screwed up bad concerns about next medical

flytilidie

New Member
currently i hold a third class medical and i'm working on my commercial. last halloween some punks paintballed my friends little brother and out of anger i wound up breaking two of their windshields. i was charged with criminal mischief for property damage. I got an attorney and was able to plea it down to a non-felony disorderly persons charge for criminal mischief. I paid fines and I'm on probation until February. This is the biggest mistake i've made in my life and its my first and only run-in with the law.

I'm hoping to finish up my commercial in the next couple of months and apply for a first class medical and i'm wondering how big of a hole did i get myself into here? when i go to the ame how much info should i write in the explanation box under item w? what documents should i bring? will i likely be deferred or denied?
 
Write a full explanation. Take copies of the court records for submission to the FAA. As an AME, I would issue the medical and submit the documents for their review. Some AME's may not be comfortable and would defer - depends on your guy.
 
It'd be nice if the FAA didn't ask their AME's to also be law specialists.

Be doctors. . .nothing more. Would that be too much to ask? ;)

But I like how you would handle the situation Doc. Issue a medical, and let the lawyers in Oak City figure it all out. Not your job.
 
No, our job is to screen and evaluate for medical issues. Legal problems are a potential sign of antisocial behavior which can be a safety issue. If you let the lawyers do it rather than the docs, you will not fly with a histroy of legal problems. Remember, the primary mission of the FAA is SAFETY, period.
 
Yes, you're there to pick up on anti-social behaviors. . .I understand that, but what can 30 mins to an hour (or less?) spent in your office with you really tell you about someone's anti-social behavior if they have something on their legal record?

Which is my point, I'd rather have legal individuals looking over someone's legal history rather than a person who is trained, schooled, and practices medicine.

Yes, SAFETY, period. . .I also understand that. And I'm sure hundreds of AME's a year do not issue medicals to those who have a large track record of criminal history, but for a teenager who made a boneheaded move, I really don't feel that it is in the best interest for this individual - or any one in a similar situation - to have a medical denied for one incident that was merely a lapse in youthful mental thinking which then lead to the poor decision.

So, like I said - I personally do not feel that someone should have a medical disqualification based off of a single incident, or an overzealous cop, or an overzealous judge or district attorney.
 
so should i write what happened or just the charges?

and if my medical is deferred will i still be able to fly under my old medical if it has yet to expire?

is there any possibility i will be denied?



thanks alot guys!!!!!!!!!
 
1) Write what happened to include the charges.
2) When the new medical is transmitted to OKC (either as issued or deferred) the old medical is no longer valid in the FAA's system.
3) The FAA usually does not deny someone for a single incident. They realize we all make mistakes and are looking more for a pattern of legal problems.
 
Yes, you're there to pick up on anti-social behaviors. . .I understand that, but what can 30 mins to an hour (or less?) spent in your office with you really tell you about someone's anti-social behavior if they have something on their legal record?

Which is my point, I'd rather have legal individuals looking over someone's legal history rather than a person who is trained, schooled, and practices medicine.

Yes, SAFETY, period. . .I also understand that. And I'm sure hundreds of AME's a year do not issue medicals to those who have a large track record of criminal history, but for a teenager who made a boneheaded move, I really don't feel that it is in the best interest for this individual - or any one in a similar situation - to have a medical denied for one incident that was merely a lapse in youthful mental thinking which then lead to the poor decision.

So, like I said - I personally do not feel that someone should have a medical disqualification based off of a single incident, or an overzealous cop, or an overzealous judge or district attorney.

So would you propose we have ALE's (Aviation Legal Examiners) that review your record on a regular interval??:)
 
In the days of my youth, I was arrested for possession of methamphetamine in 1985, and completed 2 years of probation. In 1990, I was arrested for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and served 5 years in federal prison for it. In 2001, I applied for a third class medical, and reported both convictions on the Application for a Medical Certificate. I was issued a third class medical right there in the doctors office. About 2 months later, I received a letter from the FAA in Oklahoma City, and basically all it said, was that if I ever got convicted on another drug related charge in the future my medical certificate would be in jeopardy. That's all it said, just one short paragraph. When I reapplied to renew my medical two years later, I just put down "Previously Reported", and was issued another medical certificate.
So based on my experience, I think you will be okay, as long as you are honest and forthcoming with your information. Don't try to hide it or mitigate it. Just tell it like it is. I think the FAA is more interested in total and complete honesty than anything else. Up to a certain point. If you told them you were a pedophile and you couldn't stop, or something like that, you would probably be denied based on antisocial behavior, etc. I don't know, that is just my take.
I think if you tried to intentionally hide it and falsify the application for a medical certificate, that in itself would disqualify you. The FAA would most likely bring you up on charges if they caught you INTENTIONALLY and KNOWINGLY making a false statement with the INTENT TO DECEIVE on an application for a medical certificate. Do Not Lie To The Feds. You will be sorry if you do.
JMHO.
 
In the days of my youth, I was arrested for possession of methamphetamine in 1985, and completed 2 years of probation. In 1990, I was arrested for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and served 5 years in federal prison for it. In 2001, I applied for a third class medical, and reported both convictions on the Application for a Medical Certificate. I was issued a third class medical right there in the doctors office. About 2 months later, I received a letter from the FAA in Oklahoma City, and basically all it said, was that if I ever got convicted on another drug related charge in the future my medical certificate would be in jeopardy. That's all it said, just one short paragraph. When I reapplied to renew my medical two years later, I just put down "Previously Reported", and was issued another medical certificate.
So based on my experience, I think you will be okay, as long as you are honest and forthcoming with your information. Don't try to hide it or mitigate it. Just tell it like it is. I think the FAA is more interested in total and complete honesty than anything else. Up to a certain point. If you told them you were a pedophile and you couldn't stop, or something like that, you would probably be denied based on antisocial behavior, etc. I don't know, that is just my take.
I think if you tried to intentionally hide it and falsify the application for a medical certificate, that in itself would disqualify you. The FAA would most likely bring you up on charges if they caught you INTENTIONALLY and KNOWINGLY making a false statement with the INTENT TO DECEIVE on an application for a medical certificate. Do Not Lie To The Feds. You will be sorry if you do.
JMHO.

Thank you:)
 
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