Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your FAA questions.
To report a voluntary disclosure issue of noncompliance under the federal drug and alcohol testing regulations outlined in 14 CFR part 120 and 49 CFR part 40, an employer or contractor should follow the FAA’s Advisory Circular, AC 120-117, Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program for Apparent Violations of the Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulations, dated December 20, 2017. Notification of noncompliance issues reported must be made in a timely basis and without delay.
The voluntary disclosure report should be sent directly to the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division at drugabatement@faa.gov and include the written initial notification and information outlined in Appendix A of AC 120-117.
Please note that a management official and program manager (either the Designated Employer Representative (DER) or Alcohol and Drug Program Manager) must sign all program-related disclosure reports.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations
The FAA drug and alcohol testing regulation (14 CFR part 120) does not apply when an individual self-discloses a substance abuse problem to his or her employer before a violation of the regulations has occurred. As a result of such a disclosure, there are no specific tests or processes required under the regulation. Any testing or action that may occur as a result must be done under a company's authority and policy independent of the regulation.
If, however, an employee self-reports a substance abuse problem after being notified of an FAA-mandated test, the employee must be tested. Failure to do so will result in a refusal, which has serious consequences.
Please be aware that if this individual holds a part 67 medical certificate issued by the FAA, there are further requirements for the airman to return to duty. Under this circumstance, the airman must contact his or her local Regional Flight Surgeon for further information.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
If you are not able to verify the previous employer is DOT-regulated or conducts Federal drug and alcohol testing, you should talk to the employee or applicant to find out more information or search the internet to learn more about the former employer’s business or contact information. If you exhaust your search and you still cannot find information about the company, you may reach out to the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division for help. When you do, please provide a copy of the written release and any other documentation (e.g., the applicant’s resume or any communications with the former employer). You may submit your documentation via email to FAA's Drug Abatement Division at drugabatement@faa.gov or fax to 202-267-5200.
According to 49 CFR § 40.25(h), the employer from whom information is requested must transmit the information immediately. If you have confirmed receipt from the previous employer and they are refusing to provide information, you must document your good faith efforts. We strongly encourage you to report the non-response to the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division and provide a copy of the written release and documentation of your efforts. You must maintain the documents for three years from the date the employee first performs safety-sensitive duties for you.
More guidance on the drug and alcohol records check is available in the FAA’s Advisory Circular (AC 120-126) and the DOT’s pamphlet titled "What Employers Need to Know About DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing".
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at 202-267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulation:
A test conducted by law enforcement is not regulated under 14 CFR Part 120; however, it may demonstrate a violation by the pilot of 14 CFR § 91.17. Under § 91.17, a flight crewmember is strictly prohibited from operating or attempting to operate an aircraft while having a breath alcohol concentration 0.04 or above, or while under the influence of alcohol. Although non-DOT tests like this are not required to be reported to the Federal Air Surgeon, we encourage you to report it to the Drug Abatement Division. We provide a sample form on our 'Suggested Forms & Formats' web page.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at 202-267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulation:
Yes. If you hire any individual, either directly or by contract (including subcontract at any tier), to perform safety-sensitive functions, you must first conduct a pre-employment drug test and obtain a negative result in accordance with 14 CFR § 120.109(a)(1). You are responsible for meeting all the requirements for testing under 14 CFR part 120, subpart E and F.
If you use a contract employee who is not included under your FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing program, you must ensure the employee is included under the contractor’s FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing program and performing safety-sensitive functions on behalf of the contractor (i.e., within the scope of employment). The best way to verify a valid federal testing program is to request and obtain a copy of the contractor’s active program registration or Operations Specification paragraph (A449 or A049). If you rely on a copy of the contractor’s contract with a consortium or own statement, you may unknowingly fail to meet the requirement to ensure the contract employee is covered.
Employers and contractors that conduct their own FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing must meet all the testing requirements. As prescribed by the regulations, the release of any drug or alcohol testing information or results to a third party is prohibited under 14 CFR §§ 120.111(c) and 120.219(c), and 49 CFR § 40.321.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
14 CFR § 120.7
14 CFR § 120.105
14 CFR § 120.109(a)
14 CFR § 120.111(c)
14 CFR § 120.117
14 CFR § 120.215
14 CFR § 120.219(c)
14 CFR § 120.225
49 CFR § 40.321
To facilitate your inspection, it is important that your Designated Employer Representative (DER) is able to describe and discuss your company’s testing program and provide the documentation requested by the FAA’s inspector. The FAA’s drug and alcohol testing program inspection process and authority is described in Drug and Alcohol Inspector Handbook Order 9120.1. We encourage you to review the Order prior to your inspection to understand how the process works and contact the inspector assigned to your company if you have any questions. To start the process of an announced inspection, the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division will send you a Letter of Notification, Point of Contact (POC) form, and a list of documents to make available for inspection. Our inspection guide, available in Order 9120.1 and on our Sample Forms and Policies web page, will describe the questions we ask and records for review. To facilitate our inspection, we request that you return the POC form with your contact information and the information about your service agents (e.g., Medical Review Officer, collection personnel, Substance Abuse Professional, and Consortium/Third Party Administrator). If our inspection will include a review or visit with your service agent, the inspection lead will let you know. We appreciate your assistance in facilitating our visit(s).
