I use the term Alcohol Event to refer to any alcohol related incident that comes to the attention of the FAA. Only DUI charges and criminal convictions (including public intoxication) must be reported by a pilot to the FAA. Therefore, in theory, a pilot can avoid scrutiny from Aeromedical by not drinking and driving and by not getting arrested for public intoxication.

In reality, the FAA often discovers that a pilot has been drinking to excess (or possibly in excess) by way of other events. For example, a visit to the emergency room creates a reportable event, and the ER may note a patient’s level of intoxication in the medical records. If the pilot later turns the hospital records over to the FAA, the presence of alcohol will likely get the FAA examiner’s attention. Additionally, alcohol events are sometimes reported to the FAA Medical Division Hotline or even by the pilot themselves (when writing an explanation for an injury or condition).

The point is, any incident involving alcohol may be discovered by the FAA and held against the pilot, regardless of any legal outcome. All pilots should use caution and moderation when drinking, particularly in public.

The table below provides a non-exhaustive list of Alcohol Related Events. Not all of these occurrences must be reported to the FAA by the pilot. However, all of these events may be reviewed and considered by the FAA if the agency becomes aware of them, regardless of how the agency discovered them. The later chapters will define which of these must be reported by the pilot.