Is your pilot flying tired because of sleep apnea?
FAA clarifies how condition affects pilot medical evaluations
In response to concerns from the aviation medical community, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has sent out draft guidance for Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) to key industry medical representatives to review within 14 days. Untreated OSA has always been and will continue to be a disqualifying medical condition.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) inhibits restorative sleep. It has significant safety implications because it can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment, cardiac dysrthythmias, sudden cardiac death, personality disturbances, and hypertension. OSA is nearly universal in obese people who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 40.