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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Civil Aviation Act 1990

Medical certification

27C: Changes in medical condition of licence holder

You could also call this:

"Pilots must report health changes that could affect safe flying"

If you have a licence to fly, you need to tell the Director if your health changes. This is because some health problems might make it unsafe for you to fly.

If you think your health has changed, or you find out about a health problem you didn't know about before, you must tell the Director as soon as you can. You also can't use your licence to fly until it's sorted out.

If a doctor who checks pilots, or someone who runs a flying company, thinks your health has changed, they must tell you and the Director right away.

If your regular doctor thinks you have a licence to fly and believes your health might make it unsafe to fly, they must tell you they're going to let the Director know. Then they have to tell the Director about your health problem.

Doctors and people who check pilots won't get in trouble for telling the Director about your health if they're trying to do the right thing. They can tell the Director if they think you might not be healthy enough to fly safely, or if your treatment might affect your flying.

These people can explain to the Director what kind of health problem you have and how your treatment might affect you. They won't get in trouble for doing this if they're trying to help keep everyone safe.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM216195.

Topics:
Transport and travel > Air travel
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27D: Medical examination, report, and disclosure, or

"Rules for getting a doctor's check before you can fly a plane"

Part 2AMedical certification

27CChanges in medical condition of licence holder

  1. Subject to any directions that the Director may issue under section 27G(1)(b), if a licence holder is aware of, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, any change in his or her medical condition or the existence of any previously undetected medical condition that may interfere with the safe exercise of the privileges to which his or her medical certificate relates, the licence holder—

  2. must advise the Director of the change as soon as practicable; and
    1. may not exercise the privileges to which the licence holder's medical certificate relates.

      1. Subject to any directions that the Director may issue under section 27G(1)(b), if an aviation examiner or medical examiner or operator is aware of, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, any change in the medical condition of a licence holder or the existence of any previously undetected medical condition in the licence holder that may interfere with the safe exercise of the privileges to which the licence holder's medical certificate relates, the aviation examiner or medical examiner or operator must advise both the licence holder and the Director of the change as soon as practicable.

      2. Subject to any directions that the Director may issue under section 27G(1)(b), if a medical practitioner has reasonable grounds to believe that a person is a licence holder and is aware, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, that the licence holder has a medical condition that may interfere with the safe exercise of the privileges to which the licence holder's medical certificate relates, the medical practitioner must, as soon as practicable,—

      3. inform the licence holder that the Director will be advised of the condition; and
        1. advise the Director of the condition.

          1. An aviation examiner or medical examiner or a medical practitioner is not subject to any civil or criminal liability for—

          2. doing an indemnified act in good faith in the course of carrying out his or her functions under this Part; or
            1. doing an indemnified act in good faith in the course of answering any questions put to him or her by the Director that—
              1. concern a licence holder; and
                1. are relevant to any action the Director may take under this Part.

                2. In this section, indemnified act means any of the following acts:

                3. advising the Director, whether in writing or otherwise, that a licence holder—
                  1. may not meet the medical standards prescribed in the rules; or
                    1. may be unable to exercise safely the privileges to which the licence holder's medical certificate relates:
                    2. expressing to the Director, whether in writing or otherwise, an opinion that the licence holder who the aviation examiner or medical examiner or medical practitioner has examined or treated may be unable to exercise safely the privileges to which the licence holder's medical certificate relates because of—
                      1. illness or any bodily or mental infirmity, defect, incapacity, or risk of incapacity suffered by the licence holder; or
                        1. the effect on the licence holder of treatment for any illness, infirmity, defect, incapacity, or risk of incapacity:
                        2. stating to the Director, whether in writing or otherwise,—
                          1. the nature of a licence holder's illness, infirmity, defect, incapacity, or risk of incapacity; or
                            1. the effect on a licence holder of treatment for any illness, infirmity, defect, incapacity, or risk of incapacity.

                            Notes
                            • Section 27C: inserted, on , by section 5 of the Civil Aviation (Medical Certification) Amendment Act 2001 (2001 No 87).
                            • Section 27C(3): amended, on , by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).
                            • Section 27C(4): amended, on , by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).
                            • Section 27C(5)(b): amended, on , by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).