According to a Summary Report issued by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, a CFI in Pennsylvania was recently sentenced in U.S. District Court to 6-months home confinement, followed by 30-months of probation, and $2,600 in fines, for intentionally falsifying his application for a medical certificate. He is also prohibited from applying for a pilot certificate for a period of three years.
According to the report, the CFI admitted that he intentionally failed to disclose his diagnosed substance abuse and mental disorder on his medical application because he was afraid the FAA would revoke his commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates. Unfortunately, the CFI was mistaken. A disclosed diagnosis of substance abuse and mental disorder would have had no effect on his commercial pilot or his flight instructor certificates. The disclosure would, however, have resulted in denial of an application for medical certificate, although it may still have been possible to obtain a special issuance medical certificate if the airman met the FAA’s requirements.
This case is yet another good example of the severe consequences an airman could face for falsifying a medical application. Sadly, and also ironically, by failing to disclose his disqualifying condition, not only has the CFI lost his medical certificate, but I am certain his other airman certificates were also revoked. If the CFI had talked to an aviation attorney before applying for the medical certificate, he would likely still have his commercial and CFI certificates.