In accordance with 49 CFR § 40.331, you must release all written, printed, and computer-based records and reports, files, materials, data, documents/documentation, agreements, contracts, policies, and statements related to your drug and alcohol program. During our inspection, our inspector may also need to review some of the following types of records:
- Employment records (e.g., records of hire, transfer or termination, and applications or resumes)
- Documentation of your safety-sensitive positions (e.g., position descriptions)
- Documentation of an employee’s performance of a safety-sensitive function (e.g., flight logs, duty records, timesheets, work orders, invoices, receipts and other maintenance records)
At the conclusion of our inspection, we will conduct an outbriefing and advise you of the result of our inspection. If you have no issues, we will conclude our inspection. If we discover any deviations from the regulation, we will send you a Report of Inspection (ROI). The ROI will give you an opportunity to provide a detailed description of your corrective actions to return to full compliance and avoid recurrence, as well as providing documentation of the actions you took. Although your timely and sufficient response is not required, it is critical to demonstrating your willingness and ability to comply under our Compliance Program (which is defined in FAA Order 8000.373 and Order 2150.3).
As a best practice, we encourage you to use our inspection guide to conduct your own program audits, including your service agent(s), on an annual or bi-annual basis to ensure continued compliance with the FAA and DOT regulations (14 CFR part 120 and 49 CFR part 40). If you find discrepancies in your program, consider submitting a voluntary disclosure report in accordance with Advisory Circular 120-117.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
The ‘A2’ designation on an Operations Specifications paragraph (A449) for a repair station is used when the safety-sensitive employees are part of a combined contractor registration. If the repair station’s A449 paragraph has an ‘A2’ notation, you should request a copy of the program registration that lists the repair station’s certificate number.
The ‘A3’ designation on a repair station’s A449 is used when the safety-sensitive employees are part of a combined program with an air carrier or air tour operator (as defined in 14 CFR § 91.147). If the repair station’s A449 paragraph has an ‘A3’ notation, you should request a copy of the part 121, 135, or 91.147 operator’s A449 paragraph or Letter of Authorization (LOA or A049) from the employer that is responsible for testing and the employee’s safety-sensitive duties.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
Yes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drug and alcohol testing regulation, 14 CFR part 120, requires an air carrier to ensure that any individual who performs safety-sensitive duties (e.g., maintenance or preventive maintenance) directly or by contract, including subcontract at any tier, is subject to testing under its FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing program. It is the air carrier’s and its contractor’s responsibility to ensure that any maintenance contracted out is done by an individual covered by an FAA-mandated Drug and Alcohol Program.
Employers who need more information about the definition of maintenance or preventive maintenance should review our Safety-Sensitive Job Categories Alert or consult directly with their FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector or local Flight Standards District Office. The Flight Standards Service is the expert in clarifying maintenance or preventive maintenance duties. Please visit the FAA's website to find the Flight Standards District Office closest to you.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our Web site to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulation:
If you are an employer, you must ensure that any person hired to perform a safety-sensitive function, directly or by contract (including by subcontract at any tier), is subject to FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing under 14 CFR part 120. You may use a contract employee who is not included under your own testing program if that contract employee is subject to the requirements of the contractor's FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing program and performing a safety-sensitive function on behalf of that contractor (i.e., within the scope of employment with the contractor). You must verify that the contract employee is subject to the contractor’s FAA-mandated testing program on an on-going basis. Although the regulation does not require specific documentation to be kept on file, you are responsible for demonstrating that you have ensured that you used a contract employee who is included under the contractor’s testing program.
