Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2007/04/10/E7-6652/modification-of-certain-medical-standards-and-procedures-and-duration-of-certain-medical
Timestamp: 2015-11-26 00:20:04
Document Index: 660404084

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 61', '§ 61', '§ 61', '§ 61', '§ 61', '§ 61', '§ 67', '§ 183', '§ 61', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 61', '§ 61', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', 'art 67', '§ 61', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 61', '§ 67', '§ 183', '§ 183', 'ART 61', '§ 61', '§ 61', '§ 61', '§ 61', 'ART 65', '§ 65', '§ 65', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', '§ 67', 'ART 183', '§ 183', '§ 183', '§ 183']

Federal Register | Modification of Certain Medical Standards and Procedures and Duration of Certain Medical Certificates
Publication Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Dates: Send your comments on or before June 11, 2007.
Comments Close: 06/11/2007
72 FR 18092
-18098 (7 pages)
Document Number: E7-6652
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/E7-6652 Related Topics
Modification of Certain Medical Standards and Procedures and Duration of Certain Medical Certificates 3 actions from April 10th, 2007 to July 2008
Section 61.23Medical Certificates: Requirement and Duration
Section 67.3Issue
Section 67.4Application
Section 67.401Special Issuance of Medical Certificates
Section 67.405Medical Examinations: Who May Give?
Section 67.411Medical Certificates by Flight Surgeons of the Armed Forces
Section 67.413Medical Records
Section 61.29Replacement of a Lost or Destroyed Airman or Medical Certificate or Knowledge Test Report
Section 65.16Change of Name: Replacement of Lost or Destroyed Certificate
Section 183.11Selection
Section 183.15Duration of Certificates
Proprietary or Confidential Business Information Back to Top
Availability of Rulemaking Documents Back to Top
(1) Searching the Department of Transportation's electronic Docket Management System (DMS) Web page (http://dms.dot.gov/search);
(2) Visiting the FAA's Regulations and Policies Web page at http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/; or
(3) Accessing the Government Printing Office's web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
An applicant who is found to meet the appropriate medical standards, based on a medical examination and an evaluation of the applicant's history and condition, is entitled to a medical certificate without restriction or limitation other than the prescribed limitation as to its duration. The duration standards are set forth under existing § 61.23, paragraph (d).
The FAA has not reviewed the medical duration standards since 1996 when it extended the duration of third-class medical certificates from 2 years to 3 years for individuals under age 40. The medical examination duration standards under existing § 61.23 (d) represent what the agency determined years ago to be a reasonable, minimum timetable to impose for required examinations and an optimum schedule in terms of estimated detectable pathology in the airman population. The FAA is proposing to further extend certain § 61.23 (d) provisions in order to provide a more reasonable, updated examination timetable for certain medical certificate holders and with a view to more efficiently managing the airman medical certification program overall.
Discussion of the Proposal Back to Top
The FAA proposes, primarily, to amend § 61.23(d) to extend the duration of first- and third-class medical certificates for individuals under the age of 40. Existing § 61.23 prescribes the duration of validity and privileges of each class of medical certificate. Currently the maximum validity on a first-class medical certificate is 6 months regardless of age and, on a third-class medical certificate, 36 months for individuals under age 40. Decreasing the frequency of medical examinations by increasing the duration of validity from 6 months to 1 year on first-class medical certificates for individuals under age 40 and from 36 months to 60 months on third-class medical certificates for individuals under age 40 would reflect the FAA's assessment of the current, appropriate interval for younger airmen. It also would decrease routine workflow thereby allowing the FAA to focus on the most safety-critical certification cases and provide more efficient service to other applicants waiting to be processed.
The FAA finds that, because medical standards were last evaluated in 1996, this rulemaking action also provides the opportunity to make certain minor, but necessary, amendatory modifications. In addition to proposed amendments to § 61.23 (d), the FAA also proposes to:
Add new section § 67.4.
Amend § 183.15.
Edit §§ 61.29, 65.16, 67.3, 67.401, 67.405, 67.411, 67.413, and 183.11.
