There is a human side to this of course; as we all studied HF and CRM maybe certain aspects of the human response to the environment need to be considered.
Firstly, the regulations on the consumption of alcohol and use / misuse of substances are well known to all of us. Secondly, until a full investigation has been completed, and the incident has been adequately examined any opinion on the culpability of the pilot must be reserved.
However, the long term effect of stress and fatigue may well contribute to anyone reacting to a set of circumstances in an irrational manner or in a way which is completely out of character.
I took a few points from a CRM / HF book regarding the effect of fatigue on the body / mind:
ƒÞ More willing to accept poor performance
ƒÞ Show signs of poor judgment
ƒÞ Impaired thinking
ƒÞ Irritability and mood swings
ƒÞ Euphoria
ƒÞ Punchy
ƒÞ Decreased response time
ƒÞ Decreased motor skills
One could argue that a single, isolated incident could well be the result of acute or chronic fatigue: the addition of a "life crisis" could be the straw which breaks the camel's back. The pilot who has overindulged the night before duty could be displaying traits which the first 4 lines account for. Lines 5 and 6 would depend on how the person was generally disposed; do they laugh things off or become aggressive?
Stress is the body's response to the demands placed upon it. In aviation this could be any of these ( not exhaustive):
ƒÞ Medicals
ƒÞ Checkrides
ƒÞ Illness
ƒÞ Pay
ƒÞ Conflict
ƒÞ Fears related to flying
ƒÞ Time schedules
ƒÞ Passengers
ƒÞ Noise and vibration
ƒÞ Temperature and humidity
ƒÞ Diet
ƒÞ Dehydration
ƒÞ Altitude changes
ƒÞ Confined space
ƒÞ Poor visibility
ƒÞ Fatigue
The symptoms one might encounter:
ƒÞ Muscle tightness
ƒÞ Aches and pains
ƒÞ Upset stomach
ƒÞ Anxiety
ƒÞ Depression
ƒÞ Feelings of depletion
ƒÞ Emotional burnout
ƒÞ Emotional outbursts
ƒÞ Withdrawal
ƒÞ Conflict in relationships
ƒÞ Lack of energy
We experience most of the stressors each and every day and no doubt one or more of the symptoms.
We rely on a our time off and a good nights rest / sleep to recover; when that does not happen we may resort to having "just one more" to help sleep. Strange bed, disturbed Circadians etc.
When does that "just one more" reach the boundary, or cross it??
With the continuing drive for savings / increased productivity the hours crews have to work are increasing ( I'm talking Duty here as Flight time may be substantially less than Duty) and the standards they have forced on them are reducing ( cheaper hotels / noisier / poor food / poor facilities). In the end something has to give.
Without a commitment from the airlines to actually practice what they preach in CRM or someone invents a fatigue "breathalyser" things will get worse before they better.