Research by occupation · Extracted Oct 14, 2026
Aircraft mechanics: BVA outcomes by condition
Explore Board records grouped under fixed-wing aircraft mechanic occupations. Compare the recorded outcomes, then examine how individual decisions treated the evidence.
These are historical record groups, not evidence that the job caused a condition or a forecast for a claim. Grant shares include remands in the denominator.
Hearing loss and tinnitus, side by side
The occupation is shared; the condition and evidence can differ. Select another occupation to see whether the same pattern appears.
328 granted / 514 records · 96 denied · 90 remanded
283 granted / 799 records · 248 denied · 268 remanded
Both bars use a 0–100% scale. At least 200 records per condition; remands stay in the denominator. These are different groups of records, not matched veterans or predictions. The comparison does not establish what caused the gap.
Conditions in the aircraft-mechanic records
The condition names and diagnostic codes come from the dataset. A condition appearing here does not establish a work-related exposure or an accepted theory of service connection.
20 of 20 condition groups
| Condition / diagnostic code | Records | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Grant share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hearing lossDC 6100 | 799 | 283 | 248 | 268 | 35.4% |
| Tinnitus, recurrentDC 6260 | 514 | 328 | 96 | 90 | 63.8% |
| Diabetes mellitusDC 7913 | 240 | 123 | 48 | 69 | 51.3% |
| Hypertensive vascular disease (hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension)DC 7101 | 213 | 44 | 48 | 121 | 20.7% |
| Knee, other impairment ofDC 5257 | 180 | 28 | 54 | 98 | 15.6% |
| Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed)DC 6847 | 171 | 24 | 35 | 112 | 14.0% |
| Paralysis ofDC 8520 | 168 | 58 | 34 | 76 | 34.5% |
| Arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease)DC 7005 | 145 | 79 | 21 | 45 | 54.5% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorderDC 9411 | 143 | 49 | 45 | 49 | 34.3% |
| Degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome (also, see either DC 5003 or 5010)DC 5242 | 142 | 56 | 42 | 44 | 39.4% |
| Lumbosacral or cervical strainDC 5237 | 124 | 22 | 28 | 74 | 17.7% |
| Malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary systemDC 7528 | 122 | 66 | 23 | 33 | 54.1% |
| Intervertebral disc syndromeDC 5243 | 115 | 22 | 35 | 58 | 19.1% |
| Arm, limitation of motion ofDC 5201 | 109 | 33 | 27 | 49 | 30.3% |
| MigraineDC 8100 | 102 | 35 | 21 | 46 | 34.3% |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseDC 6604 | 101 | 14 | 24 | 63 | 13.9% |
| Erectile dysfunction, with or without penile deformityDC 7522 | 90 | 32 | 15 | 43 | 35.6% |
| Paralysis ofDC 8513 | 83 | 27 | 18 | 38 | 32.5% |
| Degenerative arthritis, other than post-traumaticDC 5003 | 69 | 15 | 20 | 34 | 21.7% |
| Gastroesophageal reflux diseaseDC 7206 | 52 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 19.2% |
Groups with at least 50 records, ordered by record count. Records may concern service connection, ratings, or other benefits. The same veteran can appear in more than one group; do not add these counts to estimate veterans.
What the Board said about the evidence
These aircraft-mechanic decisions illustrate evidence questions to investigate. They come from the broader BVA corpus; their membership in the aggregate extract is not established. They do not explain how often a reason accounts for an outcome.
Granted · Decision 19101054
The Board credited reports of symptoms
“the evidence for and against the claims is at least in equipoise.”
Service connection for both hearing loss and tinnitus was granted. The Board discussed the veteran’s reports of symptoms and the adequacy of the unfavorable opinion.
Read the full decision →Denied · Decision 19100828
The record included another noise-exposure history
“He reported in-service noise exposure from aircraft and post-service occupational noise exposure from 38 years working as a pipe fitter.”
Service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The decision discusses post-service exposure, reported onset, and the nexus opinion.
Read the full decision →Remanded · Decision 19103285
A favorable conclusion still needed a rationale
“This opinion is inadequate because it fails to provide a supporting rationale for the conclusion reached.”
The hearing-loss issue was remanded. The Board discussed a favorable opinion’s missing rationale and required an addendum addressing the audiogram.
Read the full decision →How to read these numbers
Counts are recorded outcomes for source–diagnostic-code groups, not unique veterans. Denominators include granted, denied and remanded records. Groups may overlap. The extract does not distinguish service connection from increased ratings or other benefits; occupation mentions do not establish a causal relationship or an accepted legal theory. This is a separate analytical dataset, not all matching records in the full Explorer corpus.
Grant share = granted records ÷ all recorded outcomes. The condition table includes groups with at least 50 records. The hearing comparison requires at least 200 records for each condition. Small groups remain in the underlying source extract but are excluded from these displays.
This page and its comparison story use a fixed extract from Oct 14, 2026. That is the extraction date, not the date of the latest decision. Decision-date coverage was not supplied with this dataset. AI-extracted classifications can contain errors.
Download the displayed data, source queries, and dataset version. Cite this page as “VA Law Explorer, CaseScribe AI,” with the extraction date.
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