Proposed Amendments Back to Top
FAA certification trends consistently indicate no significant increase either in undetected pathology between required medical examinations or in medical disability among younger applicants. While applicants of any age manifesting medical conditions that represent a risk to safety are denied certification under § 67.409, the trends reveal that the percentage of younger applicants being denied medical certification is consistently lower than that of older applicants. It is also consistently evident that older applicants are more likely to have to apply for special issuance under § 67.401 than are younger applicants.
Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) accident database queries on airline transport and private pilots under age 40 reveal relatively few accidents and incidents, when total number of enplanements is considered, related to pilot medical events. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Accident and Incident Data System was searched for medical events for pilots under age 40 from 1983 to the present. Under the general categories of incapacitation and physical impairment, various sub-queries were performed to find accidents or incidents due, for example, to incapacitation or physical impairment due to cardiovascular, loss of consciousness, neurologic, visual, or other organic problems. Search of these categories revealed 6 incidents and 21 accidents over the 23-year period that met the criteria of the database query, with only 9 of these deemed appropriate to consider for this analysis.
The FAA intends that the proposed, extended validity periods would be effective upon issuance of the final rule. Therefore, it would not matter whether an individual had a medical examination the day before or the day after the effective date of the final rule. Validity standards are applied according to the date of examination placed on the medical certificate and in accordance with the duration periods specified under § 61.23(d).
Under this proposal, § 61.23(d) would be simplified into a more user-friendly chart format.
The FAA proposes an editorial amendment to delete a reference to a non-existent § 67.5. On October 5, 1998 [63 FR 53532] the FAA removed several regulatory provisions under 14 CFR that restricted the licensing of foreign persons outside of the United States. The restrictive language was originally placed in the regulations because of administrative concerns that are no longer applicable and that came to be regarded as restricting harmonization efforts. Section 67.5 was removed in this 1998 final rule; however, the FAA inadvertently did not remove the reference to former § 67.5 in existing § 67.3. This proposal would remove that erroneous reference and leave § 67.3 otherwise unchanged.
The FAA proposes to add a new section, § 67.4.
Proposed paragraph (a) would add a provision to require individuals to make application for FAA medical certification “on a form and in a manner acceptable to the Administrator.” Adding this language would clarify that it is necessary to fill out a form to apply for a medical certificate and thereby conform part 67 with existing language under § 61.13(a) that requires pilot certificate applicants to make application “on a form and in a manner acceptable to the Administrator.”
Proposed paragraph (b) would move existing provisions regarding how individuals may locate an AME from existing § 67.405.
Current paragraphs (a) and (b) regarding how the public may locate and contact an AME are redundant and need to be expanded. The FAA would update and move these provisions to proposed § 67.4. In addition, the FAA would change the words “give the examination” to “perform the examination.” The word “give” in the title of this section also would be changed to “perform.”
The FAA proposes to simplify § 67.413 by re-formatting its provisions into more user-friendly paragraphs. This intent of this section would not change.
The FAA proposes to change the P.O. Box address listed under §§ 61.29(b) and 65.16(b) from P.O. Box 25082 to P.O. Box 26200 for individuals to use when requesting replacement of a lost or destroyed medical certificate. While the current P.O. Box is valid, replacement requests are received more expeditiously, and therefore processed more efficiently, when sent to P.O. Box 26200.
The FAA proposes to change “his authorized representatives” to “his or her authorized representatives” in order to conform to the existing language of other sections, for example, § 67.407(d), that use “his or her.” This section otherwise would remain unchanged.
The FAA proposes to amend § 183.15. Under rulemaking that became effective on November 14, 2005 [“Establishment of Organization Designation Authorization Program; 70 FR 59932; October 13, 2005”], the FAA amended § 183.15 to remove a specific time limit on designated authority for certain representatives of the Administrator and provide instead that designations be effective until the expiration date shown on whatever credentialing documentation or certificate is held by a particular designee. Adding such a provision has worked well among the designees of the FAA Flight Standards and Aircraft Certification Services. In addition to reducing cost and workload, it has allowed greater flexibility, in particular, in automatically extending the designation authority of valued FAA designees. Including AMEs under this process will further enhance the FAA's ability to more efficiently manage FAA designee programs.
