FAA requested info a year after class 3 issued

[NLRairmen]

Hello,

First post here. I was issued a class 3 medical a year ago and have a private pilot checkride coming up next month. I am a surgeon and take a beta blocker on occasion for microscope work to reduce natural tremor. I disclosed this to the AME and he said no worries and issued me the class 3.

I just got a letter from the FAA saying they needed additional information (a progress note with details from my treating physician). They said it was due to my history of “essential tremor,” which I have never been diagnosed with but must appear on the AME report as the reason for the medication. It says the progress note has to be less than 90 days before the AME exam, but I’ve already done the AME exam and already have a copy of my class 3.

I can go get an exam by a neurologist and get a progress note to the FAA no problem within the 60 days, but what does this mean for my current class 3 and my upcoming checkride? I just don’t understand how I can be holding an active class 3 and this letter saying they need this info to issue a class 3 at the same time:/

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

 

[TCABM]

Your medical is still in effect; respond with the information asked within timeframe given.

The FAA doesn’t believe in the concept of off-label use, so if you listed the medication and it’s used to treat tremors, that’s what they assume and will want a current medical update using their guidelines at time of application. If that decision is made after issuance, they’ll ask you to provide a amplifying information on demand and it must be current relative to their demand demand date.

FAA guidelines on what a current, detailed clinical progress note means:

https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/media/PilotInformation_DetailedClinicalProgressNote.pdf

 

[NLRairmen]

Thank you so much. So it looks like I will have to find a physician to write a progress note regarding my off label uses this medication. That should not be an issue. I wonder if I can just make an appointment with the AME to do that?

The actual condition is physiologic tremor, which is listed as not a disease on the FAA website. I wonder if my progress note contains that information if that will close this matter and I will not have to continue to deal with updating progress notes in the future.

 

[bbchien]

The agency is interested in both your tremor as assessed off of propranolol and again ON propranolol. Make sure the neurologist writes apprpriate descriptions. Never mind that if you can do microscope work it's just not going to be a flying issue.

 

[PilotInFL]

I had the same thing happen. I had a cardiac ablation 10 years ago for WPW. No issues since. I disclosed it to the AME and he said since it hadn't been symptomatic for 10 years, it wasn't an issue and he gave me a 3rd class medical. Almost a year later, the FAA sent a letter requesting additional information about the procedure and current testing to show absence of WPW. I called the FAA and asked if my medical certificate was still valid during this inquiry, and they advised me over the phone that the letter requesting additional information meant that my medical was to be considered suspended until the issue was resolved. It took about 6 months, and then they sent a letter stating that my medical was valid as of the original issue date.

 

[NLRairmen]

I sent them the info. There is nothing indicating that the medical is not valid or suspended. I hope I can still do my checkride it is in two weeks!

 

[PilotInFL]

I sent them the info. There is nothing indicating that the medical is not valid or suspended. I hope I can still do my checkride it is in two weeks!

Might be worth a phone call to Oklahoma. AOPA advised me that my certificate was still valid - the FAA disagreed. If you get to your checkride and the DPE determines that you are not eligible, you'll still have to pay him some portion of his fee (or all of it if he is a jerk), so certainty could save you some money.

 

[flyingron]

Never take medical advise from AOPA. They are not AMEs or even medically or legally trained. Their advice is often worse than useless.

If Joklahoma says you are NOT qualified, then you aren't.
If they say they are unable to determine if you are qualified (which is typical on such things), then it's up to you to assess if you are in compliance while you help them decide.

 

[George S]

Never take medical advise from AOPA. They are not AMEs or even medically or legally trained. Their advice is often worse than useless.

If Joklahoma says you are NOT qualified, then you aren't.
If they say they are unable to determine if you are qualified (which is typical on such things), then it's up to you to assess if you are in compliance while you help them decide.

Which is why I never renewed my aopa membership and have convinced multiple friends to not renew theirs either. Aopa is useless