title: Drugs and alcohol found in civil aviation accident pilot fatalities from 2004-2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine sets medical standards needed to protect the public and pilots from death or injury due to incapacitation of the pilot. As a part of this process, toxicology testing is performed by the FAA on almost every pilot who is fatally injured in an aviation accident to determine the medical condition of the pilot, medications used by the pilot at the time of the accident, and the extent of impairment, if any.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were extracted from the FAA toxicology database for all pilots who died from 2004 to 2008 in aviation accidents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The laboratory received and tested specimens from 1353 pilots who died in aviation accidents between 2004 and 2008; 507 of these pilots were found to be taking drugs and 92 had ethanol in excess of 0.04 g x dl(-1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was conducted to determine the extent of drug use in pilots who have died in aviation accidents from 2004 to 2008 and to determine the types of drugs most commonly found. A comparison of previously published reports with this study's report was made to determine trends in drug use by pilots who have died in aviation accidents over the past 20 yr. Factors were discussed that could influence drug trends. Diphenhydramine, an H1 antihistamine with impairing properties, is the most commonly found drug in pilots who died in an aviation accident.
authors.affiliation: Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. dennis.canfield@faa.gov
authors.forename: Dennis V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Canfield
authors.forename: Kurt M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Dubowski
authors.forename: Arvind K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Whinnery
mesh_terms: D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004155:Diphenhydramine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D016272:Occupational Health; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D011363:Professional Impairment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014116:Toxicology; D014481:United States; D037041:United States Government Agencies
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D004155:Diphenhydramine