Day 6

How airlines deal with pilots and mental health

Former Northwest Airlines pilot Dave Funk says airlines do a good job screening for and dealing with mental health issues.
Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who appears to have deliberately crashed Germanwings plane carrying 149 passengers into the French Alps, received psychiatric treatment for a "serious depressive episode" six years ago. (REUTERS/Foto-Team-Mueller)

Investigators say the co-pilot blamed for the Germanwings crash had a medical condition that he hid from his employer. It's not clear if that condition was a psychological one. But people who knew him say he had dealt with depression or some kind of a breakdown earlier in his life. The man's psychological fitness is being scrutinized and it's opened up a discussion about how airlines deal with a pilot's emotional and psychological stability. Former Northwest Airlines pilot Dave Funk says the airline industry is leading the way on mental health screening and assistance.