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Jennifer Homendy is urging sweeping reforms to the FAA’s approach to pilot mental health, saying the current system is outdated and deters pilots from seeking care.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.
“Mental healthcare is healthcare,” Homendy said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s mental health or if it’s physical health. But the way the FAA operates, it’s like back to the 1950s.”
Homendy expressed concern that the fear of career repercussions may lead pilots to avoid disclosing mental health issues.
“What we don’t want is a situation where a pilot feels like they have to lie to fly,” she said.
NTSB Supports Certification Reform
The FAA formed a mental health Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) in 2023, which issued more than 40 recommendations for improving how the agency handles pilot mental health. Homendy said the NTSB supports those recommendations but warned against inaction.
“What I don’t want to see is another report out there and then shelved,” she said. “They need to take action.”
When asked if the FAA is moving quickly enough on reforms, she replied, “No, they are not.” She added that she believes Congress will need to intervene to drive meaningful change.
“I think Congress does need to take action,” she said, pointing to Representative Sam Graves (R-Mo.), a pilot and chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as someone who has championed medical reform in the past.
Stigma Remains a Barrier
Homendy also criticized the FAA’s long-standing practice of asking applicants whether they’ve ever experienced depression or anxiety on medical forms.
“I really find the one question on the application for medical just insult[ing],” she said. “It’s unbelievable that you even ask, ‘At any time in your life, have you ever experienced depression or anxiety?’ Which one of us could say no to that?”
While some major airlines offer peer support programs for pilots, Homendy noted that general aviation pilots often lack access to such resources.
“Sometimes you need professional help, and those peer programs are not really available for GA pilots,” she said.
Despite slow progress, Homendy said the U.S. has an opportunity to lead the way on aviation mental health.
“The United States is a leader on safety,” she said. “There’s no reason we can’t be a leader here, and we should.”