The best way to verify a contractor’s federal testing program is to obtain a copy of the contractor’s program documentation, e.g., a copy of their current program registration, Letter of Authorization (A049), or Operations Specification paragraph (A449). If you obtain a copy of the contractor’s program registration, A449, or A049, we consider it sufficient proof that the contractor conducts its own testing, and they are knowledgeable of what work their employee is performing and can remove from service any employee who has a drug or alcohol result that requires removal from safety-sensitive duties. Ultimately, the contractor must ensure safety and individual privacy are correctly balanced should a positive drug test, refusal, or alcohol violation occur. The release of any drug or alcohol testing information or results to a third party is prohibited under 14 CFR §§ 120.111(c) and 120.219(c), and 49 CFR § 40.321.
If you rely on a copy of the contractor’s contract with a consortium or own statement, you may unknowingly fail to meet the requirement to ensure the contract employee is covered under an FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing program.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about the program.
Applicable Regulations:
14 CFR § 120.5
14 CFR § 120.7
14 CFR § 120.105
14 CFR § 120.111(c)
14 CFR § 120.215
14 CFR § 120.219(c)
49 CFR § 40.321
Yes. The Pilot Records Database (PRD) regulation, 14 CFR part 111, requires an air carrier/operator to query a pilot’s records to help make hiring determinations. The PRD does not replace the requirement for you to obtain the drug and alcohol records in accordance with 49 CFR § 40.25. Employers may use FAA’s aviation release of information suggested form to request the drug and alcohol testing information from previous DOT-regulated employers to meet the requirements under 49 CFR § 40.25. Please refer to FAA’s Advisory Circular (AC 120-126) for more information about the drug and alcohol testing requirements.
For questions about accessing or entering data into the PRD, please review 14 CFR part 111 and the FAA’s Advisory Circular (AC 120-68), or contact the FAA’s PRD support office at 9-amc-avs-PRDSupport@faa.gov.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our Web site to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
Yes. The regulations require each employer to ensure that any employee who performs a safety-sensitive function within the territory of the United States, directly or by contract (including by subcontract at any tier) is subject to drug and alcohol testing. This includes full-time, part-time, temporary, and intermittent employees, regardless of the degree of supervision.
As a result, before hiring or transferring an individual to perform a safety-sensitive function (including a mechanic performing maintenance and preventive maintenance duties) wholly or partially within the territory of the United States, each employer must first conduct a pre-employment test and receive a verified negative drug test for that individual. At that point the individual is added to the random pool and subject to all of the requirements of the drug and alcohol testing regulations. Note: "Partially" would mean that the employee works within the territory of the United States to some degree (e.g., one day a month or once a year).
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
There is no simple rule that determines whether pre-employment testing or other program requirements are required when changes occur to the ownership, company name, or structure of the operations. For example, if a new owner acquires a company and there is a break in operations or employment of safety-sensitive personnel, a negative pre-employment drug test may be required in accordance with 14 CFR § 120.109(a)(1). Alternatively, if the new owner maintains operations and the federal drug and alcohol testing program, a new pre-employment drug test would not be required.
If you need guidance, it is important that you contact the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division as soon as possible to ensure the acquisition or new ownership will comply with the federal drug and alcohol testing requirements outlined in 14 CFR part 120. To help FAA understand your situation, it is important that you send a written statement to drugabatement@faa.gov and provide the information in response to the questions below:
- Is there an FAA certificate involved and, if so, will the certificate number change?
- Is the change a result of a merger with another certificated or registered employer that has an existing FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing program?
- Will there be an interruption of operations during the acquisition or change in ownership?
- Will your safety-sensitive employees remain employed and tested without interruption by the same testing program by the new owner and during the change in ownership?
- What will happen to your drug and alcohol testing records under the new owner, and will the location of where you maintain your records change?
- How will the changes affect your random testing pool or relationship with a service agent?
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our Web site to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
Yes. In accordance with 14 CFR § 120.109(a)(1), an employer must conduct a pre-employment drug test and obtain a verified negative result prior to hiring any individual to perform safety-sensitive functions. When you merge with another employer that has an active FAA-mandated drug and alcohol testing program under a single operating certificate, you are hiring the employees and must comply with all requirements under 14 CFR part 120. This includes pre-employment drug testing and providing your new employee and supervisory training, informational materials, and education in accordance with 14 CFR § 120.115 and 120.223. These requirements apply when two employers merge under a single operating certificate or chooses to unify programs with another company it acquires that maintains its own operating certificate.
Please note that the FAA cannot make determinations about requests for relief from 49 CFR part 40. Although an employer is required to request drug and alcohol testing records and maintain confidentiality when hiring a new employee, the DOT has determined when a corporate entity is merging with another employer (which is defined under 49 CFR § 40.3), the employer encompasses a broader group and an exemption from 49 CFR § 40.25(a) is not required.
