Fatigue Pilots article
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Fatigue Pilots article
I would assume that QANTAS and CASA refused to comment due to Q having a exemption from the CAO48 requirements?
Fatigued pilots 'putting passengers at risk'
Fatigued pilots 'putting passengers at risk'
One in seven Australian airline pilots battle fatigue when landing their aircraft, putting passengers and crew at risk, a new report claims.
The report, obtained by Nine News, details the extent of the problem of pilot fatigue and makes 35 recommendations to improve air safety.
Researchers at the University of South Australia analysed the sleeping patterns of 450 Qantas pilots and found that 14 percent reported being "extremely tired" when performing the vital task of landing their planes safely.
The researchers at the university's centre for sleep research based their findings on more than 10,000 days of flight duty, using flight simulators, sleep labs and pilots' self-reporting.
The report, completed in September last year, found that pilots landing their planes at the end of international long-haul flights had just 5.6 hours of sleep on average in the previous 24-hour period.
Pilots landing their aircraft after domestic short-haul flights had just 6.4 hours of sleep over the previous 24 hours on average.
Fatigue among some flight crews using the simulator test was linked to higher error rates.
"You can't just rest on your laurels when you're dealing with people's lives," Queensland federal MP Paul Neville, who authored a parliamentary report into air safety in 2000, said.
The sleep research centre prepared its report for Qantas, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the Australian and International Pilots Association.
Its recommendations treat fatigue as seriously as drug and alcohol testing.
The centre proposes that pilots disclose their amount of sleep before duty and that Qantas collects data on fatigue levels among flight crews.
The report also urges better training and education for flight staff.
Qantas and CASA refused to comment on the document.
"Let's looks at the case on the Hudson River just last week," said Mr Neville, a member of The Nationals Party, referring to the incident in New York last week when a commercial airline pilot landed his plane into the icy Hudson after both engines malfunctioned.
"Let's say he was at the end of his tether with fatigue. Might we have achieved the same result? That's the problem we're looking at."
The report, obtained by Nine News, details the extent of the problem of pilot fatigue and makes 35 recommendations to improve air safety.
Researchers at the University of South Australia analysed the sleeping patterns of 450 Qantas pilots and found that 14 percent reported being "extremely tired" when performing the vital task of landing their planes safely.
The researchers at the university's centre for sleep research based their findings on more than 10,000 days of flight duty, using flight simulators, sleep labs and pilots' self-reporting.
The report, completed in September last year, found that pilots landing their planes at the end of international long-haul flights had just 5.6 hours of sleep on average in the previous 24-hour period.
Pilots landing their aircraft after domestic short-haul flights had just 6.4 hours of sleep over the previous 24 hours on average.
Fatigue among some flight crews using the simulator test was linked to higher error rates.
"You can't just rest on your laurels when you're dealing with people's lives," Queensland federal MP Paul Neville, who authored a parliamentary report into air safety in 2000, said.
The sleep research centre prepared its report for Qantas, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the Australian and International Pilots Association.
Its recommendations treat fatigue as seriously as drug and alcohol testing.
The centre proposes that pilots disclose their amount of sleep before duty and that Qantas collects data on fatigue levels among flight crews.
The report also urges better training and education for flight staff.
Qantas and CASA refused to comment on the document.
"Let's looks at the case on the Hudson River just last week," said Mr Neville, a member of The Nationals Party, referring to the incident in New York last week when a commercial airline pilot landed his plane into the icy Hudson after both engines malfunctioned.
"Let's say he was at the end of his tether with fatigue. Might we have achieved the same result? That's the problem we're looking at."
Does anyone know the status of the CAO48.0 Replacement that has been drafted by CASA? Basically the new prescribed F & D limitations are incredibly restrictive (daylight operations, 8 hour duty, 12 hour break, 40 hours/ week, 2 days off/ week) and will apply to all operators unless they have a Fatigue Risk Management System in place. All CAO48 exemptions will be withdrawn.
Are they still pushing ahead with that? The document I have shows a 2 year change-over period starting 1 December 2008...
Are they still pushing ahead with that? The document I have shows a 2 year change-over period starting 1 December 2008...
Nunc est bibendum
Sand dune, the domestic operation (737) operates to the CAO48 exemption. This means that the 737 can do SYD-PER-SYD and other long days. I've never operated under that award so I can't state with experience how it is. I've spoken to many crew who have operated under it though and they say that you do long days they like the manner in which you also get some good time off. Personally I'd like to see the exemption allowed for some daylight 767 domestic ops- with attendant 'benefits' for the respective crew of course.
Let's be honest though. CAO48 is a joke. It makes very few differentiations between tours of duty that commence at 2200hrs or 0800 hours. The restrictions on flight times take into no account the time of day, time zone changes, etc. If CASA really had some credibility they would have been looking at this eons ago and rostering something that had more logic to it than the current farce that is our flight and duty time limitations.
Let's be honest though. CAO48 is a joke. It makes very few differentiations between tours of duty that commence at 2200hrs or 0800 hours. The restrictions on flight times take into no account the time of day, time zone changes, etc. If CASA really had some credibility they would have been looking at this eons ago and rostering something that had more logic to it than the current farce that is our flight and duty time limitations.
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The report, completed in September last year, found that pilots landing their planes at the end of international long-haul flights had just 5.6 hours of sleep on average in the previous 24-hour period.
Pilots landing their aircraft after domestic short-haul flights had just 6.4 hours of sleep over the previous 24 hours on average.
Pilots landing their aircraft after domestic short-haul flights had just 6.4 hours of sleep over the previous 24 hours on average.
When are the respective parties (pilot & ATC) actually going to get the protection and genuine fatigue management they require to do thier jobs safely?
Hello? CASA are you there?
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Let's be honest though. CAO48 is a joke. It makes very few differentiations between tours of duty that commence at 2200hrs or 0800 hours
Sure its part of our job but i've had the impression on more than one occasion that its a put up/shut up arrangement.
Be honest with yourself how many hours sleep do you really get?
On the subject of flight time limitations there has been a bit of a stir on the other side of the world in recent days regarding the publication of new recommendations to the European Aviation Safety Agency on the modification of their Flight and Duty Regulations. The airlines say that if implemented they would require 15 - 20% more pilots.
Links:
Flight time limitations: pilots cheer, airlines howl
Final Report "Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Flight Time Limitations"
Links:
Flight time limitations: pilots cheer, airlines howl
Final Report "Scientific and Medical Evaluation of Flight Time Limitations"
Last edited by Aquaplaner; 24th Jan 2009 at 06:35.
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Let me assure you you do not how tired you are until you retire. After about 6 months of not working, I suddenly realised that although older, I felt much better, and looking back, I think you become chronically tired, but become so used to it, you are not aware of it. I don't think there is a answer because of the sheer nature of the job, and the crazy hours. I always thought one day I would write a book about the job and call it "Too Many Sunrises" however in saying all of that, I would not change it for another career, and would certainly do it all over again, however buggered.
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I would not change it for another career, and would certainly do it all over again, however buggered.
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Good news for pilots I hope, also good news for lagecy carriers- changes would affect more heavily some of the low cost carriers who tend to have looser arrangments that can be changed to suit the current schedule they are running.
