Organization Suggests Limiting Pilot Flying Hours to Battle Fatigue and Aviation Accidents

Due to the long, sometimes around-the-clock hours some businesses and company executives work, it is easy to understand how the pilots who fly these individuals around the country and world can quickly become fatigued. Some experts believe the physical wear this fatigue can have is one of the greatest dangers in the aviation industry today and is one of the leading causes of corporate aviation accidents.

This recently led to an organization, known as the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), to issue a set of guidelines and recommendations they feel should be adopted in order to prevent pilot fatigue. The rules are similar to those that are in place for truck drivers, considering they control the hours that pilots operate in a given week.

The recommendations were introduced by FSF spokesperson, Leigh White, at the Business Aviation Safety Summit being held in San Diego. She stated factors such as amount of sleep, recovery from lost rest, and an individual’s Circadian rhythms all effect a person’s alertness, which is why hours of operation limits should be in place for pilots. She added the organization believes pilots should work no longer than 14 hours per day with 10 hours of flight time. If flying between the hours of 2-6 a.m., the pilot should only work 12 hours. Pilots should also be required to take mandatory rest periods each week.

The Aviation Accident Lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy support any measure that improves aviation safety and are anxious to see if the recommendations are implemented.

Related Posts