Pilots of Indian air carriers may now be subjected to mid-term psychometric tests to ensure that they are mentally fit to fly, following the deliberate crashing of German airliner by the co-pilot last week.
Nine commercial airlines in India employ well over 3,000 pilots who are subjected to such tests at the point of induction but there are no subsequent appraisals of their mental state. They, however, undergo physical fitness tests every six months.
The government is mulling “mid-term” psychometric tests in the backdrop of the action of Andreas Lubitz, co-pilot of a Germanwings flight last week who crashed the Airbus A320 plane into the French Alps killing himself and 149 others.
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Reports thereafter have said that 27-year-old Lubitz was suffering from depression but had hidden this from the airline which is a subsidiary of Lufthansa.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma told PTI here on Monday that psychometric tests should be carried out on pilots in India from time to time.
“It’s an important issue. I think this is a must. We should carry out such [psychometric] tests from time to time. We are going to discuss the issue soon,” Mr. Sharma said.
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The Ministry would hold consultations with the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation soon to facilitate the preparation of fresh rules keeping in mind the crash of the German airliner, he said.
At present, pilots undergo six-monthly regular medical check-ups which includes complete eye examination, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), ECG, audiometry, lipid profile. Besides this, the pilots have to undergo complete body check-up every two years which includes ultrasound of all vital organs including kidney and liver and Treadmill test.
National carrier Air India has made it mandatory for all its pilots to undergo a psychometric tests at the time of induction whereas it was made mandatory for cabin crew after the Mangalore crash in May 2010.
The Germanwings crash also triggered calls within India for evaluation of mental faculties of pilots of carriers in the country.
Dr Rama Manna, senior Counsellor at Kolkata-based Indian Institute of Psychometry (IIP), said psychometry tests should be made mandatory as it helps in ascertaining “concentration level of a candidate, reaction to any situation and sense of responsibility“.
She also favoured having a repeat of such tests if a person especially pilot or cabin crew in going for mental stress or has had a tragedy on personal front.
ICPA office bearer Amit Tyagi said there was no policy from the DGCA on carrying out a psychometric test on pilots and “we will take up the matter in the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the pilot body.”