SCHEDULE-INDUCED ALERTNESS DECREMENTS IN FLIGHT CREW

INTRODUCTION: Expert consensus is that fatigue is the largest identifiable and preventable cause of aviation mishaps. Although regulatory factors mitigate the impact of pilot schedules on fatigue, circadian disruptions, sleep deprivation, high workload flight routes, and early morning departures can...

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Published in:Aviation, space, and environmental medicine space, and environmental medicine, 2009-03, Vol.80 (3), p.216-216
Main Authors: Kraft, N O, Orasanu, J, Ormeno, G R, McDonnell, L K, Anderson, B
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:INTRODUCTION: Expert consensus is that fatigue is the largest identifiable and preventable cause of aviation mishaps. Although regulatory factors mitigate the impact of pilot schedules on fatigue, circadian disruptions, sleep deprivation, high workload flight routes, and early morning departures can lead to increased fatigue and greater probability of an accident. In response to these concerns, a study was undertaken examining the impact of various factors on fatigue at a major South American airline. Method: The effects of departure time, airport altitude, number of flight segments per day, and amount of pre-departure sleep on fatigue were assessed: cognitive (PVT, Criteria Attention Skill Test), physiological (Actigraph, Cortisol) and self-report (NASA-TLX, Perception of Readiness, Sleep Sensation Score, Complaint Index). Participants included 50 commercial pilots who completed measures before and after each flight for the duration of the study, for a total of 310 individual flights on 47 unique routes.
ISSN:0095-6562