NAMI lab researching hypoxia

A Pensacola, Fla.-based Navy student-pilot had reached an altitude of 20,000 feet in a flight simulator when she began to feel the symptoms of hypoxia due to oxygen deprivation. The student’s feet began to tingle and vision blurred. She started to struggle with a series of cognitive tests and responses to commands – like turning the aircraft - were slowed. Seconds count when flying. “Pilots need to be able to identify hypoxia before they become incapacitated," said Navy (Dr.) Capt. Merrill Rice, a physician heading a study of pilots' responses to oxygen deprivation, told the Pensacola News Journal. The Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI) researchers chart student pilots' brain waves, oxygen levels, and performance on cognitive tests over 90 minutes of simulated flight. The students wear oxygen masks, which researchers use to induce hypoxic conditions. Rice’s work at the NAMI lab could be key to helping the military overcome numerous Unexplained Physiologic Events linked to hypoxia, which has caused the Air Force and Navy to ground various aircraft over the past year. Among the aircraft that have been grounded is the T-45C Goshawk trainer, also flown at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.; and the AF’s variant of the T-6 Texan II that is also flown at Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 02/10/18)