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Pilotfatigueislike'havingtoomuchtodrink'
StoryHighlights NTSB:Fatigueisassociatedwith250fatalitiesinaircarrieraccidentsinlast16years FAAsetsananeighthourlimitforpilotstoflyduringa24hourperiod Withoutadequatesleep,fatiguecanimpairproblemsolvingandmotorskills NTSBsaysairlinesneedtotoughenenforcementoftheirrulestoimproveairsafety
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ByStephanieChen CNN

(CNN)CopilotRebeccaShawtraveledallnightasapassengeraboardFedExplanesbeforeshegotonthecommuterplanethatnosedived intoahousenearBuffalo,NewYork,killingall49passengersonanicyFebruaryevening. The24yearold,withayearofexperience,waslivinginSeattle,Washington,andcommutingtoNewark,NewJerseywherethefatal ContinentalFlight3407operatedbyColganAirInc.originated,accordingtoinvestigatorsattheNationalTransportationSafetyBoardhearings thisweek. Shawhadthreedaysoffbeforetheflight,thencommutedthroughthenightfromSeattle,catchingridesonFedExflightstogettoNewark. "Herbodybasicallysaid,'Ican'thandleit,'"speculatedGregFeith,formerNTSBairsafetyinspector."Imean,we'veallbeentherebeforeand pulledanallnighter.Weknowhowthatfeels." ColganAir,theregionalairlineShawworkedfor,saidShawdidnot"reserveadequatetimetotravelfromherhometoherbaseinordertoensure shewasproperlyrestedandfitforduty." Withfatiguebeingapossiblefactorinthecrash,thetestimonyatthisweek'sNTSBhearingsisreignitingindustryconcernsoverpilotfatigue. Airlineaccidentscausedbyfatiguearelistedonthe"MostWantedTransportationSafetyImprovements"ontheNTSBWebsite.
Watchhearingaddressissuesofcrewfatigue

Inthelast16years,fatiguehasbeenassociatedwith250fatalitiesinaircarrieraccidents,RobertSumwalt,NTSBvicechairman,saidatanFAA symposiuminJuly. Theotherpilotontheillfatedflight,Capt.MarvinRenslow,47,whohadbeenwithColganmorethanthreeyears,hadnearlyafulldayoffbefore assumingcommandofFlight3407.TheNTSBinvestigationfoundhesleptintheNewarkAirportcrewlounge,againstColganAirregulations. Whilethereisnowaytotellifthepilotisrestedwhenonestepsontoaplane,thereareFederalAviationAdministrationguidelinesonhowmany hoursapilotcanworkandhowmanyhoursheorshemustrest. Whilesomeindustryexpertshavepushedforbetterguidelinesandshorterworkhoursovertheyears,theruleshaveremainedunchangedsince the1940s.In1995,theFAAcameclosetoalteringtheguidelines,butindustrymemberscouldn'tagreeonthechanges. FAAregulationsforregionalandmajorairlinesdictatethatpilotscanonlyflyplanesforeighthoursduringa24hourperiod.Whenapilot finishestheshift,heorsheshouldhavehadatleastninehoursofconsecutiverestduringthe24hourperiod.Pilotscanflyupto100hoursina calendarmonthand1,000hoursayear. Whiletheresttimemaysoundadequate,someindustryexpertssaidtheguidelinesdisregardflightdelays,jetlag,increasedworkload,multiple flightlegsandnightflights.Pilotsalsoworkuntraditionalhourssometimesinthemiddleofthenightwhichcandisruptthebody's circadianrhythmevenwhentheydogetsleep,accordingtoreportsattheFlightSafetyFoundation,anonprofitdedicatedtoimprovingaviation safetybasedinAlexandria,Virginia,createdin1947. Eventhoughpilotsreceivebreaks,thetimeoffdoesn'tguaranteethey'llsleep,industryexpertssaid.Sometimespilotshavetocommuteto work,asinShaw'scase,ortravelbetweentheairportandhotels. Withoutadequatesleep,fatiguecanimpairproblemsolvingskills,attentivenessandmotorskills,aFlightSafetyFoundationstudyfound.This maycompromiseapilot'sperformanceandthepilotbecomeslessconsistentassleeplessnessincreases,scientistssaid.

Inrecentyears,someairlineshavetriedtoreduceflightfatigueonlonginternationalflightsbyaddingpilotsorallowingpilotstotakenap breaksonplanes,industryexpertssaid.Butlittlehasbeendoneforshorthaultrips. BillVoss,presidentoftheFlightSafetyFoundation,saidpoliciesinvolvingfatiguecanbedifficulttoimplementbecauseworkersdon'tlike havingtheiremployersinterferewiththeirpersonallives."It'shardtotellpeoplewhattododuringtheirdayoff,"hesaid. Voss,aformerpilot,saidhe'dfeltfatiguewhileonthejob."Therearetimesyouworklonghours,"Vosssaid."It'sinsidious.It'sjustlikeany otherimpairment.It'slikehavingtoomuchtodrink.Itcansneakuponyou." AtanFAAsymposiumlastyear,JohnA.Caldwell,afatiguemanagementconsultantfortheU.S.AirForceandU.S.Army,talkedabouta phenomenoncalled"microsleep."Apilotfallsasleepforafractionofasecondtoseveralsecondsbecauseofsleepdeprivation.Caldwellsaid hisresearchfoundthat80percentofregionalpilotsadmittedtonoddingoffduringaflight. MarkRosenker,NTSBactingchairman,saidatthisweek'shearingsthatairlinesmayhavetotoughenenforcementoftheirrulestoimproveair safety. "IamconcernedaboutthewinkingandnoddingI'veseeninsomeofthepoliciesofthecompany,yourcompany,andcrewmembers,andI don'tbelieveit'sonlywithinyourcompany,"RosenkersaidofColganAir. JoeSharkey,anairlinewriterforTheNewYorkTimesandanairlineindustryblogger,recentlywroteinhisblog"HighAnxiety"thatthe investigationrevealsthatproblemsfacingairlinepilotsextendbeyondfatigue.Pilotsarealsounderpaid,whichcanpressurethemtoget secondjobsandconsequentlytirethemmore,hesaid. ColganpilotShawearnedabout$24,000ayear,accordingtoColgantestimonyatthisweek'shearings.Shecommutedcrosscountryfrom Seattlesoshecouldlivewithherparentstosavemoney.NTSBofficialssaidinvestigationsshowedShawworkedatacoffeeshopwhile workingasapilotwhenshewasstationedoutofNorfolk,Virginia. RogerCohen,presidentoftheRegionalAirlineAssociation,whichrepresents30memberairlinesincludingColganAir,saidallairlinesfollow FAAguidelines.Airlinesandpilotswhodonotfollowfederalpoliciesmayfacepunishmentslikesuspensionsandfines. Mostairlinesalsohaveaviationsafetyprogramswheretheycanvoluntarilydiscloseiftheyarebeingoverworked,saidanFAAspokeswoman. Cohensaidregionalpilotsarenomoresusceptibletofatiguethanmainlinepilots,despiterecentmediareportsthatpilotsflyingsmaller regionalflightsmaybemoreoverworkedandunderpaid. "TheNo.1commandmentofflyingisthatwhenyousitinthecockpitthatyouarefullyprepared,safeandfittofly,"Cohensaid."That'sthe basicresponsibilityofeverypilot." AllAboutAccidentsandDisasters U.S.NationalTransportationSafetyBoard ColganAirInc. FederalAviationAdministration

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