Role of medical factors in 1000 fatal aviation accidents: case note study

Central nervous system disorders contributed to seven accidents; three pilots were thought to have had epileptic fits, one had encephalitis, one a pituitary tumour, one haemorrhage from a cerebellar arteriovenous malformation, and one with a history of migraine radioed a report of visual disturbances and numbness before his crash. The 2.4% rate of alcohol intoxication in private pilots is comparable with that reported elsewhere 4 but is much less than the third of private pilots quoted in the British Medical Association booklet Alcohol and accidents. 5 Interestingly, five pilots were clearly drinking while flying as the remains of spirit bottles were found in the wreckage.