The Pilot Fatigue Recognition of the Problem

The Pilot Fatigue Recognition of the Problem

Causes, Symptoms and Effects of Pilot Fatigue

For many years, Pilot Fatigue has been a real issue. Airline pilots, as well Cargo Crews, corporate and private pilots can all face fatigue while on the profession. While Pilot Fatigue can be common, it poses a very troubling threat to aviation safety and should be taken really serious to avoid aviation accidents and incidents.

There is a long history of arguments between Governing Agencies, Airline Pilots and the Unions, and also Aircraft Operators over Pilot Fatigue Issues. Today, the issue is still being disputed as the industry tries to find a joint solution in an effort to the reduction the risks connected with fatigue.

Pilot Fatigue has been a real problem since the beginning of air travel in all around the world; obviously, fatigue is caused by lack of sleep. But it's not always that simple. It can manifest acutely, such as after a long trip, the definition of fatigue also is a source of difficulty which has tended to generate misperception and delay progress. 

All Pilots need to understand well the concept of Pilot Fatigue. Here are some specific Causes :

Symptoms and Effects of fatigue:

Lack of quality sleep, Interruption of Circadian Rhythm, Sleep Disturbances, Jet Lag  , Mental or Emotional Stress (such as family problems, anxiety, or Checkride Stress) , Poor health, including dehydration or poor diet .

Symptoms of Fatigue: Falling asleep, Yawning, Poor Visual Perception, Feeling "Sluggish" or "Sleepy”, Decreased Reaction Time, Decreased Concentration.

Effects of Fatigue: Lack of Motivation, Poor Performance of Tasks, Forgetfulness, Poor Judgment,

Diminished decision-making skills, including making rash decisions or lack of making a decision at all.

One of the last crashed and a good example to analysis was the Colgan Air crash close to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport 2009 on the winter season at that time.

Fatigue is a very real problem for flight crews if the Pilots don’t understand well the concept.

While the FAA and aviation operators can help mitigate the risks of pilot fatigue through education, changes to flight hour limitations and other fatigue management programs, the ultimate responsibility of fatigue management lies with pilots themselves.

I want to focus especially in the nature of sleep, the most common Physiological Symptom related with long – range flying is disturbance  of the normal Sleep Pattern .

Sleep Patterns, has been divided into two basics kinds, Orthodox and Paradoxical (or REM),

I'm sure when any of you as Pilots when are reading this post relating with the Pilot Fatigue Issue , are going to ask some questions, what that mean those two expressions Orthodox and Paradoxical (or REM), of course , some remain confused , because maybe suddenly  they have never heard this words in relating with the concern  about Pilot Fatigue .

The acronym REM is derived from the initials of Rapid Eye Movement, one of the initial characteristics discovered in Paradoxical Sleep. Orthodox Sleep is occasionally called Non REM Sleep.

Each Kind of Sleep has its own characteristics. 

The more you know about Aviation Safety Concepts the more you grow in your profession.

Most pilots learn, when they read more concepts why accidents happen, and how we can be prevented.

Don't ever let you know, you know everything, the day you think you don't learn more in aviation, it is the time you need to stop working and retired in this profession , because maybe you are going  to make the mistake of your  life . In aviation every day you learn new things, always remember fly safely all the time.

The Successful Safety Pilot must have all the time all the Concepts Clear, and always stay away to prevent incidents and accidents inside your airplane.

There is no reason why not to learn more about Aviation Safety. Fly Safe!!!

My mind clicks on and off.

I try letting one eyelid close at a time while I prop the other with my will.

But the effect is too much, sleep is winning, my whole body argues dully that nothing, nothing life can attain is quite, so desirable as sleep. My mind is losing resolution and control.

Charles Lindbergh about his 1927 Transatlantic Flight

https://www.eurocockpit.be/sites/default/files/Fatigue_Kills_Proof_D_Learmount_SP_09_0528.pdf

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/21/travel/pilot-fatigue-rule

Human Error Classification

Human Error Classification 

In my previous post, I wrote about the related term Pilot Error, I want to extend the information that is very interesting in what are the procedures concerning why accidents happen, as I expressed the term

pilot error does not imply that all errors are the fault of the Pilot.

Now review this other information, my point is too helpful to look at accident statistic in General

Aviation in the past and the latest aviation accidents, because the term Pilot Error give you an idea of the human factor problem.

The most common particular causes of the accidents, in order of incidence, also you can see and read almost all of these area a result of disastrous pilot performance and as a good evidence that not sometimes is  a result of aircraft equipment malfunction .

