ok, how do I clean this up?

[Unregistered]

I just spent hours reading all the threads relating to mis-reporting on the pilot's medical form. And now I'm too scared to sleep.

I have not intentionally omitted anything. But looking back, I'm pretty sure I forgot some doctor's visits in the last three years (one or two, not several) AND I misread the question on reporting what ended up being "got a speeding ticket, go to traffic school and we wipe your record". Also, the form I filled out in 2003 for a medical may not agree with the one I filled out in 2010 (7 year gap of no flying).

How do I clean this up? I've already started a file to track doctor's visits so this doesn't happen again, but I'm afraid they'll search insurance databases (if they haven't already) and find out I before I can fix this.

As far as I know, had I disclosed everything, there's nothing that would keep me from getting a third class medical. But through honest omission I simply forgot to put a few things down.

I'd like to get complete doctor's records, and resubmit something that says "ok, here... this is everything" and then keep that up to date going forward.

help!

 

[LDJones]

If none of the Dr visits were for anything that would be seriously disqualifying I wouldn't lose a lot of sleep over it. Human memory is not perfect.

 

[bbchien]

Unreg, Jonesy is very near correct. Next medical simply bring the papers on the speeding ticket+traffic school and report that you forgot. the AME will review the papers and write, "NO DUI, NO ALCOHOL" and be done with it. I doubt the traffic school event is on the monthly data-tapes.

If the doc's visits were for routine medical care, e.g, not for "clutching my chest" or Asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, removal of a skin cancer, things like that....just report those that you find within the 3 year window on your next medical.

If you did report A VISIT to a particular doctor, and he appears in your box 19, even once, you will be okay. Box 19 is not only a list to elicit history to the AME, but is a subpoenae box. If there is an investigation after an accident, and the subpoenae gets to the doc, they do get the records and you did not obstruct justice.

If you are really concerned, then you want to write them a letter. I caution to be very careful in what you write. I do get a lot of calls over this particular issue.

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks! Yes, all of the doctor visits in the last three years have been to the same doctor.

But since you listed what you did (and because in another post you said something like "Pilots are a remarkably poor judge of what's significant"). Through the same doctor I had listed, I complained about bad breath. He wanted to rule out GERD so I went in for two tests... one where they stuck a camera down my nose (nothing found) and one where I drank some stuff and got xrayed (nothing found). I also had a non-cancerous cyst(?) removed from my arm in '03. I probably should have listed that as a surgery but totally forgot about it (10 years!).

Bruce C., all kidding aside, are you accepting new patients? I would be more than willing to make the trip and pay the money to start doing my physicals with you. I just bought a plane, and the thought of something stupid like this forcing me to quit flying... man, no sleep at all last night.

 

[bbchien]

Thanks! Yes, all of the doctor visits in the last three years have been to the same doctor.

But since you listed what you did (and because in another post you said something like "Pilots are a remarkably poor judge of what's significant"). Through the same doctor I had listed, I complained about bad breath. He wanted to rule out GERD so I went in for two tests... one where they stuck a camera down my nose (nothing found) and one where I drank some stuff and got xrayed (nothing found). I also had a non-cancerous cyst(?) removed from my arm in '03. I probably should have listed that as a surgery but totally forgot about it (10 years!).

Bruce C., all kidding aside, are you accepting new patients? I would be more than willing to make the trip and pay the money to start doing my physicals with you. I just bought a plane, and the thought of something stupid like this forcing me to quit flying... man, no sleep at all last night.

The link below my signature - that's what it's there for.

 

[AggieMike88]

The link below my signature - that's what it's there for.

Speaking of sig lines, Bruce, I'm loving the new one!!

 

[cg2112]

Did you go to traffic school because you wanted to remove the points, or were you required to go?

I don't think voluntarily attending an educational program to get a ticket wiped out wouldn't be something that you'd need to report (as opposed to being ordered by the court to attend one).

At one point in here, someone asked this of the chief council, and got a reply back on behalf of that office stating that you do not need to report attending those programs if you weren't ordered to do so.

 

[bbchien]

Unfortunately, IIRC the response did not come from the chief counsel. It came from the head of Medical Specialties, AAM 200. Not QUITE the same authority, e.g, not tested.

"Should be but am I gonna risk it?....."

