Imagine a busy morning at a major airline’s scheduling department. Flights are set, crews are assigned, but weather working through an area of the network has created additional delays and problems to solve. Then a pilot calls in and informs them that they will not be able to take the flight they were scheduled to fly due to fatigue.
There was an issue at the crew rest facility that prevented them from getting the required rest and, in the interest of safety, they cannot take the flight. Though this may cause some additional headaches and possibly more costly delays, it is reasonable to understand that a pilot cannot be fired for calling in tired. Indeed, there are many reasons that an airline may choose to terminate a pilot’s employment, but fatigue is not one of those reasons.
In this article, we take a look at the seriousness of pilot fatigue and discuss the Regulations
, policies, and procedures set in place to address this issue.
Photo: Santiago JC Photography | Shutterstock
Reasons for a pilot’s termination of employment at an airline
There are plenty of reasons a pilot’s career at an airline may be terminated. Before taking a look at fatigue, let’s review some of the reasons pilots have been fired. Commercial aviation is an industry that requires the highest levels of precision and professionalism. This is absolutely necessary in order to maintain the highest standards of safety and to guarantee the wellbeing of the traveling public.
Those persons seeking a career as a pilot in the airline industry must be trustworthy, mature individuals, capable of making sound decisions even in high stress situations. Career Trend notes that airline pilots must be analytical thinkers, self-controlled, professional, and diligent, as well as possess the ability to work well with others. These are just a few of the qualities that make up a good airline pilot. People who do not uphold these characteristics could find it hard to obtain or maintain a career in the airline industry. Though the following list is not exhaustive, here are a few reasons that airline pilots have been fired:
-
Failure to follow
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)or airline regulations, policies, and procedures
- Sleeping at the controls
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Felony conviction
- Insubordination or failure to work well with fellow crew members
- Record of tardiness
- Use of laptops in flight and failure to maintain communication with ATC
- Severe loss of situational awareness through personal negligence
.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=422&h=268&dpr=2)
Related
How Pilot Error Downed Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 On This Day In 2004
The British Aerospace Jetstream 32 is a small twin-turboprop airliner with a pressurized fuselage.
The fundamental problem of fatigue
On October 19, 2004, a British Aerospace Jetstream32
operating as Corporate Airlines flight 5966 for American Connection crashed while on approach to Kirksville, Missouri. Thirteen of the 15 souls on board perished in the crash. The NTSB
concluded that the probable cause of the crash was the crew’s descent below MDA (Minimum Descent Altitude) before having attained the required visual cues to continue the approach. According to the Aviation Safety Network, a contributing factor to this crash was:
“The pilots’ failure to establish and maintain a professional demeanor during the flight and their fatigue likely contributed to their degraded performance. “
Similarly, the NTSB concluded that crew fatigue had been a contributing factor in the crash of an American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80
at Little Rock, Arkansas in 1999. Sadly, fatigue is a significant factor in many aviation accidents. A BBC article on the issue noted that the lack of sleep has the same effect on the human body as being drunk and that pilot fatigue accounts for 15% to 20% of human error in fatal aircraft accidents. Indeed, the odd working schedules, the overnight flights to early morning landings, and the moving across multiple time zones can mess up one’s circadian rhythm and have the same effect as working under the impairment of alcohol.
David Learmount of Flight Global repeatedly writes on the issue of fatigue across the airline industry, noting that almost all regional pilots in the USA are fatigued. Though commercial aviation has been incredibly safe in recent years, the issue of fatigue continues to be a difficult problem to counter for aircrews and air traffic controllers. Fatigue impairs a pilot’s ability to make decisions, react to changing circumstances with the acuity and precision required in flight operations, and alters one’s ability to maintain full situational awareness.
A brief summary of regulations
In order to ensure a safe operating environment, crews must be rested and must report when they are fatigued. The FAA has mandated and further notes that pilots cannot be penalized for reporting when they are fatigued. According to Barnett Law Offices:
“The FAA has established regulations that mandate rest periods and duty limitations to prevent fatigue-related accidents and it is the responsibility of pilots and their employers to comply with these regulations.”
