3. Understand
the three possible outcomes of an FAA medical examination
First, the expected outcome for a physical examination is that the
medical certificate will be ISSUED. In this circumstance, the pilot
completes the FAA Form 8500-8, Application For Medical
Certification, at the time of the physical examination and assuming he or she meets
all of the standards, walks out of the AME's office with a new medical certificate in
hand. The overwhelming majority of physical exams have this result.
A second result is a DENIAL of the medical
certificate. If pilot's clearly do not meet FAA medical standards, particularly if they
have conditions that are specifically grounding in Part 67 of the FARs or the Guide to
Aviation Medical Examiners, the aviation medical examiner may issue a denial letter to the
pilot revoking the pilot's current medical privileges. That information is forwarded to
the FAA Aeromedical Certification Division which will then issue a formal denial letter and request return of the current Airman's Medical Certificate. Denials are not
necessarily permanent. If the pilot can present information that the disqualifying medical
condition has resolved or is being treated in an aeromedically safe manner, the FAA may
reinstate the airman's medical certificate.
The third possible outcome is an intermediate decision termed a DEFERRAL.
In this situation, the AME notes a medical condition that is questionable with regards to
eligibility for medical certification. The pilot takes the physical examination, but
rather than issue the medical certificate or give the pilot a denial letter, the AME
defers the application and medical certificate to the Regional Flight Surgeon or the
Aeromedical Certification Division in Oklahoma City. With the AME's permission, the pilot
may continue to fly on their current medical certificate until it lapses.
Unfortunately, deferrals often take 2 or more months to obtain a
response from the FAA. The FAA response letters frequently request the pilot provide
additional medical information to support the application. A 30 day suspense from
the date of the FAA letter on this reporting requirement is common. If no
information is received at the end of the period, the FAA may deny the airman's medical
certificate. Assuming there is not a grounding condition, the pilot is not eligible
to use the older medical certificate after it expires. Instead, the pilot must await the
arrival of the previously deferred certificate to be returned from the FAA office to
which the AME forwarded it. If additional information is required by the FAA, this
process may take several months. Submission of complete information to the FAA is
CRITICAL to timely certification decisions.
Savvy pilots can see the advantage in this situation of having the
AME call the FAA Regional office or AMCD to get an answer immediately rather than using
the mail to handle a deferred medical application. Also see "Documentation." |