 

[Unregistered]

Signature. duh. It's this same superhuman reading comprehension that let to filling out the medxpress form wrong.

I volunteered. The cop was being, shall we say, unfair, and the prosecutor and judge saw it, believe it or not. 3 of the four tickets were thrown out (I forget the legal term), they never happened. Judge gave me a choice: Take the points on the remaining ticket and pay a fine, or attend a traffic class and the ticket gets thrown out (I'm sure I'm not using the correct terms here, either. My understanding is, my record is as clean now as if the day I got the tickets never happened).

it's funny, sort of. We show up for the traffic class and the cop who's supposed to give it wants to go participate in a big drug bust that night. So he calls attendance and everyone who bothered to show up got credit and were dismissed. I was there, maaaaybe 15 minutes.

The most expensive part of the whole deal was the suit I bought for court.

 

[Unregistered]

Oh, one piece of advice for those attending traffic court:

WEAR A SUIT.

I was the only defendant in the entire room in a suit. No one even had business casual on. I don't know the suit made a difference, but I'm sure it didn't hurt.

Shorts to court? Really?

 

[cg2112]

Take the points on the remaining ticket and pay a fine, or attend a traffic class and the ticket gets thrown out (I'm sure I'm not using the correct terms here, either. My understanding is, my record is as clean now as if the day I got the tickets never happened).

The fact that you had a choice makes me think it's voluntary.

I found the letter that I mentioned earlier, it's at the bottom.

Now, Dr Bruce says nope, it doesn't actually come from the Chief Counsel. But, it's on DOT/FAA letterhead, sent certified mail, on behalf of the Chief Counsel. Like Dr Bruce said "Should be but am I gonna risk it?"
I probably would. Others probably wouldn't. I can see both sides.

But, one thing. When you say the ticket was "thrown out," what do you mean? Because if the ticket was indeed thrown out, unless there was an arrest, I would think that there was no conviction or administrative action to report.

 

[poadeleted20]

The fact that you had a choice makes me think it's voluntary.

I found the letter that I mentioned earlier, it's at the bottom.

Now, Dr Bruce says nope, it doesn't actually come from the Chief Counsel. But, it's on DOT/FAA letterhead, sent certified mail, on behalf of the Chief Counsel. Like Dr Bruce said "Should be but am I gonna risk it?"
I probably would. Others probably wouldn't. I can see both sides.

But, one thing. When you say the ticket was "thrown out," what do you mean? Because if the ticket was indeed thrown out, unless there was an arrest, I would think that there was no conviction or administrative action to report.

If the ticket was "thrown out" on condition that you did the school, the FAA is not going to accept that as being of your own volition.

 

[cg2112]

If the ticket was "thrown out" on condition that you did the school, the FAA is not going to accept that as being of your own volition.

That's where it's tricky to me. The court didn't say "You must go to an education program because of this ticket." They gave the option, which says "own volition" to me - he wasn't compelled by order to go. That, and just the basic fact that if he had not gone to traffic school, and just took the points, it wouldn't be reportable at all. There's nothing about the offense itself that required an educational program, and I think that's the ultimate point.

 

[bbchien]

That's where it's tricky to me. The court didn't say "You must go to an education program because of this ticket." They gave the option, which says "own volition" to me - he wasn't compelled by order to go. That, and just the basic fact that if he had not gone to traffic school, and just took the points, it wouldn't be reportable at all. There's nothing about the offense itself that required an educational program, and I think that's the ultimate point.

Soulnds like there was a quid pro quo there....looks like duck....quacks likeduck.....starting to smell like duck.....

".....nah, it can't be a duck...." becuase I don't want it to be so.

sigh.

 

[LDJones]

If the ticket was "thrown out" on condition that you did the school, the FAA is not going to accept that as being of your own volition.

The letter specifically included instances that related to a citation.

 

[poadeleted20]

The letter specifically included instances that related to a citation.

Yes, but also very specifically stated that the attendance had to be of his own volition. If it was a condition of tossing the ticket, it is not of his own volition -- it is a choice of the lesser of two evils. If you read Tim's letter to the FAA (which he posted on this site some time back), you'll see that in his case, the attendance was in fact entirely voluntary and not a condition of removing the conviction from his record.