Federal Aviation Administration

Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners
Special Issuances

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  • |  Updated: 2:35 pm ET July 20, 2009

AME Assisted - All Classes
Colitis (Ulcerative or Crohn’s Disease)

AME Assisted Special Issuance (AASI) is a process that provides Examiners the ability to re-issue an airman medical certificate under the provisions of an Authorization for Special Issuance of a Medical Certificate (Authorization) to an applicant who has a medical condition that is disqualifying under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(14 CFR) part 67.

An FAA physician provides the initial certification decision and grants the Authorization in accordance with 14 CFR § 67.401. The Authorization letter is accompanied by attachments that specify the information that treating physician(s) must provide for the re-issuance determination. If this is a first time issuance of an Authorization for the above disease/condition, and the applicant has all of the requisite medical information necessary for a determination, the Examiner must defer and submit all of the documentation to the AMCD or RFS for the initial determination.

Examiners may re-issue an airman medical certificate under the provisions of an Authorization, if the applicant provides the following:
  • An Authorization granted by the FAA;
  • A statement regarding the extent of disease;
  • A statement regarding the frequency of exacerbation (the applicant should cease flying with any exacerbation as warned in § 61.53); and
  • The name and dosage of medication(s) used for treatment and/or prevention with comment regarding side effects.
The Examiner must defer to the AMCD or Region if:
  • There is a current exacerbation of the illness;
  • The applicant is taking medications such as Lomotil, steroid doses equivalent to more than 20mg of Prednisone per day, antispasmodics, and anticholinergics; or
  • The pattern of exacerbations are increasing in frequency or severity; or applicant underwent surgical intervention.