Narrative:

The situation started when I had to renew my second class medical at dec/sat/94. At that time my glucose blood count was elevated. My flight doctor recommended a diet and exercise program to bring it in line. His diagnosis was diabetes type ii. At no time in my conversations with him did he tell me I was not to fly or that I was grounded. Since my class ii was not valid, I stopped flying commercially and since my third class was still in effect, I continued flying for pleasure. I was not made aware of any regulation that said I couldn't fly. I am very active and work 12 hours a day, and I am, in my opinion, in excellent health. On may/fri/95 an officer of a non profit charitable organization called me to ask if I could fly their parachutist flag jumper to open their charitable air show the following day at XA00 pm. Since this was a completely charitable event and I received no compensation (no gas, no publicity, no money) whatsoever, and my third class was still in effect, I said yes. When I arrived at the air show on moore army airfield may/sat/95 I was met by mr. X, the FAA inspector for the show. He asked for my papers and right away I told him my commercial second class medical had expired and that I was doing this show under my third class medical and I was donating my time, airplane, fuel, etc, and I was not getting any compensation whatsoever. At that time he said to me, ok, you're cleared to fly. The air drop was uneventful, routine, I returned to base. Monday morning X called me and wanted to meet with me at my home airport, pepperell, ma, for a meeting. At the meeting he informed me I would have FAA action against me for FAA part FARS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the FAA administered a letter of warning for flying with a known medical deficiency since he had in effect been denied class ii medical certificate in dec/94. Even though the medical examiner had not specifically mentioned that the diabetes condition was a grounding condition. He further stated that he has cleared up the medical problem and has now received his second class medical. He believes that there was a complete misunderstanding of all concerned about this matter. However, he now believes that it all worked out to his advantage since he has restored his health and has a good understanding with the medical examiner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL FLIES WITH A KNOWN MEDICAL DEFECT MAKING HIS AIRMEN'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE INVALID.

Narrative: THE SIT STARTED WHEN I HAD TO RENEW MY SECOND CLASS MEDICAL AT DEC/SAT/94. AT THAT TIME MY GLUCOSE BLOOD COUNT WAS ELEVATED. MY FLT DOCTOR RECOMMENDED A DIET AND EXERCISE PROGRAM TO BRING IT IN LINE. HIS DIAGNOSIS WAS DIABETES TYPE II. AT NO TIME IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM DID HE TELL ME I WAS NOT TO FLY OR THAT I WAS GNDED. SINCE MY CLASS II WAS NOT VALID, I STOPPED FLYING COMMERCIALLY AND SINCE MY THIRD CLASS WAS STILL IN EFFECT, I CONTINUED FLYING FOR PLEASURE. I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF ANY REG THAT SAID I COULDN'T FLY. I AM VERY ACTIVE AND WORK 12 HRS A DAY, AND I AM, IN MY OPINION, IN EXCELLENT HEALTH. ON MAY/FRI/95 AN OFFICER OF A NON PROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION CALLED ME TO ASK IF I COULD FLY THEIR PARACHUTIST FLAG JUMPER TO OPEN THEIR CHARITABLE AIR SHOW THE FOLLOWING DAY AT XA00 PM. SINCE THIS WAS A COMPLETELY CHARITABLE EVENT AND I RECEIVED NO COMPENSATION (NO GAS, NO PUBLICITY, NO MONEY) WHATSOEVER, AND MY THIRD CLASS WAS STILL IN EFFECT, I SAID YES. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE AIR SHOW ON MOORE ARMY AIRFIELD MAY/SAT/95 I WAS MET BY MR. X, THE FAA INSPECTOR FOR THE SHOW. HE ASKED FOR MY PAPERS AND RIGHT AWAY I TOLD HIM MY COMMERCIAL SECOND CLASS MEDICAL HAD EXPIRED AND THAT I WAS DOING THIS SHOW UNDER MY THIRD CLASS MEDICAL AND I WAS DONATING MY TIME, AIRPLANE, FUEL, ETC, AND I WAS NOT GETTING ANY COMPENSATION WHATSOEVER. AT THAT TIME HE SAID TO ME, OK, YOU'RE CLRED TO FLY. THE AIR DROP WAS UNEVENTFUL, ROUTINE, I RETURNED TO BASE. MONDAY MORNING X CALLED ME AND WANTED TO MEET WITH ME AT MY HOME ARPT, PEPPERELL, MA, FOR A MEETING. AT THE MEETING HE INFORMED ME I WOULD HAVE FAA ACTION AGAINST ME FOR FAA PART FARS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA ADMINISTERED A LETTER OF WARNING FOR FLYING WITH A KNOWN MEDICAL DEFICIENCY SINCE HE HAD IN EFFECT BEEN DENIED CLASS II MEDICAL CERTIFICATE IN DEC/94. EVEN THOUGH THE MEDICAL EXAMINER HAD NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED THAT THE DIABETES CONDITION WAS A GNDING CONDITION. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAS CLRED UP THE MEDICAL PROB AND HAS NOW RECEIVED HIS SECOND CLASS MEDICAL. HE BELIEVES THAT THERE WAS A COMPLETE MISUNDERSTANDING OF ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THIS MATTER. HOWEVER, HE NOW BELIEVES THAT IT ALL WORKED OUT TO HIS ADVANTAGE SINCE HE HAS RESTORED HIS HEALTH AND HAS A GOOD UNDERSTANDING WITH THE MEDICAL EXAMINER.

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.