A new government-funded study shows that the drug tests of airline personnel are three times more likely to be positive after an airplane crash or other accident than when drug testing is random, reports Reuters.
The study was conducted by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and they analyzed close to 5,000 drug tests taken from airline employees after an accident. The study examined tests from 1995 to 2005, while the job-specific results are only from 2003 to 2005. In the study, an aviation accident was defined as an event that caused severe injuries or over $50,000 in damage. The goal of the study was to see if drug violations by airline employees were associated with their risk of being involved in an aviation accident.
The drug test results from airline employees were compared to results of over a million random drug tests. Specifically, the tests searched for proof of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. The study found that after an aviation accident, 91 employees tested positive for drug use, which is an average of about 18 employees out of every 1,000; compared to random drug testing, which found only 6 out of every 1,000 employees tested positive.
However, the study found that drug use among airline flight crew, including pilots, was scarce, with only about 5 out of every 10,000 crew members testing positive in random tests. After an accident, only 2 out of 436 drug tests of flight crew members, less than 5 out of every 1,000 tests, tested positive for using illicit drugs.
The study notes that compared with other industries, such as the truck industry, illicit drug use among airline personnel is uncommon. In the trucking industry, drug use is estimated to be between 20 and 30 out of every 1,000 employees. In conclusion, the study says that drug use plays a “small role” in aviation accidents in the U.S., and estimates that about 1 out of every 100 accidents can be attributed to illicit drug use.
It is the responsibility of all airline personnel to protect the safety of passengers as well as those on the ground. If it is found that someone’s negligence caused a serious aviation accident, that person and his or her employer may be held legally accountable for the accident, any injuries or death suffered by passengers, and other accident-related losses. If you have been injured in an airplane accident, contact Panish Shea & Boyle LLP today. Our California aviation accident attorneys can help you receive the compensation you entitled to from negligent parties. To learn what legal options are available to you, call 1-877-800-1700.
