>>> THOUSANDS OF U.S.

AIRLINE PILOTS MAY BE UNFIT TO FLY.

NEARLY 4800 PILOTS INCLUDING SOME 600 LICENSED TO FLY PASSENGER AIRLINERS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION AUTHORITY FOR POTENTIALLY CONCEALING HEALTH ISSUES THAT COULD HAVE GROUNDED THEM ACCORDING TO A WASHINGTON POST REPORT.

THE PILOTS ARE MILITARY VETERANS AND IDENTIFIED WHEN THEY CROSSCHECKED INFORMATION AGAINST VETERANS AFFAIR DATABASE THE FORMER BENEFITS AND THE FAA HAS SAID THERE WAS A CLEAR DANGER TO STOP FLYING IMMEDIATELY UNTIL THE RECORDS ARE REVIEWED AND JOINING US NOW TO SHARE THOUGHTS ARE THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE FLIGHT SAFETY ORGANIZATION A NONPROFIT THAT ADVOCATES AND AN AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT AND SPOKESMAN FOR THE ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION AND THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS AMERICAN AIRLINES.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

FIRST THEY WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO THIS REPORT.

WE WILL START WITH YOU, CAPTAIN.

>> FIRST, THESE VETERANS HAVE BEEN SELECT THAT OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE ON DISABILITY AND LIKELY FROM TWO DECADES OF WAR WE HAD AND THIS IS BEEN OUR EXCUSE AND ANY MISTAKES MADE OR MISREPRESENTATIONS IN THE REPORTING BUT IT ACTUALLY FORCES US TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHY WOULD A PILOT POSSIBLY CHOOSE OR MISTAKENLY NOT DISCLOSE SOMETHING AND THEREIN LIES THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS IN GETTING TO A BETTER PLACE AND THE FAA HAS STRUCTURAL ISSUES IN PROCESSING GETTING A PILOT BACK TO FLYING WAITING 12 TO 18 MONTHS AND IT'S MORE OF A DOCUMENT AND BUREAUCRACY ISSUE AND I THINK THE DR. COULD SHARE MORE OF A CONCERN BUT WE HAVE TO HELP PILOTS ON THE FLIGHT DECK AND KEEP PASSENGERS SAFE BUT WE DO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED AND PILOTS WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT MAY TAKE THEM OFF THE FLIGHT DECK THEY ARE NOT JUST MISSING A FLIGHT BUT LIKELY PUTTING THEIR FAMILY INCOME AT RISK AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE A SAFETY NET, IT CAN EXACERBATE THAT DECISION.

>> I DO WANT TO COME BACK TO SOME OF THAT LIKE WHY SOME OF THIS MAY HAPPEN AND WHAT PILOTS ARE THINKING WITH THE ISSUES THEY HAVE TO CONSIDER.

BUT I WANT TO GET YOU IN ON THE SAME QUESTION.

WHAT IS YOUR REACTION ON THIS REPORT.

>> IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE ACCURATE MEDICAL RECORDS ON FILE AND PILOTS SHOULD PROVIDE TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFORMATION AND THAT SAID OF THE 4800 CASES, HALF OF THEM HAVE ALREADY BEEN RESOLVED AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DISCREPANCIES AND THE RECORDS UPDATED AND THE REST ARE BEING CURRENTLY INVESTIGATED AND WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE THE RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION AND I BELIEVE THAT BEFORE ALL IS SAID AND DONE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE WILL RESOLVE AND THEY WILL BE RESOLVED AND UPDATED AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT MOVING FORWARD WE FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS SHARED AND IN A TIMELY WAY AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN TEMPORARILY GROUNDED, THEY CAN GET BACK TO FLYING.

>> YOU DID MENTION TWO DECADES OF WAR WHO WERE FORMALLY IN THE MILITARY AND IS IT UNFAIR OR DISRESPECTFUL FOR THOSE PILOTS TO BE SINGLED OUT THIS WAY?

>> I AM A VETERAN AS WELL HAVING SERVED IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THESE ARE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE HIGH INTEGRITY AND IF THE SYSTEM THE WAY IT IS SET UP AND CLEARLY BECAUSE OF THE DOCUMENT ACCESS AND I WILL USE THE WORD TARGETED BUT I AM SURE IT WAS THE EASIEST WAY TO GET ACCESS WITH CONTINUITY BUT WE HAVE TO STAND WITH OUR VETERANS FOR WHAT THEY WENT THERE BUT IT DOESN'T EXCUSE THAT AND IT IS MISREPRESENTING AND AS THE DOCTORS SAID I AM SURE IT CAN BE RESOLVED BUT THIS ESSAY THE MEDICAL STANDARDS FOR AN AIRLINE PILOT NEED MODERNIZATION AND THERE IS A HOUSE BILL APPROVED THAT ADDRESSES THAT AND BRINGS THE TEAM TOGETHER FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES TO JUST GETTING A PILOT BACK ONTO THE FLIGHT DECK AS QUICKLY AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE AND THIS IS THE TIME TO GET IT DONE AND FUND THE FAA SO THEY CAN HAVE THE ASSETS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN AND ALL THIS DURING A PILOT SHORTAGE AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS BUT WE HAVE TO DO ALL WE CAN TO KEEP THAT PIPELINE FLOWING OF FIT HEALTHY PILOTS.

>> DR. SHAHIDI, SHOULD THIS SCREENING BE RECONSIDERED IN ITS CURRENT FORM AND IT SEEMS TO RELY ON SELF REPORTING A HEALTH PROBLEM?

>> I THINK CERTAINLY STREAMLINING IS IMPORTANT BUT ALSO THE REQUIREMENT IS FOR THE PILOT TO BE FIT TO FLY AND THE PILOT TO REPORT THEIR MEDICAL CONDITION.

THAT SAID, THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT FOR THE MEDICAL RECORDS AND IT IS COMPLICATED AND THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE REFORMED AND THE FAA IS CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THAT TO MAKE SURE QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED AND BOTH CAPTAIN DENNISTAJER AND I HAVE ANSWERED THESE QUESTIONS BUT SOME OF THEM ARE COMPLICATED AND THERE IS A REAL NEED FOR MODERNIZATION OF THAT AND WE SHOULDN'T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS AS TO WHETHER THESE RECORD CONFUSIONS ARE BEING MISREPRESENTED AND SOMETIMES IT IS JUST CONFUSING QUESTIONS.

WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE AND NOT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS BUT THERE HAS TO BE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE SYSTEM.

>> WHAT WOULD THE ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN NEXT?

>> THIS LEGISLATION PASSED PICKED UP BY THE SENATE SO WE CAN MODERNIZE IT SOAP PILOTS NO THERE IS A LOGICAL NOT JUST A SAFETY NET BUT A PROCESS TO GET THEM BACK INTO THE FLIGHT DECK WHEN THEY ARE WELL WHICH WILL LEAD A PILOT TO SAY AND I HAVE A PLACE TO GO AND THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND WE WON'T HAVE ANY OF THESE MISTAKES OR