Contact Lens Use in the Civil Airman Population
Abstract
Since 1976, the use of contact lenses by civilian pilots has been permitted to correct distant vision for obtaining a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aeromedical certificate. Although contact lens technology has advanced dramatically in recent years, the aviation environment may still have adverse effects on contact lens performance in some flight situations. This study examined the civil airman population's experience with contact lens use for a 30-year period (1967-97). The information will help guide future medical certification decisions, policy revisions, and education safety programs for aeromedical and flight crew personnel. The FAA's Aerospace Medical Certification Division provided population totals for 1 January 1967 through 31 December 1997 of airmen who carried a pathology code for contact lens use (code 161) or orthokeratology (code 158). These data were stratified by class of medical certificate and age. Prevalence rates were calculated using the population frequencies from the annual Aeromedical Certification Statistical Handbook (AC 8500-1). A search of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA databases was performed to determine if contact lens use had contributed to any aviation mishaps (accidents or incidents). RESULTS: The prevalence of contact lens use grew faster for first-class medical certificate holders (1.6/1,000 to 32.3/1,000 airmen) and airmen > 40 years of age (3.711,000 to 34.2/1,000 airmen) during the study period. The frequency of airmen with orthokeratology increased by 23 times in a 10 years period. Reports from five aviation accidents and one incident suggested that contact lens use was a contributing factor in the mishap. Professional pilots and older airmen are more inclined to use contact lenses to satisfy the aeromedical vision standards. Contact lenses can be a liability in some flight situations but have performed well for the majority of aviators.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA404962
Entities
People
- Kathryn J. Wood
- Ron W. Montgomery
- Van B. Nakagawara
Organizations
- Federal Aviation Administration