For companies that merge under a single operating certificate, it is possible for the employer to file a petition for exemption and seek relief from the requirements under 14 CFR part 120 (including the pre-employment drug testing and/or education and training) under the FAA’s exemption procedures outlined in 14 CFR part 11. The FAA has granted relief to employers that merged with other operators under a single operating certificate or program registration. All petitions must comply with 14 CFR part 11 and be submitted 120 days before you need the exemption to take effect. In accordance with 14 CFR § 11.81, a petition for exemption must include the following information, with as much detail as possible:
- Requesting employer’s name and mailing address. We encourage an employer to provide a fax number, telephone number, and/or e-mail address.
- The specific section or sections of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) from which an employer is seeking an exemption.
- The extent of relief and reason the employer seeking relief.
- The reasons why granting the request would be in the public interest; that is, how it would benefit the public as a whole.
- The reasons why granting the exemption would not adversely affect safety, or how the exemption would provide a level of safety at least equal to that provided by the rule.
- A summary FAA can publish in the Federal Register stating:
- The rule from which an employer is seeing the exemption; and
- A brief description of the nature of the exemption; and
- Any additional information, views or arguments available to support the request.
To review exemptions related to pre-employment drug testing, you may visit the FAA’s Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS) and search for ‘120.109’. An employer may submit an exemption request electronically to the FAA on the Docket Management System website at http://www.regulations.gov. Instructions are available on the FAA’s webpage. For more information or assistance with FAA’s exemption procedures, please review the FAA’s Frequently Asked Questions or contact the FAA’s Office of Rulemaking directly at 202-267-9677.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulation(s):
The test is valid. Refer to the Department of Transportation's Notice about CBD for more information.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
You can find information about the different classes of medical certificates and how long they are valid on our website.
The Federal drug and alcohol testing regulations under 49 CFR part 40 and 14 CFR part 120 require you to maintain the following records for the minimum retention periods noted:
- You must retain the following for a minimum of 5 years:
- Alcohol test results of 0.02 or greater.
- Verified positive drug test results.
- Refusal to test determinations, including substituted or adulterated drug test results.
- Records related to other violations of 14 CFR §§ 120.19 or 120.37, including on-duty use, pre-duty use, or use following an accident.
- Records of notification to the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division of refusals to submit to testing by employees or applicants that hold a part 61, 63, 65 airman certificate.
- Records of notification to the FAA’s Federal Air Surgeon of violations by employees or applicants that hold a part 67 airman medical certificates.
- Documentation of employees' disputes of alcohol test results.
- Referrals to the SAP.
- Return-to-duty records, including the SAP referral, evaluation reports, follow-up testing plan, return-to-duty test result, and all follow-up test results.
- Annual Management Information System (MIS) reports submitted to the FAA.
- All historical drug and alcohol records reported to the Pilot Records Database (PRD) under 14 CFR § 111.255 after reporting the records.
- You must retain records of information obtained from previous employers concerning drug and alcohol test results of employees for a minimum of 3 years.
- You must retain the following for a minimum of 2 years:
- Documents generated in connection with decisions to administer reasonable suspicion alcohol tests.
- Documents generated in connection with decisions on post-accident alcohol tests.
- Documents verifying the existence of medical explanations of the inability of a covered employee to provide adequate breath for testing.
- Materials on alcohol misuse awareness, including a copy of your policy.
- Documentation that demonstrates the distribution of required alcohol educational materials.
- Documentation of training provided to employees and supervisors, and the training materials.
- Records of inspection, maintenance, and calibration of evidential breath testing devices.
- Documentation related to the random selection process, including but not limited to:
- Listing of safety-sensitive employees in the random pool prior to each selection;
- The actual random selection list each time selections are made;
- The employer copy of the custody and control forms from the random testing;
- This may or may not include the verified result, which is maintained based on the result.
- You must retain records of negative and cancelled drug test results and alcohol test results of less than 0.02 for a minimum of 1 year.
You are permitted to maintain your drug and alcohol records electronically; however, they must be easily accessible, legible, formatted, and stored in an organized and reviewable manner. If your electronic records do not meet these criteria, you must convert them to printed documentation in a rapid and readily auditable manner at the request of Department of Transportation (DOT) agency personnel. The DOT’s Q&A reiterates that an employer or service agent is obligated to make the records available expeditiously to a DOT representative, regardless of how the records are maintained.
