NTSB Chair on FAA Mental Health Policy: ‘It’s Like Back to the 1950s’

Homendy calls for overhaul of certification process, saying the current system creates a stigma for pilots.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, July 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy joins Oshkosh Live.[FLYING/Kaylee Nix]

Key Takeaways:

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy is urging a complete overhaul of the FAA's "outdated" pilot mental health certification process, stating it deters pilots from seeking care due to fear of career repercussions.
Homendy supports the over 40 recommendations from the FAA's 2023 mental health Aviation Rulemaking Committee but criticizes the agency's slow pace of implementation, suggesting Congress may need to intervene.
She also condemns the FAA's "insulting" medical application question regarding lifetime depression or anxiety and notes the lack of mental health resources for general aviation pilots.

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National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy is urging sweeping reforms to the FAA’s approach to pilot mental health, saying the current system is outdated and deters pilots from seeking care.

Speaking during a live interview at EAA AirVenture on FLYING’s Oshkosh Live show, Homendy said the agency’s medical certification process needs a “complete overhaul,” particularly in how it handles mental health issues.