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Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-95/11

Title and Subtitle: An Assessment of Aviation Accident Risk for Aphakic Civil Airman by Class of Medical Certificate Held and by Age: 1982-1985, ADA293407

Report Date: March 1995

Authors: Nakagawara, V.B., Montgomery, R.W., and Wood, K. J.

Abstract: In the FY-92/93 Annual Program Guidance and Current Policy Statement, the Federal Air Surgeon requested continued investigation of surgical procedures and ophthalmic devices, such as cataract surgery and artificial lens implants, as to their relevance to medical certification. No previous statistical studies of the aviation accident risk of civil airmen with aphakia and lntraocular lens (IOL) by class of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman medical certificate held have been performed.

We evaluated the accident frequency of aphakic airmen (with or without IOL) by effective class of medical certificate (first-, second-, third-class) and by age ( 50 and > 50 years) versus similarly stratified non-aphakic airman populations for the period 1982-85. Medical records were evaluated for all certified airmen during the study period who were carrying FAA-specific pathology codes for aphakia and/or artificial lens implant. Aviation accident and active airman population frequencies were obtained from FAA databases and used to calculate accident rates. Third-class total aphakia and IOL airmen and third-class aphakia and IOL airmen 50 years of age had significantly higher (p .05) accident rates compared to corresponding non-aphakic airman populations.

Our findings suggest that medical impairment may be an important risk factor for aviation accidents. Aeromedical certification and safety program considerations of the study findings are discussed. This data may be used by the Office of Aerospace Medicine and the Aeromedical Certification Division in future administrative considerations of airmen with aphakia and IOLs and in the reviews of medical standards concerning these eye pathology categories.

Key Words: Vision; Aviation Accidents; Aphakia; Lens, Intraocular; Certification

No. of Pages: 11