The new thoughts of "comprehensive plans" that help identify fatigue and mitigate risks. It is possible that a flight attendant error, due to fatigue, could possibly result in the death or serious injury to some of our passengers. (Battelle,1998)
Therefore, it is crucial that we be just as concerned with flight attendant fatigue as pilot and mechanic fatigue if we hope to achieve the aviation goal of preventing accidents and saving lives.
The Acme Air Planned Solutions
Acme's first step was to gather crew input. Categories of the changes recommended by crews and adopted by Acme Air to reduce fatigue include:
Category:
Includes:
Rest Eliminate scheduled reduced rest
Eliminate reduced rest
Longer rest periods
Shorter duty Shorter duty days
Limit number of duty hours allowed
CDOs Eliminate CDOs
No consecutive CDOs
Fewer legs Schedule fewer flight legs
Limit number of flight legs
Consistent scheduling Schedule for days or nights, no alternating
Do not mix CDOs & morning report times
Minimize multiple scheduling changes
Breaks Schedule turnaround times to allow for break/meal/bathroom
Do not schedule long (several hour) breaks between flights
Food/bev Provide food and beverage on flight
Schedule enough time between flight legs for meals
Transport/rest Start rest period upon arrival at hotel (do not count transport)
Reserve Consider time on reserve as duty time
Shorter reserve periods (limit to either a.m. Or p.m.)
Acme Air's plan started with the finding that fatigue can be prevented by individuals taking preemptive measures. First, it formally identified the problem in a company directive:
"Symptoms of fatigue include a feeling of indifference to one's performance, increased reaction time, a decreased ability to concentrate on multiple tasks, fixation, short-term memory loss, impaired judgment, impaired decision-making ability, distractibility, sloppy flying skills, reduced visual perception, loss of initiative, personality changes and depression." (Company literature, 2010)
Acme issued this further directive to all personnel: "Pilots take great pride in their skills and abilities, yet they let their performance degrade needlessly due to fatigue. It is in their hands to take the necessary steps to remain safe and alert, even when the government and their employers are allowing them to work irrational and dangerous schedules. Planning to get enough sleep before a trip is the most obvious step. Using earplugs and eye masks can help in this endeavor.
"Another step would be to eat properly. Everyone should exercise often, but remember to do so well before the start of a trip. This will make the pilot healthier and more alert. Pilots can stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, especially during a flight, and avoid coffee, sodas and alcohol. They can wear noise-reducing headsets if the cockpit is loud.
"Finally, all crew personnel must stay home when they are ill, for their own sake and for their fellow crew members."
The company's literature was...
(Kanki, 2010, pp. 452-460) ("Air Crew Training Manual," 2007) In 2006, the guidelines were revised even further with the introduction of Air Crew Coordination Training Enhanced (ACT-E). Under this approach all aviators are given this kind of training from the start of the program. Once they are assigned to a squadron, is when they will have this training further augmented. The way that this takes place, they will have an
Fatigue Management in Aviation Many documented incidents can be linked to pilot fatigue. A case in kind occurred on August 18, 1993, where a Connie Kalitta DC-8 crashed whilst completing its 1/4-mile base leg. The flight crew had flown for 9 hours and been on duty for 18 hours, accordingly disrupting their circadian rhythm and experiencing sleep loss (National Transportation Safety Board, 1993). Showing how fatigue was determined to be a contributing
Chronic Fatigue in the Aviation Industry Chronic Fatigue Fatigue is the mental and/or physical state of being weak and tired. Mental and physical fatigue is different, but the two will often exist together. A person becomes mentally tired if they are physically exhausted for a long period. A person being unable to function physically at their normal levels manifests physical fatigue Jackson & Earl, 2006. Mental fatigue will manifest itself by a sleepy
The "fatigue summit " was held in 2005 and hosted by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, representing flight attendants at American Airlines, and Transport Workers Union Local 556, representing flight attendants at Southwest Airlines. The meeting was held at American Association of Flight Attendants-CWA headquarters outside Dallas. (Flight Attendants Hold Summit on Job Fatigue, Hours) One of the central issues on the table was a critique of the Federal Aviation
Hans Wendt, a staff photographer with the San Diego County's public relations office, who was covering an outdoor press event in North Park at the time of the accident, took two dramatic post collision still color photographs of the falling Boeing-727 trailing blue-and-white smoke streaking from its right wing while plunging towards the ground. They appeared in several publications around the world including the cover of Time magazine. Another television
The study made a comparison of the performance of the crew in two types of equipment.CRM failures were note to lead to a general increase in the number of mishaps (56% due to CRM failure). Discussion The development of Crew Resource Management came as response to the new revelations on the causes of aircraft accidents that followed the introduction of flight and cockpit voice recorders into the modern aircraft jets. Information
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now