Loss of directional control , poor judgment , airspeed not maintained ,poor preflight planning and poor decision making, clearance not maintained , inadvertent stalls , poor crosswind handling , poor inflight planning and poor decision making .

In Human Factors a simple model of pilot performance is very essential, and also in my personal interpretation as an Aviation Accident Investigator, that I have been worked in several accidents in the research and participation recovering evidences to have clear information why accidents happened and also why and how the pilot crashed. There were a variety of types of errors.

In Human Factors, there are Human Error, the nature of error, in aviation human error is closely related in the appreciations  of the Aviation Community and in the reality why incidents and accidents happening recently but happen , for this reason all pilots we must always be well prepared on the issues for the prevention of accidents .

For example Error Rates, what that mean? Human Factors anticipated and having established that is normal for a human being make errors but, it is important to ask how often this is likely to occur, and also what error rates are considered normal. I remember I was reading on a Human Factors book, a respectable example on average, a person will make an error in dialing a telephone number on a round dial about once in 20 minutes. Also I remember on that lecture, the author said the performance is rather better with push-button selection. Numerous studies of Human Errors rates during the performance of simple repetitive tasks have revealed that errors can normally be expected to occur about once in 100 times.

These are normal human errors rates, because we are humans, and nobody is perfect, the most important is to recognize on time that error to avoid the accident or incident on time.

Of course it is clear that errors can vary widely depending on the task and also other many factors such as a very important topic in Aviation, like a good example Pilot Fatigue etc.

The Source of errors, in the model SHELL the model described the interface between the Liveware and Hardware (L-H) is very often the source of errors.

This is another interesting issue later I want to write on my Safety Blog regarding these concepts , so these concepts were often some source of errors in general aviation .

This is why CRM is very important to understand to minimize the errors inside the cockpits.

Leadership is also required a good interpersonal skill and a good technical ability, including to communicate well, to manage all the resources effectively to avoid pilot errors during our tasks as pilots.

The Classification of Errors: may be in term of source, an error can occur any time anywhere and also in seconds of time, but the most important is to recognize why the pilot induced the error, and can be attributed directly maybe to inadequate performance inside the cockpit.

The classification of some error as Random Error, Systematic Error, Sporadic Error etc.

As Pilots we need to recognize the kind of error classification, and also of course be applied to the performance of the other task, to avoid an accident or incident.

The basic principle to understand all these concepts is to read and do a good research regarding the classification of errors, by setting a good example and be prepared all the time to be a good Safety Pilot.

Always remember, when accidents occur, the crew is evaluated as a team.

Pilot Error Accidents

 

Pilot Error is an action or decision of the Pilot that, if not fixed and corrected on time, might contribute to the occurrence of an accident or incident.

Many Aircraft Accidents are attributed to "pilot error," as if there is a difference. So another concept in human error is the error chain, in each Aircraft Accidents there are a series of errors that link together to form the error chain, is not broken on time to prevent the accident. In other words, if one link of the chain were broken, the accident would not happen.

Pilot Error, does not indicate that all errors are the fault of the Pilot. Sometimes other external circumstances are the cause of accidents or incidents.

Knowing why Pilots make errors is helpful in development preventing always more methods such creating more intense training programs and redesigning new strategies to avoid future accidents.

As Pilots commonly called Human Factors is about people, is about people in the working and living environments, and also is their relationship with the equipment procedures and the environment.

Human Factors deals with errors that pilot make, and why these errors happened, and how we as Pilots

how we can prevent them .

As I have mentioned, Pilot Error is given as the primary cause in the majority of accidents.

However, it is possible that Pilot Error can reduce accidents if the Pilot made a conscious decision to continue to improving every day about the concept of Safety and learn from the latest accidents happened in the past.

In my professional interpretation concerning and sharing this information, I want to help to understand when Pilots in general, are more likely to have an accident or incident , it does not mean to understand that accidents could be happen any time anywhere, accidents and incidents happen in seconds , no matter if you gathering to many flight time in your log book for many years , the best attitude to have is that every Pilot are vulnerable at all times and that should exercise caution all  times.

Always improving your ability to learn, the best way is to learn is by being an active participant in the learning process, the more you process the information about why accidents happened, the better you will retain it.

We are humans and everyone makes mistakes no one is perfect in life, but the most important is the responsibility for avoid accidents, because sometimes accidents is largely the fault of people, not the machines the fly.

Think Safety all the time, Safety is our greatest commitment of all in this business; friends don’t let friends to forget Safety, be alert all the time in your flights, and expect the unexpected, always fly safely.

Safety First !!!!