Fatiguing effect of multiple take-offs and landings in regional airline operations

Abstract

Fatigue is a risk factor for flight performance and safety in commercial aviation. In US commercial aviation, to help to curb fatigue, the maximum duration of flight duty periods is regulated based on the scheduled start time and the number of flight segments to be flown. There is scientific support for regulating maximum duty duration based on scheduled start time; fatigue is well established to be modulated by circadian rhythms. However, it has not been established scientifically whether the number of flight segments, per se, affects fatigue. To address this science gap, we conducted a randomized, counterbalanced, cross-over study with 24 active-duty regional airline pilots. Objective and subjective fatigue was compared between a 9-hour duty day with multiple take-offs and landings versus a duty day of equal duration with a single take-off and landing. To standardize experimental conditions and isolate the fatiguing effect of the number of segments flown, the entire duty schedules were carried out in a high-fidelity, moving-base, full-flight, regional jet flight simulator. Steps were taken to maintain operational realism, including simulated airplane inspections and acceptance checks, use of realistic dispatch releases and airport charts, real-world air traffic control interactions, etc. During each of the two duty days, 10 fatigue test bouts were administered, which included a 10-minute Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) assessment of objective fatigue and Samn-Perelli (SP) and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) assessments of subjective sleepiness/fatigue. Results showed a greater build-up of objective and subjective fatigue in the multi-segment duty day than in the single-segment duty day. With duty start time and duration and other variables that could impact fatigue levels held constant, the greater build-up of fatigue in the multi-segment duty day was attributable specifically to the difference in the number of flight segments flown. Compared to findings in previously published laboratory studies of simulated night shifts and nighttime sleep deprivation, the magnitude of the fatiguing effect of the multiple take-offs and landings was modest. Ratings of flight performance were not significantly reduced for the simulated multi-segment duty day. The US duty and flight time regulations for commercial aviation shorten the maximum duty duration in multi-segment operations by up to 25% depending on the duty start time. The present results represent an important first step in understanding fatigue in multi-segment operations, and provide support for the number of flight segments as a relevant factor in regulating maximum duty duration. Nonetheless, based on our fatigue results, a more moderate reduction in maximum duty duration as a function of the number of flight segments might be considered. However, further research is needed to include investigation of flight safety, and to extend our findings to nighttime operations.

Collegiate Aviation Pilots: Analyses of Fatigue Related Decision-Making Scenarios

“…Adequate quantity and good quality sleep are likely the most effective way to reduce fatigue (FAA, 2007) However, other strategies can contribute to this process (Caldwell et al, 2009;CASA, 2012;ICAO, 2012). Most research studies addressing fatigue in aviation have either involved Part 121 pilots (Gander et al, 2013;Goode, 2003;Honn et al, 2016;Petrie et al, 2004;Petrie & Dawson, 1997;Sieberichs & Kluge, 2016) or military pilots (Caldwell et al, 2001;Caldwell & Brown, 2003;Caldwell et al, 2000;Miller & Melfi, 2006).…”

How much is too much on monitoring tasks? Visual scan patterns of single air traffic controller performing multiple remote tower operations

“…Innovative systems development requires careful assessment of human information processing at the initial design stage to assure effective operators' situation awareness, safety and cost-efficiency (Chang, Yang, & Hsiao, 2016;Honn, Satterfield, McCauley, Caldwell, & Dongen, 2016). The cognitive match between an ATCO's information processing and external information presentation is a key requirement for effective monitoring performance in multiple remote tower operations.…”

Flight Safety Assessment Based on a Modified Human Reliability Quantification Method

“…Once the flight task analysis has been thoroughly completed, the expected effect of each task scenario on human reliability, known as the PIF level, can be qualitatively determined based on expert experience and judgment. It is assumed that the task scenario does not change between the approach and landing stages because these two tasks are performed within a relatively short time [23]. Thus, the qualitative results can be obtained as shown in Table 7.…”