Fatigue is perfect for the aviation authorities.
Fatigue has never been found during an autopsy.
As for US air carrier accidents, the NTSB never found the courage to list it as the primary cause until a Kallitta DC-8 crashed after an all-night flight at Naval Air Station Git'mo Bay, Cuba.
Until tragedies happened with US revenue passengers at LIT involving an MD-83, the FAA never required any pre-designated rest period during each 24 consecutive hours for standby flightcrew.
Having a brand-new FO with a Base Chief Pilot also created a situation whereby the Chief Pilot's judgement seemed not to have been questioned, no matter how 'mission-oriented' the guy was after a 12-hour duty day.
Civilian pilots often forget that most of us are NOT on a vital mission (i.e. rescue people at sea, resupply Khe Sanh or protect a Special Forces outpost during a siege etc)-they are operating an aircraft in order to make money for the stockholders.
Generally speaking, why should you be strictly 'mission-oriented', in order to get into the destination unless you mistakenly burned up too much fuel to safely make it to a 'suitable alternate' airport?
Last edited by Ignition Override; 3rd Nov 2007 at 04:37.