Narrative:

I had been employed as an small transport instructor for a major simulator based training company, and was terminated on the evening of mar/tue/93. I was so shocked over the termination, being scared of what would happen to my life without a paychk, I began calling other pilot friends for any job leads. A company in town gave me an interview, and subsequently scheduled me to fly an 'interview trip' over the wkend (mar/sat-sun/93) in their airplane. I spent the afternoon of fri becoming familiar with their airplane, getting checked out by a company pilot, getting the airplane ready for a sat am departure. The trip was flown safely without event. However, under so much stress, I misread the date of my medical certificate. It was still legal as a class III, but was not current as a class I or ii. I immediately scheduled a physical on mar/wed/93 (the date I realized the error) and received my current class I. I am very sorry for the error. Is there any way for the FAA to notify pilots of medical expiration dates before they expire to avoid something like this?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR PLT FLEW WITH EXPIRED MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. PLT QUALIFICATION FOR ACTIVE POS UNAUTH.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN EMPLOYED AS AN SMT INSTRUCTOR FOR A MAJOR SIMULATOR BASED TRAINING COMPANY, AND WAS TERMINATED ON THE EVENING OF MAR/TUE/93. I WAS SO SHOCKED OVER THE TERMINATION, BEING SCARED OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MY LIFE WITHOUT A PAYCHK, I BEGAN CALLING OTHER PLT FRIENDS FOR ANY JOB LEADS. A COMPANY IN TOWN GAVE ME AN INTERVIEW, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SCHEDULED ME TO FLY AN 'INTERVIEW TRIP' OVER THE WKEND (MAR/SAT-SUN/93) IN THEIR AIRPLANE. I SPENT THE AFTERNOON OF FRI BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH THEIR AIRPLANE, GETTING CHKED OUT BY A COMPANY PLT, GETTING THE AIRPLANE READY FOR A SAT AM DEP. THE TRIP WAS FLOWN SAFELY WITHOUT EVENT. HOWEVER, UNDER SO MUCH STRESS, I MISREAD THE DATE OF MY MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. IT WAS STILL LEGAL AS A CLASS III, BUT WAS NOT CURRENT AS A CLASS I OR II. I IMMEDIATELY SCHEDULED A PHYSICAL ON MAR/WED/93 (THE DATE I REALIZED THE ERROR) AND RECEIVED MY CURRENT CLASS I. I AM VERY SORRY FOR THE ERROR. IS THERE ANY WAY FOR THE FAA TO NOTIFY PLTS OF MEDICAL EXPIRATION DATES BEFORE THEY EXPIRE TO AVOID SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.