Medical Tier II for Alcohol

[Golf delta]

Hello everyone,

I have a friend that I used to work with at my old contract tower who was waiting for his FAA medical to go through. He found out he had to go through the tier 2 process and met with the doc. Months passed and now they’re saying the report came back suggesting he had a substance abuse problem. He said he drank once or twice a month. But either way they put him on med hold now apparently and took his medical away so he can’t even plug in at the contract tower. This was a few weeks ago now and he’s tried to call them regularly. They keep giving him the run around saying they’ll get back to him. The ATM wrote up a letter saying that they’ve had no problems with him in several years working there and even called the flight surgeon to tell him this info. It hasn’t shown any results yet. Now he’s just stuck with no paycheck wondering if needs to get another job. Does anyone have any resources or suggested course of action?

 

[Electricfence]

Obviously call the flight surgeon and tell them you can drink more than him and you should be good to go!

 

[YouAppearToBeOnFire]

Once or twice a month is grounds to pull your medical? What did he say he’d kill a keg when he drinks or something?!

 

[FredSmoot]

Just got through the hiring process; during my tier 2 appointment, the lady asked me if I ever blacked out from alcohol and I told her once or twice during college. I graduated college in 2009 and on my write up that she sent the agency she suggested to them that I take an Alcohol Education Program. I completed that and sent it to my medical POC and they cleared me.

 

[Maintainvfr]

This is crazy, I feel like if anything they should hold your medical until you start drinking more

 

[Mike Kilo]

I would never disclose a loss of consciousness for any reason unless it’s previously documented in your medical reports, that they have access to lol.

 

[YouAppearToBeOnFire]

I think what bothers me about it all the most is how they come to the conclusions they do.

I realize medically versus socially acceptable drinking patterns are different. However, most health professionals I've met are the least healthy people in the world. All of them drink excessively regularly, smoke, etc.

I think this would only cause people to hide their issues rather than face them. Though that's just logic speaking.

 

[vectorwagon]

Why anyone admits to any of this is beyond me 🙄

 

[BPM31694]

Why anyone admits to any of this is beyond me 🙄

It should be obvious at this point that the federal government is probably not cool with you blacking out from drinking.

 

[YouAppearToBeOnFire]

Allegedly I failed my MMPI because I admitted to having “abused alcohol.”

Mind you, I have a DUI when I was 17, 10 years ago. Which isn’t a DQ or even grounds for review given it’s the only alcohol event in my history so it would be approved.

But I assumed they’d compare my history with some of the questions.... apparently they don’t.... my medical POC kinda laughed. He’s like “at least you’re honest but they don’t check that.”

Coulda just lied. Damn Army values and such.

 

[Golf delta]

Thanks for the input, I have no idea what exactly he told them. I think he’s just trying to get his medical hold off for now so he can at least go back to work at the contract tower so he still has a paycheck. But it sounds like the report the psychologist sent in is what made them pull it.

 

[Electricfence]

Allegedly I failed my MMPI because I admitted to having “abused alcohol.”

Mind you, I have a DUI when I was 17, 10 years ago. Which isn’t a DQ or even grounds for review given it’s the only alcohol event in my history so it would be approved.

But I assumed they’d compare my history with some of the questions.... apparently they don’t.... my medical POC kinda laughed. He’s like “at least you’re honest but they don’t check that.”

Coulda just lied. Damn Army values and such.[/QUOTE

Army values? That’s just you being a good person and telling the truth. We all know plenty of military people who are dirtbags no different than civilians.

Whoever the person golfdelta mentions in the original post must have said something that caused a huge red flag, how would they just remove his medical just by sayin he drank one or twice a month, that can’t possibly be the whole story. Also, just wait it out, if you don’t have a problem then it’ll work itself out, and do everything they ask and don’t say anything else stupid.

 

[BPM31694]

Allegedly I failed my MMPI because I admitted to having “abused alcohol.”

Mind you, I have a DUI when I was 17, 10 years ago. Which isn’t a DQ or even grounds for review given it’s the only alcohol event in my history so it would be approved.

But I assumed they’d compare my history with some of the questions.... apparently they don’t.... my medical POC kinda laughed. He’s like “at least you’re honest but they don’t check that.”

Coulda just lied. Damn Army values and such.

In order to be DQ'd would you have to have 2 alcohol related incidents where you actually were drinking or is it just any incidents that involved alcohol period?

Does the FAA make any sort of distinction?

 

[YouAppearToBeOnFire]

In order to be DQ'd would you have to have 2 alcohol related incidents where you actually were drinking or is it just any incidents that involved alcohol period?

Does the FAA make any sort of distinction?

So even two incidents aren’t exactly grounds for denial. It depends what they are, how close together and a few other things.

I actually have the guidelines for the flight surgeons at home. Right now I don’t have access but I’ll definitely post it for you guys.

Plus, denials aren’t like DQs necessarily. In many cases it’s an initial denial with seek secondary opinion (psychologist etc).

Tier 2 is STRICTLY mmpi failure.

If there’s issues in your medical files THEN the other stuff starts though that is outside of the tier 2 offices control.

I’ll get some resources in a bit.

 

[YouAppearToBeOnFire]

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...UIDWI_Alcohol_Incidents_Disposition_Table.pdf

 

[BPM31694]

So even two incidents aren’t exactly grounds for denial. It depends what they are, how close together and a few other things.

I actually have the guidelines for the flight surgeons at home. Right now I don’t have access but I’ll definitely post it for you guys.

Plus, denials aren’t like DQs necessarily. In many cases it’s an initial denial with seek secondary opinion (psychologist etc).

Tier 2 is STRICTLY mmpi failure.

If there’s issues in your medical files THEN the other stuff starts though that is outside of the tier 2 offices control.

I’ll get some resources in a bit.

I have an MIP from 8-2012 and an MIC from 11-2013.

Not to go into too much detail but the MIP did not involve any drinking, I was the DD, and the MIC I blew a .083, which isn't all that high, pretty average in my opinion.

I'm still waiting on my T2 appointment but feel as though it's just a waste of time with the 2 incidents on my record.

 

[YouAppearToBeOnFire]

Minor in possession and minor in consumption? Misdemeanors?

I’m only familiar with ohio revised codes. Hard for me to take an educated guesstimate.

 

[32andBelow]

I have an MIP from 8-2012 and an MIC from 11-2013.

Not to go into too much detail but the MIP did not involve any drinking, I was the DD, and the MIC I blew a .083, which isn't all that high, pretty average in my opinion.

I'm still waiting on my T2 appointment but feel as though it's just a waste of time with the 2 incidents on my record.

Cops giving out tickets for kids using a DD. What a POS.

 

[BPM31694]

Yes both misdemeanors. And no tickets, both resulted in arrests.

 

[YouAppearToBeOnFire]

Based on the chart it would be a defer for the medical clearance.

However, that doesn’t mean by going through the MMPI and doing a couple other things that it can’t be granted. It would just mean that there’s more steps that need to be done.

Have you gotten in trouble at all since then? Do you have a job? Have you moved up and shown you can handle more responsibility, etc?