International Compatibility Back to Top
Economic Assessment, Initial Regulatory Flexibility Determination, Trade Impact Assessment, and Unfunded Mandates Assessment Back to Top
Changes to Federal regulations must undergo several economic analyses. First, Executive Order 12866 directs that each Federal agency shall propose or adopt a regulation only upon a reasoned determination that the benefits of the intended regulation justify its costs. Second, the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (96) requires agencies to analyze the economic impact of regulatory changes on small entities. Third, the Trade Agreements Act (96) prohibits agencies from setting standards that create unnecessary obstacles to the foreign commerce of the United States. In developing U.S. standards, this Trade Act requires agencies to consider international standards and, where appropriate, that they be the basis of U.S. standards. Fourth, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4) requires agencies to prepare a written assessment of the costs, benefits, and other effects of proposed or final rules that include a Federal mandate likely to result in the expenditure by State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more annually (adjusted for inflation with base year of 1995). This portion of the preamble summarizes the FAA's analysis of the economic impacts of this proposed rule. We suggest readers seeking greater detail read the full regulatory evaluation, a copy of which we have placed in the docket for this rulemaking.
Regulatory Flexibility Determination Back to Top
The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (96) (RFA) establishes “as a principle of regulatory issuance that agencies shall endeavor, consistent with the objectives of the rule and of applicable statutes, to fit regulatory and informational requirements to the scale of the businesses, organizations, and governmental jurisdictions subject to regulation. To achieve this principle, agencies are required to solicit and consider flexible regulatory proposals and to explain the rationale for their actions to assure that such proposals are given serious consideration.” The RFA covers a wide range of small entities, including small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.
International Trade Impact Assessment Back to Top
The Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (96) prohibits Federal agencies from establishing any standards or engaging in related activities that create unnecessary obstacles to the foreign commerce of the United States. Legitimate domestic objectives, such as safety, are not considered unnecessary obstacles. The statute also requires consideration of international standards and, where appropriate, that they be the basis for U.S. standards. The FAA has assessed the potential effect of this proposed rule and has determined that it would have only a domestic impact and therefore no effect on international trade.
Unfunded Mandates Assessment Back to Top
Executive Order 13132, Federalism Back to Top
Plain English Back to Top
Environmental Analysis Back to Top
Regulations that Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use Back to Top
PART 61—CERTIFICATION: PILOTS, FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS, AND GROUND INSTRUCTORS Back to Top
2. Amend § 61.23 by revising paragraph (d) as follows:
§ 61.23 Medical certificates: Requirement and duration.
Conducting an operation requiring
Then your medical certificate is valid from the date of the examination, through the rest of that month, and for
(1) A first-class medical certificate
(i) Under age 40
an airline transport pilot certificate
12 more calendar months.
(ii) Age 40 or older
6 more calendar months.
(iii) Of any age
a commercial pilot certificate or an air traffic control tower operator certificate
(iv) Under age 40
a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), or a student pilot certificate
60 more calendar months.
(v) Age 40 or older
24 more calendar months.
(2) A second-class medical certificate
(i) Of any age
(ii) Under age 40
(iii) Age 40 or older
(3) A third-class medical certificate
3. Amend § 61.29 by revising paragraph (b) to read as follows:
§ 61.29 Replacement of a lost or destroyed airman or medical certificate or knowledge test report.
PART 65—CERTIFICATION: AIRMEN OTHER THAN FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS Back to Top
5. Amend § 65.16 by revising paragraph (b) introductory text to read as follows:
§ 65.16 Change of name: Replacement of lost or destroyed certificate.
7. Revise § 67.3 to read as follows:
§ 67.3 Issue.
8. Add § 67.4 to read as follows:
§ 67.4 Application.
(c) Show proof of age and identity by presenting a government-issued photo identification (such as a current and valid U.S. driver's license, identification card issued by a driver's license authority, military identification, or passport). If an applicant does not have government-issued identification, he or she may use non-photo, government-issued identification (such as a birth certificate or voter registration card) in conjunction with a photo identification (such as a work identification card or a student identification card.)
9. Amend § 67.401 by removing paragraph (j).
10. Revise § 67.405 to read as follows:
§ 67.405 Medical examinations: Who may perform?
11. Remove and reserve § 67.411.
12. Revise § 67.413 to read as follows:
§ 67.413 Medical records.
PART 183—REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR Back to Top
14. Amend § 183.11 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows:
§ 183.11 Selection.
15. Revise § 183.15 to read as follows: