Washington — A National Transportation Safety Board study of fatal incidents among civil aviation pilots – many of whom were certified to fly commercial aircraft – found that, over a recent-five year period, nearly 3 out of 10 tested positive for a potentially impairing drug.
For a recent report, NTSB examined fatal civil aviation incidents in the United States from 2018 to 2022. The incidents involved 930 pilots, including 440 commercial or airline transport pilots.
Findings show that potentially impairing drugs – including illicit drugs as well as prescription and over-the-counter drugs “that could diminish a pilot’s cognitive or psychomotor performance” – were detected in 28.6% of the cases. That’s up from 28% in a 2020 board report analyzing data from 2013 to 2017.
NTSB also studied illicit drugs, controlled substances and drugs used to treat impairing conditions. Illicit drug detection climbed to 7.4% from 5%, which the board attributed to increases in delta-9 THC – a psychoactive compound that gives marijuana users a high.
Overall, 52.8% of the pilots tested positive for at least one drug of any type, while 27.7% tested positive for two or more drugs.
Additionally, the report states that drug prevalence was lower among pilots with airline transport and commercial pilot certificates, as well as those involved in Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 operations.
NTSB reinforced that the presence of drugs doesn’t necessarily mean a pilot was impaired.
“Importantly, pilots should not infer that they may safely or legally use a drug based on” report classification, the board says. The agency adds that even drugs not classified under types identified in the report “may have impairing effects, may be used to treat impairing conditions or may carry restrictions on use by pilots under FAA policy.”
NTSB says that it’s issued more than 50 safety recommendations related to drug and alcohol use in aviation since 1974.