Airlines and crews are subject to a number of regulations concerning work and rest cycles, the number of hours a pilot can work and fly over a period of days, what constitutes proper crew rest and how much rest must be awarded over a period of time, as well as reporting procedures in the case of pilot fatigue. These regulations have variations between the different types of operations. The rules for flag (international passenger flights) or domestic scheduled passenger operations are different from those that govern supplemental (freight, charter or non-scheduled) operations. These regulations can be confusing, and aircrews must know the regulations that govern their specific operation. Though not in depth, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) states the basic rules for pilots flying US domestic operations are as follows:
- No more than 30 flight hours in any 7 consecutive days
- At least 24 hours of consecutive rest during any 7 consecutive days
- Varying rest requirements relative to hours flown in any 24 hour period
Related
Secret Rooms: Inside The Wonderful World Of Crew Rest Areas
These rooms are more important than you might think.
Scheduled passenger operations in the US fall under 14CFR § 121. A basic overview of these rules state that flight crews must have as a minimum, nine hours of rest for less than eight hours of scheduled flight time. If the scheduled flight time is greater than eight hours but less than nine hours, the flight crew must have ten hours of uninterrupted rest. Should the scheduled flight time exceed nine hours, the flight crew must have eleven consecutive hours of rest before conducting that flight.
Additionally, congress mandated in 2010 that all airlines have a Fatigue Risk Management Program. This program requires training for pilots on the dangers and effects associated with fatigue as well as mitigation techniques. This education covers everything from diet, lifestyle, fitness, and proper rest to sleep disorders and the physiological effects of overworking.
In the case where work environments may not be compliant or conducive to reporting, pilots can utilize the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) to report safety issues or non-compliance by an employer to the FAA. The goal of ASAP is to encourage pilots to report safety concerns without fear of retribution and thus improve safety for all. Additionally, there is a Hotline for Pilots program that allows pilots to report safety issues directly to the FAA. US Airlines work hard to ensure they remain compliant with these regulations and therefore, it is unlikely that a pilot will be terminated for reporting fatigue. However, if a pilot is wrongfully terminated for calling in tired, they have a persuasive case for legal action against their former employer.
Preventing fatigue
Preventing fatigue for pilots is really the same technique as for all people. The absolute best antidote is good, consistent sleep. The recommendation for the average adult is no less than 8 hours of sleep per night, but in actuality, this recommendation varies slightly from person to person. Ensuring the crew rest facility is conducive to sleep is probably the most difficult component that air crews battle with. It must be the right temperature, quiet and free from interruptions. The bed must be comfortable and the room devoid of sunlight. An FAA brochure on the subject recommends that a person try going to bed at the same time every night, which is a concept very difficult for pilots to achieve.
Nonetheless, maintaining a regular sleep/rest cycle is important in combating fatigue. The same brochure recommends refraining from alcohol 3 to 4 hours before going to bed, not exercising immediately before bed, and being knowledgeable concerning the effects of medication. Good nutrition, steering clear of energy drinks, and eating at regular times are all important in managing rest, but again, these things are difficult to maintain and require self-discipline for someone whose career takes them away from home on a regular basis.
Photo: Federal Aviation Administration
Conclusion
There are many things that can result in a pilot’s employment being terminated. However, calling in tired should not get a pilot fired. Pilot fatigue can create profound consequences in aviation and must be managed appropriately at the personal level as well as at the company level. Today, the FAA, the NTSB, and the airlines have worked together to ensure that appropriate checks and balances are in place to keep pilots from operating an aircraft without appropriate rest.
Nonetheless, all of this relies on a pilot’s ability to be able to recognize the symptoms and dangers of fatigue and the capability to call in tired without repercussions. It is a system that requires integrity on all parts, but in an industry where the margin for error is razor-thin, nothing less should suffice.
Related
Explained: The Importance Of Rest Periods For Pilots
Pilot fatigue is a great concern in the aviation community as this can (and has) led to many accidents.