So when the FAA recently announced that they had thousands of pilots under investigation over medical reporting issues, naturally many Americans were concerned. 

The FAA is currently investigating nearly 5,000 pilots, 60 of whom are currently barred from flying, over accusations that these pilots were not properly disclosing medical issues or disability status. However, as ABC News' recent report makes clear, this dilemma is not an easy one to unpack.

According to ABC News, the investigation which spurred this recent controversy is part of a long-running probe into the FAA's pilot medical screening process. Many pilots are accused of hiding mental health conditions and other serious health problems, or falsifying records to conceal that they were receiving disability benefits.

Of the nearly 5,000 pilots currently under investigation, some 600 of them are licensed to fly with various passenger airlines. While about half of these cases have been closed, 60 pilots remain temporarily suspended from flying, ones that the FAA considered "a clear threat to aviation safety." 

What does this mean for commercial airlines passengers? While the reports of underreporting medical conditions may concern some travelers, it's worth noting that many pilots can and do fly with many physical and mental health conditions, including common ones like depression and anxiety. Pilots are still required to report these conditions, but many underreport for a variety of reasons (including merely making mistakes in their documentation).

Aside from the select few who have been temporarily suspended, most of the pilots under investigation are still deemed safe to fly. Medical incapacitation among pilots is extreme rare, and furthermore, general aviation in America has maintained a stellar safety record for decades.