India seeks to improve mental health check-ups for pilots
The deliberate crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 which killed 150 passengers and crew on board has prompted the Indian government to review its system for assessing pilots’ mental health.
Last week, Indian authorities also received another wake-up call that highlights the need to change the assessment system, when two pilots from state-owned Air India were grounded for allegedly getting into a fight in the cockpit.
“I am sure that Air India will look into the matter because whenever such incidents come to light, it takes action and immediately investigates it,” said Nalin Kohli, spokesperson for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The incident followed the crash of Lufthansa-owned Germanwings in March – a deliberate act by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, according to French prosecutors.
Investigators said Lubitz locked his captain out of the cockpit before steering the plane into the French Alps, killing everyone on board.
Currently, pilots in India are only assessed for mental health through a psychometric test at the time of joining an airline.
Eager to change the assessment procedure, the Indian government has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) – the country’s aviation regulator – to ensure regular mental ability check-ups of commercial pilots, along with physical fitness tests currently conducted twice a year.
“The pilots need to go in time,” said Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Indian Civil Aviation Minister. “They need to go through this alcohol test, if there is any method in which psychometric substances can be detected.”
“Let the DGCA come up with a new regulation which will be meaningful,” he added.
Aviation experts, however, feel such tests would be time-consuming and nearly impossible to ascertain the mental condition of a pilot.
“There are limitations to any mental health assessment because the testing procedure is never foolproof,” said Harsh Vardhan, Chairman of Starair Consulting. “The second thing is human behaviour is very unpredictable. A person who is of normal health can suddenly develop peculiarities in behaviour,” he added.
Still, analysts said the Indian government’s response shows a step has been taken in the right direction although the review of assessment procedures would require a significant study and resources to execute.
