BasicMed with a Heart Ablation

Mooney Fan

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After reviewing this forum, I have a question.

If a pilot flying under BasicMed undergoes a heart ablation is the Basic Med null and void? Is the pilot grounded and then must go SI route post procedure?

Thanks
MF
 
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No. He's fine, unless his A-fib is related to coronary disease. A legit expert may come and correct me, but this is from the FAA:

Medical Conditions Requiring One Special Issuance Before Operating under BasicMed​

  • A mental health disorder, limited to an established medical history or clinical diagnosis of—
    • A personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts;
    • A psychosis, defined as a case in which an individual —
      • Has manifested delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis; or
      • May reasonably be expected to manifest delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis;
    • A bipolar disorder; or
    • A substance dependence within the previous 2 years, as defined in §67.307(a)(4) of 14 Code of Federal Regulations
  • A neurological disorder, limited to an established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following:
    • Epilepsy;
    • Disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause; or
    • A transient loss of control of nervous system functions without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause.
  • A cardiovascular condition, limited to a one-time special issuance for each diagnosis of the following:
    • Myocardial infarction;
    • Coronary heart disease that has required treatment;
    • Cardiac valve replacement; or
    • Heart replacement.
 
A well known legit expert advised me to indeed go get basic med prior to my ablation so that I could continue to fly within the constraints of basic med post ablation, as we worked through the hurdles to get an SI for my 1st class medical (successfully, BTW!).
 
Does anyone know of a situation where the FAA has taken certificate action on a pilot for flying with a medical condition that would make that person "unable to operate in a safe manner"? That's a totally different situation than being "unable to meet the requirements for the medical certificate". The first definition is operational and very subjective. The second is certification based and is very objective based on FAA certification standards.

And to take it one step further, for operations requiring only a driver's license, does that mean that if you can be issued a driver's licence do the standards that govern that issuance (DL) allow you to operate in a category such as light sport or glider?
 
dbahn said:
And to take it one step further, for operations requiring only a driver's license, does that mean that if you can be issued a driver's licence do the standards that govern that issuance (DL) allow you to operate in a category such as light sport or glider?
Click to expand...

I would say “yes” but the requirement about being able to operate in a safe manner still applies. There are maladies that might impair your ability to fly while you’d still be okay to drive. For example, a sinus infection might be a problem at altitude, but okay on the ground.
 
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