US airline pilots undergo rigorous psychological exams to make sure they are of sound mind before they can get their wings — but once they start flying, they’re on the honor system when it comes to reporting mental issues.
The tests include time-honored tools such as the Rorschach test and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 — a true/false exam that is considered the gold standard of psychological evaluations.
There are also role-playing exercises to determine how the candidates perform under pressure and cooperate with others.
But the FAA does not mandate further psych tests unless a pilot comes forward and admits a problem or a doctor orders tests during mandatory annual medical exams.
“There is psychological work done in the hiring process. But once they’re hired by the carrier, the only requirement is that they have an annual physical,” Doug Laird, president of Laird & Associates, a Nevada-based aviation consulting firm, told The Post on Thursday.
“Flight surgeons,” Laird said, are trained to spot potential psychological issues during the required annual physicals and ask pilots probing questions to try to determine their mental state.
“But if the pilot says nothing and comes across as perfectly fine, or is adept at hiding his or her problems, there would be no [psychological] testing required,” said Laird, former chief of security for Northwest Airlines.
Beyond testing during training, pilots and other crew members are required to report any possible issues to their superiors, according to a source with the Air Line Pilots Association.
Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who authorities said purposely crashed a jet in the Alps Tuesday, suffered from depression, neighbors said — but was still able to pass Lufthansa’s psych tests.