Introduction
Pilot fatigue is classified under the typical risks associated with aircraft operators. Various stakeholders including the regulatory agencies, unions, and airline pilots have united in search or solutions and risk reduction measures or the industry. The evaluation of the risk and effects of fatigue on pilots is significant because the risks presented affects the safety of passengers, the crew, aircraft and the environment. Since fatigue affects various groups solutions aiming at fatigue reduction or pilots are essential to eliminate the effect on physical and mental performance and improve service delivery, safety and functionality. Pilot fatigue is a high risk that endangers the aircraft by increasing the probability of pilot error hence significant to control and regulate.
Literature review
Previous research on pilot fatigue indicates that it results in a physical and mental decline in performance. Studies associate fatigue with changes in variables such as the direction of the flight, the schedule availed or the crew, the environment of the aircraft, job assignment partnership and other factors such as the environment of the place of rest mainly the hotels and ethnic differences. The main ideas presented in articles, books, and journals on pilot fatigue attribute the aspect to the occurrence of various incidents and significant accidents in the aviation industry. According to (Caldwell & Caldwell, 2016), the search for immediate responses to address the risk is imminent, and its implementation will bring forth lasting solutions which seem to be elusive.
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Other sources however like (Gander et al., 2015) and (Hellerstrom, Eriksson, Romig, & Klemets, 2011) offer contradictory views in their approaches and measures arguing that to eliminate the fatigue problem, reduction in working hours is unavoidable. On the other hand (Lee & Kim, 2018) supports the introduction of flight risk management programs that entail more than the reduction of duties and increasing hours of rest and sleep. The (National Research Council, 2011) offers valuable solutions and approaches to improve sleep, increase alertness and productivity. Such measures include monitoring of sleep patterns improvement of the cockpit area to allow naps, breaks, and bunk sleep (Houston, 2018).
The debates on the risks and effects of pilot fatigue on safety persist with continued research ongoing in finding effective and lasting solutions. At the moment, many studies are focusing on flight time limitation schemes that address fatigue among the crew. The limitations, however, change to accommodate changes in aircraft capabilities enhancing productivity, alertness and increasing competitiveness in the airlines (Gregory, Winn, Johnson, & Rosekind, 2010). The flight time limitations are however rigid limiting flexibility and are based on an illusion of safety. New findings and research to deal with fatigue now concentrate on the creation of flight risk management systems or reliability and positive outcomes (Nunes, 2017). Researchers focus on the elimination of the risks associated with fatigue to improve safety and efficiency.
Research question
The research assesses the risk of fatigue on safety and seeks to establish the adverse effects of fatigue on safety and pilot’s performance. The study aims to evaluate how lack of quality sleep, disturbances during sleep time, stress, physical exertion and poor health arising from fatigue impacts the performance of pilots. The study analyzed how fatigue affects the motivation, forgetfulness, poor judgments, poor task performance, influence flight incidents, and accidents. How the effects of fatigue among the crew can be mitigated to reduce risk safety is a significant concern or the industry (Nunes, 2017). A focus on decision making affected by fatigue influencing rationality and the potential fatalities that such issues motivate is relevant and valuable.
Theoretical framework
The dependent variable is fatigue evaluating the actors that cause fatigue during the time of work based on the question posed to pilots on how fatigue due to lack of enough sleep influences the performance of their duties. The question evaluates sleep patterns, quality, and difficulty in the fulfillment of responsibilities affecting the outcomes and recovery (Pope, 2014). The independent variables include gender, age, marital status, residence, number of children in the family, income, education, nature, and characteristics of the work number of offs, works shifts and the monthly hours of flight (Vejvoda et al., 2014). Other independent factors include lifestyles such as the consumption of alcohol or smoking and personal management of sleep.
Hypothesis
Fatigue caused by sleep deprivation due to long working hours, extended light hours and shifts, working many hours during the day or night and little or no rest time within work hours results in reduced productivity and incidents.
Pilots suffer from fatigue through reduction of alertness, control and decision making leading to poor performance fostering increased forgetfulness, judgment, the poor performance of tasks and lack of motivation.
The flight time limitation is an effective fatigue reduction method as it increases performance although it’s unsuitable in the dynamic and highly competitive environment. Therefore, flight risk management systems are viewed as more effective
Conclusion
Pilots who lack enough sleep suffer physical mental and rest deprivation leading to an influence on the performance of duties. Studies have shown that long working hours and poor sleep and rest time continues to put to risk lives and the need for a permanent solution to the problem. Fatigue has adverse effects on the health of pilots and leads to poor performance and can be attributed to fatal aviation incidents and accidents which destroy and threaten the industry. The implementation of measures such as limitation of time in flights offering pilots adequate time to sleep and relax is essential for productivity and growth of the industry.
References
Caldwell, J. A., & Caldwell, J. L. (2016). Fatigue in aviation: A guide to staying awake at the stick. Routledge.
Gander, P. H., Mulrine, H. M., Van Den Berg, M. J., Smith, A. A. T., Signal, T. L., Wu, L. J., & Belenky, G. (2015). Effects of sleep/wake history and circadian phase on proposed pilot fatigue safety performance indicators. Journal of sleep research , 24 (1), 110-119.
Gregory, K. B., Winn, W., Johnson, K., & Rosekind, M. R. (2010). Pilot fatigue survey: exploring fatigue factors in air medical operations. Air medical journal , 29 (6), 309-319.
Hellerström, D., Eriksson, H., Romig, E., & Klemets, T. The best rest revisited: a comparison of differing regulatory efforts to control pilot fatigue.
Houston, S. (2012, May 30). The Pilot Fatigue Problem. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/the-pilot-fatigue-problem-282930
Lee, S., & Kim, J. K. (2018). Factors contributing to the risk of airline pilot fatigue. Journal of Air Transport Management , 67 , 197-207.
National Research Council. (2011). The effects of commuting on pilot fatigue . National Academies Press.
Nunes, A. (2017, March 8). Why You Should Be Skeptical About Pilot Fatigue Claims. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleynunes/2017/03/07/why-you-should-be-skeptical-about-pilot-fatigue-claims/#1a90dd26132f
Pope S (2014, September 11). NTSB: Crew Mistakes, Fatigue Caused UPS Crash . Retrieved from https://www.flyingmag.com/technique/accidents/ntsb-crew-mistakes-fatigue-caused-ups-crash
Vejvoda, M., Elmenhorst, E. M., Pennig, S., Plath, G., Maass, H., Tritschler, K, & Aeschbach, D. (2014). Significance of time awake for predicting pilots' fatigue on short ‐ haul flights: implications for flight duty time regulations. Journal of sleep research , 23 (5), 564-567.
