Getting FAA Reconsideration Certified When You Don’t Meet the Standards

Upon review of your application and completion of your examination, your AME has three alternative courses of action available:

(1) if you appear qualified, issue the medical certificate;

(2) if your qualifications are in question, defer the certification decision to FAA superiors, who review the question and decide whether to issue or deny your certificate; or

(3) if you appear disqualified, deny your application.

If your AME defers issuance, the review process begins automatically without further action on your part, but if your AME denies you a medical certificate, you must request that he issue you a denial slip and forward your application to the FAA Aeromedical Certification Branch in Oklahoma City for reconsideration of the denial. If this step is not taken, you are considered to have withdrawn your application for a medical certificate.

If the Oklahoma City office also denies your application, it may be necessary for you to request further reconsideration by the Federal Air Surgeon in Washington, D.C., in order to preserve your appeal rights.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), each year about 400,000 candidates apply for an FAA airman medical certificate and complete the medical exam to determine whether they meet FAA medical standards. On average, about 90 percent are certified by their AME or regional flight surgeon. Of the remaining applicants, about 8.5 percent receive a special issuance medical certificate, while only about 1.2 percent are not medically certified as fit to fly.