had glaucoma and required medication. Thirteen eyes underwent laser trabeculoplasty. With appropriate management, the majority of aviators with PDS were able to safely continue their flying careers.

Adult↗