Visual acuity, corrective lenses, and accidents in helicopter pilots

The visual acuity of 38 helicopter pilots experiencying serious air accidents was compared to that of a control group of 72 pilots, matched for age, aircraft, and hours of flight. Decrease in visual acuity was divided into two groups: minor decreases in vision up to 20/25 not requiring corrective lenses); and visual acuity of 20/30 or less with correction to 20/20. Minor decreases in visual acuity were found in 23.7% (9/38) of those in the accident group compared to 25.0% (18/72) in the control group. There were more pilots in the control group who needed corrective lenses (12.5% (18/72) versus 2.8% (1/38), p<0.07). We conclude that helicopter pilots with corrective lenses or minor uncorrected decreases in visual acuity are not at increased risk for serious air accidents.