TY - JOUR PY - 2021// TI - Certification of a pilot with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease JO - Aerospace medicine and human performance A1 - Jagathesan, Tania A1 - OBrien, Michael A1 - Rattray, Alexander SP - 124 EP - 126 VL - 92 IS - 2 N2 - BACKGROUND: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a rare hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. This is a report of a pilot with this condition with a discussion of the challenges for the regulator in the assessment for medical certification of pilots with a neurological disability.CASE REPORT: A pilot with CMTX1 declared his condition to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority when his brother was diagnosed with the same condition. Apart from high arched feet and some difficulty playing sports, he had no problems until his mid-forties, when he very slowly developed increasing weakness with foot dorsiflexion and later wasting and weakness of the small hand muscles. He reported no problems with any flying activity. On clinical examination, it seemed likely that the disability would have an impact on his ability to undertake all the flying tasks of a commercial pilot, including those required in emergencies.

DISCUSSION: A modified Medical Flight Test (MFT) specifically tailored by the regulator to test areas of functional impairment allowed the successful certificatory assessment of a pilot with this condition; an approach which could apply to any pilot with a rare neurological disability.Jagathesan T, OBrien M, Rattray A. Certification of a pilot with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(2):124126.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2375-6314 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3357/AMHP.5711.2021 ID - ref1 ER -