Proposed Changes for Aviation Safety
Fifteen years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sought new rules to address issues related to pilot fatigue. But various groups, including airline pilots, opposed the proposed changes, leaving the FAA to eventually abandon its efforts.
Efforts were renewed following the February 2009 crash of commuter plane over suburban Buffalo. The commuter plane crash killed 50 people, including the captain and co-captain, and once again brought the issue of pilot fatigue to the forefront. The pilot had commuted from Florida to Newark, N.J., and slept in the airline's crew room prior to the flight. The co-pilot had travelled from her home in Seattle and had but a few hours sleep before takeoff. The lack of rest wasn't the cause for the crash, but the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was time once again for airlines to address the issue of pilot fatigue.
Few airplane passengers are aware that many pilots work 16-hour or longer days. Airlines also don't place limitations on many pilots' schedules, allowing them to fly through the night on little sleep or requiring repeated takeoff and landings in a 24-hour period. In fact, during their eight-hour "rest" periods, pilots are expected to find a hotel, sleep, eat, dress and get back to work - allowing for limited actual "rest" during their time between flights.
With the Buffalo crash in mind, the FAA recently proposed new rules to deal with fatigued and overworked pilots.
Under the proposal, daily duty hours would be reduced to 13 from 16 hours in a row, and, in cases where pilots are making many stops or working overnight, the hours could be limited to nine. In addition, pilots would be mandated to get a minimum of nine hours of rest between shifts, and the time would only be counted once they reached their hotels.
While the FAA believes the rules are sensible, the airline industry has already mobilized its opposition, and legislative passage is uncertain at this time.