More information about the Federal drug and alcohol record keeping requirements are explained in the DOT’s Employer Record Keeping Requirements Document.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about the program
Applicable Regulations:
14 CFR §120.113(d)(6)
14 CFR §120.219(a)(2)(i) and (ii)
14 CFR 111.255(e)
A virtual inspection is not much different than an onsite inspection (see our related Frequently Asked Question), except that it is conducted using phone or video conferencing (e.g., Zoom or Microsoft Teams) and you would provide your records to the inspection lead prior to the scheduled date and time. This method of inspecting is typically used for small employers that employ approximately 10 or fewer safety-sensitive employees. Like an onsite inspection, you will be notified of your scheduled inspection and provided a list of documents to make available for review. Prior to your virtual inspection, it is important for the Designated Employer Representative (DER) to provide the records via a secure email to the FAA’s Drug and Alcohol Compliance and Enforcement Inspector or through FAA’s secure Huddle web portal. To access the secure web portal, we will send you an invitation via email to join your Huddle Workspace at aam.huddle.com. Please refer to our Huddle user guide for assistance.
Please keep in mind that whether we conduct an onsite or virtual inspection, an employer is obligated under 49 CFR § 40.331 to release all written, printed, and computer-based records and reports, files, materials, data, documents/documentation, agreements, contracts, policies, and statements related to your drug and alcohol program. Cooperation with providing records before and during an inspection is paramount to the process and our ability to verify your compliance with 49 CFR part 40 and 14 CFR part 120.
Unlike an onsite inspection, a virtual inspection may take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days to complete depending on our review of the records and your cooperation.
If you have any further questions about our inspection process, please contact your FAA Inspector or write to the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA’s) drug and alcohol testing regulation (14 CFR part 120) describes when an employer is required to conduct and when an employee must submit to post-accident drug and alcohol testing. Under 14 CFR §§ 120.109(c) and 120.217(b), each employer must test each surviving safety-sensitive employee for the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP), and amphetamines, or a metabolite of those drugs in the employee's system, and for alcohol, if that employee's performance either contributed to the accident or cannot be completely discounted as a contributing factor to the accident.
Testing must occur as soon as practicable following an accident, but there are time limits on when testing must be completed. For post-accident drug testing, an employee must be tested as soon as possible but not later than 32 hours after the accident. For post-accident alcohol testing, the employee must be tested as soon as possible but the time of testing cannot exceed 8 hours from the time of the accident. If a test is not administered within 2 hours following the accident, the employer must prepare and maintain on file a record stating the reasons why the test was not promptly administered. If a test is not administered within 8 hours following the accident, the employer must cease attempts to administer an alcohol test and prepare and maintain the same record.
The decision not to administer a test must be based on the employer’s determination, using the best information available at the time of the determination, that the employee's performance could not have contributed to the accident. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) define an accident under 14 CFR § 120.7(a) and 49 CFR § 830.2 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, AND in which any person suffers death or serious injury or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage.
For an employer that operates an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) under 14 CFR part 135, refer to the NTSB’s definition of an accident as “an occurrence associated with the operation of any public or civil unmanned aircraft system that takes place between the time that the system is activated with the purpose of flight and the time that the system is deactivated at the conclusion of its mission, in which: (1) any person suffers death or serious injury; or (2) the aircraft has a maximum gross takeoff weight of 300 pounds or greater and sustains substantial damage.”
The NTSB defines "serious injury" and "substantial damage" under § 830.2 as follows:
“Serious injury means any injury which: (1) Requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date of the injury was received; (2) results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); (3) causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; (4) involves any internal organ; or (5) involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface.”
“Substantial damage means damage or failure which adversely affects the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft, and which would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component. Engine failure or damage limited to an engine if only one engine fails or is damaged, bent fairings or cowling, dented skin, small punctured holes in the skin or fabric, ground damage to rotor or propeller blades, and damage to landing gear, wheels, tires, flaps, engine accessories, brakes, or wingtips are not considered “substantial damage” for the purpose of this part.”
Monetary damage is not a factor in determining what constitutes an "accident."
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
Please visit our Web site to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
You can find information about age requirements to get your medical certificate on our website.
The following conditions are listed in the regulations as disqualifying medical conditions; however, in many cases when the condition is adequately controlled, the FAA will issue medical certification contingent on periodic reports.
- Angina pectoris
- Bipolar disease
- Cardiac valve replacement
- Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant
- Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medications
- Disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory explanation of cause
- Epilepsy
- Heart replacement
- Myocardial infarction
- Permanent cardiac pacemaker
- Personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts
- Psychosis
- Substance abuse
- Substance dependence
- Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory explanation of cause.
Other conditions not specifically listed in the regulations are also disqualifying. For further information refer to the Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners.
You can find information about disqualifying medical conditions on our website.