Source:
The Sunday Times
February 09, 2003
Overworked pilots snooze at controls
Mark Macaskill
SOME pilots for Britain’s leading budget airlines claim they often doze off at the controls during long working days.Flight deck staff say that long working hours and few breaks mean they are increasingly putting the safety of passengers at risk.
Under Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules, pilots are permitted to fly up to 100 hours per month. However, some claim they are reaching their monthly limit within a fortnight, which means they struggle to keep awake and miss radio calls from air traffic control.
More than 20 pilots from seven airlines were interviewed by The Sunday Times, five of whom admitted to falling asleep briefly at the controls. Most expressed deep concern over the number of hours they work, the effects on their alertness and the increasing risk to passenger safety.
The European commission is considering introducing new flying limits that could see British pilots flying up to 14 hours a day, which some experts believe will dramatically increase pilot fatigue.
One pilot with ScotAirways, which flies between Edinburgh and London City four times a day, described the hours as “frightening”.
The pilot, who did not wish to be named, said he often reaches his maximum monthly flying hours in fewer than two weeks.
“Pilots do fall asleep and quite often you are in the cockpit while struggling to keep your eyes open,” he said.
“Concern is rife about the number of hours we work and in my opinion the regulations are exploited to the absolute maximum.”
Another pilot with easyJet, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: “The authorities know what’s going on, but nothing will change until there is a nasty incident and the cause is found to be fatigue. The rostering system is decided daily and causes absolute chaos.”
Safety risks posed by tired pilots have also been voiced by air traffic controllers. According to one pilot, concerns were raised by London controllers in spring 2001 after pilots with one leading airline were given “complicated” landing instructions late at night, which had to be “repeated several times” to ensure they were carried out properly.
Bob Osborne, 62, a retired commercial pilot, refuses to travel on night charters after his experiences working for a leading airline for 10 years.
“I noticed very strange behaviour patterns among staff after long shifts, as fatigue had a similar effect to alcohol. It was hard to hold a conversation.
“While flying, it was quite common for pilots to grab a few minutes’ sleep because they were so tired. My worry is that pilots are being pushed to the extreme of fatigue where the simple things, like engaging automatics on approach, can catch you out.”
A senior pilot with Ryanair, who was interviewed by The Sunday Times last week but wished to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job, added: “Officially, nobody sleeps on the flight deck, but unofficially it does happen. In many cases, a quick nap, provided your co-pilot is on the ball, can be beneficial.”
Last year research funded by the CAA found that 10 out of 12 pilots who flew between London and Miami showed signs of dozing off on the flight deck. A special wristwatch that detects when pilots fall asleep and emits a high-pitched alarm to wake them up is being tested. Further trials are planned later this year on domestic and European routes.
Mike Nash, director of the Independent Pilots’ Association, which represents about 1,000 pilots from Britain’s leading airlines, added: “Pilot fatigue is a big concern in the industry now. There’s no doubt that some pilots are struggling to keep awake while flying. Some airlines are pushing to get the maximum number of hours out of their staff.”
A spokesman for Ryanair denied that pilots were being overworked. “Our crews operate to the highest European safety standards. We have a very low turnover of pilots and a large number of new applicants,” he said.
“If pilots have concerns they should raise them with the company. Safety is a priority and if it’s an issue among staff it has to be taken seriously.”
Jerry Froggett, a spokesman for ScotAirways, said: “I would not like to comment on one individual’s views. We know the majority of staff are happy working for the company and one individual’s view does not represent the whole.”
A spokesman for easyJet said: “We know about the problems of pilots and pilot rostering, and that is being addressed by management. We take safety issues very seriously. Our staff only work a maximum of 750 hours per year, which I think demonstrates we do not have a problem overall.”
Typical management deception "Our staff only work a maximum of 750 hours per year, which I think demonstrates we do not have a problem overall." They forget to mention that that is flight hours and not duty hours or the fact that it is spread unevenly through multiple circadian cycles. Trust management as far as you can throw them.
