Subject: Concepts for Fatigue Countermeasures in Part 121 and 135 Short-Haul Operations

[Clark]

Subject: Concepts for Fatigue Countermeasures in Part 121 and 135
Short-Haul Operations

SAFO
Safety Alert for Operators
U.S. Department SAFO 09014
of Transportation DATE: 9/11/09
Federal Aviation
Administration Flight Standards Service
Washington, DC
http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo
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recommended action. SAFO content should be especially valuable to air
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highest possible degree of safety in the public interest. Besides the
specific action recommended in a SAFO, an alternative action may be as
effective in addressing the safety issue named in the SAFO.
Subject: Concepts for Fatigue Countermeasures in Part 121 and 135
Short-Haul Operations
Purpose: To provide insights to operators and crew for mitigating
fatigue in short-haul flight operations.
Discussion: Short-haul pilots commonly identify sleep deprivation and
high workload as the main factors contributing to their fatigue.
Conversely, long-haul pilots generally attribute sleep deprivation and
circadian rhythm disruption caused by multiple time-zone crossings as
the main causes of fatigue. However, both short-haul and long-haul
flight crewmembers report fatigue resulting from multiple flight legs,
early wake times, consecutive duty days, insufficient recovery sleep
periods, time demands and high workloads resulting from high density
air traffic environments. Fatigue is a hazard that if not properly
mitigated or countermeasures enacted, can elevate the risk of these
flight operations. Certificate holders must recognize the potential
for elevated risk and be proactive in minimizing exposure to fatigue-
related incidents or accidents.
Typically, short-haul (domestic) pilots are engaged in “hub and spoke”
operations with some limited point-to-point flying. Short-haul crews
are challenged by schedules that involve short turn-around times
between multiple flights. Pilots conducting these types of operations
report their schedules typically consist of four to five segments,
averaging approximately six hours of flight time. Thirteen to fifteen
hour duty days typify this type of operation. The result is an
increased workload due to the multiple take-offs and landings and time
constraints of meeting schedule deadlines over the course of the long
day.
Scheduling factors have a major impact on a crewmember’s ability to
sleep and maintain a proper level of alertness. Sleep loss is one of
the primary contributors to fatigue in flightcrew and is directly
related to a variety of scheduling factors. In short-haul operations,
pilots normally fly a round trip out of a hub and then may sit for
several hours before their next flight. This type of scheduling has
the potential for a latent condition that contributes to the
cumulative effects of fatigue.
Effective sleep opportunities are a critical countermeasure to
fatigue. This should be the responsibility of both the certificate
holder as well as the individual pilots. Certificate holders should
consider providing crew rest facilities that have rooms away from the
general traffic for quiet, comfortable and uninterrupted sleep as well
as expedited transportation to and from the airport in the layover
city. Individual pilots must understand the importance of sleep
opportunities and ensure they are properly rested prior to the next
flight day.
Recommended Action: The part 121 Directors of Operations and Safety
and part 135 Directors of Operations should review their current
policies and procedures addressing flight crewmember fatigue
countermeasures. This review should address at minimum:
Approved by: AFS-200 OPR: AFS-220/250
Approved by: AFS-200 OPR: AFS-220/250
•
Current scheduling practices;
•
Scheduled or assigned rest periods;
•
Establish effective rest enhancing prerequisites for layover city
hotels; and
•
Encourage the use of flightcrew rest facilities between flights to
counter the effects of cumulative fatigue.
•
Educate their pilots and crew on the importance of proper rest and
encourage them to take advantage of rest facilities.
Pilots in part 121 or 135 operations should understand their
responsibility with regard to ensuring that they achieve the required
rest so they are properly rested and fit for each assigned or
scheduled flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will continue to research
the subject of fatigue, evaluate the relevant data and inform the
commercial operations community of effective methods for reducing
flightcrew fatigue.
Contact: For more information about the content of this SAFO, please
contact Dale E. Roberts at the Part 121 Air Carrier Operations Branch,
AFS-220 at 202-267-5749.