The Atlantic’s Jocelyn Frank reports on the detailed system that may be unintentionally leading pilots to avoid the mental-health care that they need, and increasing risks to passenger safety. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at theAtlantic.com/listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Plane crashes and aviation accidents happen for all kinds of reasons. The collision between the helicopter and the American Airlines flight near the D.C. airport. The Alaska Airlines flight, where the door panel flew off shortly after takeoff. These terrifying incidents that make the news, they stick in our minds. But there's another, less visible safety issue that doesn't really make the news.
Pilots themselves have been raising the alarm about a different kind of risk to passenger safety and a risk to their own well-being. It involves a rule that's designed to protect passengers, but it might instead be making flying more dangerous. I'm Hannah Rosen. This is Radio Atlantic. Today, our producer Jocelyn Frank is with us with a story. Hey, Jocelyn.
Hi, Hannah. Thanks for having me.
Sure. So you've been talking to pilots, and what have they been telling you?
Yeah. I recently interviewed quite a number of pilots, and one of them has really got me thinking differently about flight safety. His name is Chris Finlayson. He's been a pilot for 13 years. He's married, he has two young daughters, and he's a first officer with one of the major airlines in the U.S., It's a job that comes with a lot of responsibility. You know, a few flights every day.
He's probably responsible for a few hundred people every time he shows up for work. So when he got COVID, he had no hesitation about being grounded. He immediately stopped flying.
I got a really bad bout of long COVID. Memory loss, brain fog, fatigue. That really tanked my serotonin that all of a sudden triggered every anxiety I possibly had. December 19th, 2021 was my last flight.
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