AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2019 - 114

NEWS & NOTES
MEDICALLY SPEAKING

PILOT PROTECTION SERVICES

Deferrals, delays,
and enforcement

Try to be patient-and keep receipts
DEFERRAL IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD TO PILOTS. In aviation-speak, a
deferral means the medical application is forwarded onto the FAA
for further review. The pilot walks out of the aviation medical examiner's office without a medical certificate, and the waiting begins.
Because of a perfect storm of unexpected circumstances,
the approximately 90-day average time for medical certification
processing to be complete has slipped significantly. The FAA is
scrambling to throw resources at the problem including overtime
for certification staff, and "Surge Tuesdays," in which much of the
FAA medical system staff is off the phones and working cases to
get the backlog cleared out. Unfortunately, one of the bottlenecks
in the system is a crucial first step in the review process-that
of scanning all received hard-copy medical records into a digital
format that can be sent to a reviewer's inbox. Until those records
are digitally in the workflow system, the FAA doesn't really know
they are there.
When the FAA sends a letter to an airman requesting "additional information" to determine the pilot's eligibility to hold a
medical certificate, the letter includes a harsh warning that if no
reply is received within 60 days from the date of the letter, the FAA
will either refer the case for legal enforcement action, or deny the
application for failure to provide the requested information. We
are seeing an increased number of cases where a pilot responds to
one of these FAA requests and confirms (for example, by certified
mail) that his or her letter containing the requested information
was delivered to the FAA within the 60-day deadline, but the letter
was not processed by the FAA's scanning section in a timely manner. The letter may sit for days, and in the meantime, the 60-day
deadline expires. Since the FAA does not know the letter has been

BY GARY CRUMP

Pilot Protection Services

received until it is scanned into the system, the FAA concludes
that the pilot failed to respond to the request and refers the case
for legal enforcement action.
For this reason, it is important to have tracking verification
that the information the FAA requested was sent within the
required time frame (certified, return receipt, or overnight delivery). AOPA's Pilot Protection Services attorneys can work with
you and the FAA attorneys who handle cases referred for legal
enforcement action. If you can document that you appropriately
provided the requested information, PPS staff can help you navigate the next steps.
GARY CRUMP is senior director of the AOPA Pilot Information

Center, medical division.

aopa.org/pps

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS
The annual meeting of the members of the Aircraft Owners
and Pilots Association (AOPA) will be held at 9 a.m. on
Wednesday, September 11, 2019, at the headquarters of
AOPA, 411 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland, 21701, located
on the Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), for the purpose
of receiving reports and transacting such other business as
may properly come before the meeting, specifically including the election of trustees. If you are not able to attend,
but would like to appoint your voting proxy, please visit
aopa.org/myaccount or call 800-872-2672.
-Kenneth M. Mead, Secretary

CONTACT AOPA
ADDRESS CHANGE?

Send your new address and AOPA
membership number to AOPA:
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, Maryland 21701-4798
Fax: 301-695-2375
aopa.org
TOLL-FREE PILOT
INFORMATION CENTER

800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
pilotassist@aopa.org

AOPA FOUNDATION

AOPA AIRCRAFT FINANCING

AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

AOPA PERSONAL INSURANCE

AOPA CREDIT CARD PROGRAM

AOPA PILOT PROTECTION SERVICES

800-955-9115
aopafoundation.org
800-638-3101
airsafetyinstitute.org

Top off your airplane and wallet
with the best card for pilots.
877-787-3171
aopa.org/creditcard

800-627-5263
aopafinance.com

800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
aopa.org/membership/personal
800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
aopa.org/pps
AOPA RENTAL CAR PROGRAM

aopa.org/cars

AOPA PILOT INFORMATION CENTER HOURS

Do you have questions or need information about an aviation topic? Access the team of aviation experts in our Pilot Information Center
during our convenient weekday hours. Call 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Eastern time, with
your questions and our staff will be happy to assist you.
Visit the website (aopa.org/premierplus) to learn about upgrading to our AOPA Premier Plus membership.
114 | AOPA PILOT August 2019

http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopa.org/myaccount http://www.aopafoundation.org http://www.aopafinance.com http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org http://www.aopa.org/membership/personal http://www.aopa.org http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopa.org/creditcard http://www.aopa.org/cars http://www.aopa.org/premierplus

AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2019