# Presentation: 487371

## Aviation Fatigue Management Systems

## Safety Board Aviation Fatigue Recommendations

- 32 aviation recommendations since 1972
- On Most Wanted List since 1990
- Most recommendations concern flight and duty time regulations and policies
- Recent accidents highlight the need for comprehensive fatigue management efforts

## Corporate Airlines Flight 5966

- October 19, 2004, Kirksville, Missouri
- Fatigue likely contributed to pilots’ degraded performance
- Long duty day
- Early report time
- Multiple takeoffs and landings
- Two recommendations to FAA
- Include fatigue information in training programs
- Modify and simplify flight crew hours of service

## Shuttle America Flight 6448 

- February 18, 2007, Cleveland, Ohio
- Contributing factors included captain’s fatigue and company attendance policy
- Captain suffered from insomnia
- Awake 31 of 32 hours
- Did not “call in fatigued” due to fear of reprisal
- Two recommendations to FAA
- Develop “best practice” attendance policy that considers fatigue
- Require operators to implement policy

## Go! Flight 1002

- February 13, 2008, Hilo, Hawaii
- Flew past destination, unresponsive to calls
- Pilots unintentionally fell asleep
- Trip schedules involved repeated early start times and numerous short flight segments
- Captain subsequently diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea

## Fatigue Risk Factors

- Sleep deprivation
- Circadian variability
- Time awake
- Health factors (for example, sleep disorders)
- Environmental issues (for example, workload)

## Fatigue Management Systems

- Intended to reduce fatigue and fatigue-related errors, incidents, and accidents
- Employ multiple countermeasures to mitigate fatigue
- Shared responsibility of operator and crews
- Continuous evaluation and improvement

## Fatigue Countermeasures

- Scheduling policies and practices
- Attendance policies
- Medical screening and treatment
- Environmental changes
- Commuting policies
- Napping policies
- Education

## New Zealand Aviation Industry 

- Regulations allow air carriers to propose alternative fatigue management systems
- Operators must address multiple factors, including duty times, rest periods, time zone changes, and circadian variability
- 2006 report revealed no differences between operators with and without approved alternative systems

## easyJet

- European carrier identified fatigue risk with rapidly rotating schedules
- Obtained approval for 6-month trial of alternative schedule and fatigue management system
- Scientific evaluation demonstrated benefits and led to full adoption
- Trial program by U.S. carrier produced similar results

## System Evaluation

- Determine what will be measured
- Sleep quantity and quality
- Performance
- Errors, incidents
- Set goals for expected change

## FAA Efforts

- Work with International Civil Aviation Organization
- Ultra-long-range flights
- Ops spec and evaluations
- Aviation Fatigue Management Symposium

## Summary

- Fatigue management systems hold promise
- Complement to improved duty hours regulations
- Guidance is needed for operators to establish fatigue management systems
- Fatigue management systems must be continually evaluated to ensure their success

## Aviation Fatigue Management SystemsEnd of Presentation