According to a Post on the DOT OIG’s website, the Operation Safe Pilot investigation has resulted in an other conviction. The investigation revealed that a student helicopter pilot had failed to disclose on his medical application that he had been diagnosed with certain mental disorders and a substance dependency (both disqualifying medical conditions) and he had been receiving Social Security Disability benefits based upon those conditions for nearly 10 years. The airman was sentenced to 10 hours of community service and 6 months of probation for making a false statement on his 2001 airman medical application.
As you may recall, Operation Safe Pilot cross-referenced social security disability records against airman medical records and discovered that a number of airmen had applied for, or were collecting, social security disability benefits based upon conditions that disqualified the airmen from receiving an airman medical certificate. The investigation has led to charges of making a false statement and/or intentional falsification against a total of 45 airmen to date. Although these 45 airmen were all located in California, it is likely that the investigation has expanded beyond California and you will probably see similar cases in other states in the near future. The saga continues…
