New Delhi: In the wake of the mysterious disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India might make it mandatory for pilots to undergo psychometric (psychological) tests at regular intervals.
A DGCA official told Business Standard, “ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) does not mandate compulsory psychometric tests for cockpit crew. However, we are considering framing some guidelines to check the mental fitness of pilots once every three or five years.”
South Korea and Singapore do continuous assessment of their pilots’ mental health — as individuals, in groups, as well as with the family’s help (once a year) — to determine if there is any cause for concern. DGCA does not mandate a routine check of pilots’ mental fitness or ask for psychometric tests before airlines hire a pilot. The Indian rules are largely in line with those of the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Authority, which do not mandate a regular mental fitness test.
The measure being considered might stir a debate, since some in the aviation industry believe regular psychological tests make little sense. For, there is enough global scientific data to show the mental make-up of a person does not change after he is 18-20 years old.
25/03/14 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard
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A DGCA official told Business Standard, “ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) does not mandate compulsory psychometric tests for cockpit crew. However, we are considering framing some guidelines to check the mental fitness of pilots once every three or five years.”
South Korea and Singapore do continuous assessment of their pilots’ mental health — as individuals, in groups, as well as with the family’s help (once a year) — to determine if there is any cause for concern. DGCA does not mandate a routine check of pilots’ mental fitness or ask for psychometric tests before airlines hire a pilot. The Indian rules are largely in line with those of the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Authority, which do not mandate a regular mental fitness test.
The measure being considered might stir a debate, since some in the aviation industry believe regular psychological tests make little sense. For, there is enough global scientific data to show the mental make-up of a person does not change after he is 18-20 years old.
25/03/14 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard
