Ethical decision-making during the FAA medical certification process by pilots and AMEs amid the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic

Abstract

This dissertation examined the impact the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had on the ethical behaviors of pilots and Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) during the medical certification process. Pilot behavior was examined to see whether professional pilots disclosed or withheld a COVID-19 infection from their AME and to elucidate if a pilot’s confidence in disclosing private health information to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was hindered. AME behavior was also examined to determine if their role in the medical certification process has been negatively affected by unethical behaviors. The aviation industry has little margin of error concerning safety, making it imperative that pilots and AMEs adhere to the FAA's medical standards. This was a qualitative study that consisted of two questionnaires distributed via Qualtrics. The data generated by this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics. This study concluded that the coronavirus pandemic has not impacted pilot and AME ethical behavior. This research yielded results contrary to current research on the ethical behavior of pilots in medical certification. The researcher concluded that pilots and AMEs act ethically in the medical certification process, though some pilots engage in unethical behavior pre-pandemic. The unethical behavior exhibited by pilots in this study is not shared with AMEs and should be studied in further research.