Business Reporter :
CONSECUTIVE night flights,
more than 10 hours of flight
duty period and roster instability are among the factors
leading topilot fatigue, according to a study.
The study, based on a surveyofmostlyseniorpilotsdone
by NGO Safety Matters
Foundation, explored the
mutual influence of fatigueinfluencing factors related to
the work dimension in
analysing the causes of pilot
tiredness. As many as 84 per
centof thepilotsareconcerned
with the speed and direction
of shift rotation, while 83 per
cent of respondents are worried about the onset of fatigue
due toconsecutivenight flights,
itsaid.Further, thestudy found
that 81 per cent of pilots are
concerned that flights with
minimumrestandrosterswithout buffers deeply impact
fatigue. “70 per cent of pilots
in the survey considered that
more than 10 hours of flight
duty period profoundly influenced the onset of fatigue.
NASAandEASAscientificstudies have recommendedamaximum of 10 hours of flight duty
period,” it noted.
Also, nearly 76 per cent of
pilots considered the increasing flightdutyperiod andlandings as the week progressed to
have a deep influence on the
increase in fatigue.
The online survey that covered 530 respondents, most of
them captains with significant
hours in operating medium
short-haul flights, was done
from July 16-22.
Amid concerns over pilot
fatigue, earlier this year, aviationregulatorDGCAproposed
changes to theFlightDutyTime
Limitation (FDTL) norms, but
the amended regulations are
yet to be implemented.
According to the study, 63
per cent of the pilots attributed fatigue to being deeply
influenced by frequent tail
swapsduringa flightdutyperiod. Generally, tail swap refers
changing the aircraft that was
scheduled to operate a flight
to another aircraft.
“Frequent changes would
mean that due to a change of
aircraft once ormorein a flight
duty period.
The crew cannot
directly transfer from one aircraft to the second. Before
boarding the assigned aircraft,
the crew must proceed to the
terminal and undergo security frisking.Frequent tailswaps,
whencombinedwithother factors like maximum flight duty,
minimum rest and multiple
landings, can compound the
increase of fatigue,” it said.
Safety Matters Foundation
noted that studies have correlated theperiodofwakefulness
with an equivalence of blood
alcohol level and that 17 hours
of wakefulness can be equated with a blood alcohol level
of 0.05 per cent BAC.
Aviation regulator DGCA
permits 0.000 per cent BAC
duringpreandpost-flight tests.
The study said that many
pilots report that current rest
periods and roster managementpractices areinsufficient
to mitigate fatigue effectively