SP with recent ER visit for alcohol intoxication. ER only, not admitted. Labs ok. Received fluids. Nothing more invasive. Unsure what BAC was. No associated DUI or anything like that. No previous ER visits or legal issues. Looking for input as to ramifications this could have during 1st Class Renewal
ER visit for alcohol intoxication
- Thread starter Bigapple
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It’s a visit to a medical professional, so reportable during the three year lookback at a minimum.
You’ll want to get all the records, to include the diagnostic codes, from the treating facility now and hold on to them for that period. It may be anything from a relative nothingburger to a HIMS SI depending on what’s in the record.
A consult with a good AME before applying for your next renewal is in order. They will need to see the record to give you advice; you do not want to start a MedXpress application just to get that consult, so research your consulting AME appropriately.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; that ounce may cost a pound of dollars. Hopefully this event is a wakeup call for a lifestyle change; flying and alcohol related visits to the hospital are incompatible.
You’ll want to get all the records, to include the diagnostic codes, from the treating facility now and hold on to them for that period. It may be anything from a relative nothingburger to a HIMS SI depending on what’s in the record.
A consult with a good AME before applying for your next renewal is in order. They will need to see the record to give you advice; you do not want to start a MedXpress application just to get that consult, so research your consulting AME appropriately.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; that ounce may cost a pound of dollars. Hopefully this event is a wakeup call for a lifestyle change; flying and alcohol related visits to the hospital are incompatible.
Jeff Oslick
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If you already hold a medical, the best thing for you do now is stop flying completely and get your life in order. A few years from now, when you no longer have to report this medical visit, then you can consider getting a new medical going sport pilot, or basic med. Above all, you need to end your relationship with alcohol, since you clearly fall into the category of people who's lives can be ruined by it.
Therookguy
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This probably isn't the greatest forum to come to for this kind of issue. I've seen people get crushed on here talking about DUIs, etc. Most people here are very unforgiving about alcohol or drugs. I'm guessing the SP in this scenario is probably a college student. At my age (30-ish) I couldn't drink that much if I even tried. Some binge drinking is very common in college or younger culture.
I'm going to agree generally with the previous posts though, getting smashed off alcohol probably isn't for you. And oh boy this is going to be a very hated opinion here but ya'll hear me out on this thought experiment. I don't think SP should be made to feel bad about what happened. If you're young it is very easy to get pressured into binge drinking. It's not like SP chugged a beer and then started the engine. What SP needs to think about is why they ended up in the hospital. Some would call them great friends that dragged him there, I would be ****ed. Not saying that I've ever done it, but if I were to get absolutely smashed to the point that I was vomiting everywhere, falling down stairs etc, 0 chance my friends would have taken me to the hospital. My heart would have to stop before they did anything... If you drink you need to do that responsibly, so if you can't drink a lot without landing up in the hospital, don't. Part of drinking responsibly is realizing that I might put my job, family, or future career on the line if things get out of control. Everyone on here is going to argue that you're a horrible person for drinking that much to begin with or even drinking at all, and frankly this old head FAA regulatory thinking is holding back positive changes in mental health and decreasing safety for everyone. Dumping all over people for doing something you perceive as bad or against your values rarely ever produces the resulting change in behavior that your looking for. It's literally in the Flight Instructors Handbook. I would argue that SP needs to think more about why they ended up in the hospital not about why they drank this much in the first place. Learn this phrase and never forget it: "Be smart about being stupid."
Now SP could do some research on what exactly could possibly be disclosed from a visit like this and make their own decisions when filing. I will say that a consult with an AME could be a good idea, just realize that once you inform an AME (even for an unofficial medical) that this happened the cat is definitely out of the bag.
Now I haven't looked at the form in a while and I'm not an AME but you could also just finish your training on the remaining 3rd Class Privileges or Basic Med. Then this won't be within the three year window of medical visits on the form and your AME won't ask you about it. This is just a guess though, I don't recall exactly what's on the form.
Dana
Final Approach
I presume by "SP" you mean "student pilot"? And that you're planning a flying career (otherwise why would you want a class 1)?
If this is truly a one time thing that won't be repeated because you learned your lesson, then finish your training to PP, let your medical expire, and go basicmed and build hours, wait three years from the incident, then get another medical of whatever class you need. If as I presume you're young and you have 3 years left on your medical as class 3 you might not even need basicmed.
BUT... if you're a student pilot with a class 1, I'm guessing you're in one of those zero to hero part 141 flight programs. In that case you may have a problem.
If he’s career he could still instruct and build hours letting his class 1 lapse into a class 3 while waiting for the clock to run out, timing doubt it will even slow him down, ain’t going anywhere he needs a class 1 at 250hrs
Yeah, easy fix, if you’re still a student timing wise you should be fine just not renewing your medical for 3yrs
Your 1st class will turn from a class 1 into a class 3 after a year from your exam, it’ll stay as a class 3 for 4 more years.
No issue instructing on your class 1 turned into a class 3, however you won’t be able to do pipeline patrol, aircraft ferry, skydive, 135 SIC type jobs, this should not be much of a issue with how long and how most build the hours to ATPish levels.
You will be able to take all your checkrides and work as a CFI just fine on a class 3, wait out the 3yr clock and it basically never happened
In this line of work be very careful with your interactions with both police and medical people, and maybe chill on the brews a little too
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