Pilots Have Duty to Ground Themselves when Ill or Injured
CFR § 61.53: Prohibition on Operations During Medical Deficiency
Pilots who know they have a medical issue must not fly. Airman have a legal duty to ground themselves when sick.
- Pilots who know (or should know) they have a medical issue must not fly
- Legal duty to self-ground is specified in Title 14 CFR § 61.53
- Does not matter if Airman Medical Certificate has expired or not
§61.53 Prohibition on operations during medical deficiency.
- a. Operations that require a medical certificate. Except as provided for in paragraph (b) of this section, no person who holds a medical certificate issued under part 67 of this chapter may act as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember, while that person:
- Knows or has reason to know of any medical condition that would make the person unable to meet the requirements for the medical certificate necessary for the pilot operation; or
- Is taking medication or receiving other treatment for a medical condition that results in the person being unable to meet the requirements for the medical certificate necessary for the pilot operation.
- b. Operations that do not require a medical certificate. For operations provided for in §61.23(b) of this part, a person shall not act as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember, while that person knows or has reason to know of any medical condition that would make the person unable to operate the aircraft in a safe manner.
- c. Operations requiring a medical certificate or a U.S. driver's license. For operations provided for in §61.23(c), a person must meet the provisions of?
- Paragraph (a) of this section if that person holds a medical certificate issued under part 67 of this chapter and does not hold a U.S. driver's license.
- Paragraph (b) of this section if that person holds a U.S. driver's license.
NOTE: 14 CFR § 61.53 was revised on July 27, 2004 by adding subparagraph (c)
In summary, this is common sense. 14 CFR § 61.53 mandates a pilot's "duty to self-ground," meaning you must not fly if you know or have reason to believe a medical condition or medication prevents you from meeting the requirements for your medical certificate or safely operating the aircraft, even for operations not requiring a medical certificate. "Know or Have Reason to Know" clause places a proactive responsibility on the pilot to be aware of their health status and its impact on flying. This rule applies to all required crew, requires pilots to use good judgment, and means grounding yourself when your health compromises safety or certificate standards, reporting conditions to the FAA as required.
Doc. No. 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997, as amended by Amdt. 61-110, 69 FR 44866, July 27, 2004, web verified 27 Dec 2025
Dec 27, 2025 16:48:15