Airline Crew Members Fatigue and Rest Requirements

On February 12, 2009, Continental Express flight 3407, operated by Colgan Air, crashed near Buffalo, NY. The US Nation Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations concluded that pilots did not perform basic procedures to recover from a stalled condition. Additionally, the NTSB determined that fatigue played a significant role in the accident. The Captain and First Officer did not have adequate rest the night before the accident (Wald, 2009). To prevent future accidents, the legislation regarding fatigue and crew requirements changed.

 

Unfortunately, most regulations are “written on blood,” meaning they become law after an accident; this is not the exception. Congress passed the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010 after the Colgan flight 3407 accident. In 2014, the FAA implemented new minimum rest requirements for airline crew members (Trejos, 2014). This new regulation set a maximum amount of hours a crew member could be on duty and flight per day. Additionally, airlines must have a risk management program and must be reviewed by crew members every often. 

Air Line Pilot Association. (2019). PART 117—FLIGHT DUTY PERIOD: UNAUGMENTED OPERATIONS 

Air Line Pilot Association. (2019). PART 117—Maximum Flight Time: UNAUGMENTED OPERATIONS 

The 14 CFR Part 117 allows pilots to report fatigue to the airline without repercussions. The goal is to have no fatigue pilots flying. However, there is room for improvement. At this time, this regulation does not apply to cargo and private charter pilots. This new legislation helped increase safety in the aviation industry in the US.

References:

Air Line Pilot Association. (2019).  PART 117—FLIGHT DUTY PERIOD: UNAUGMENTED OPERATIONS [Table]. GUIDE TO PART 117 FLIGHT-TIME LIMITATIONS AND REST REQUIREMENTS. https://www3.alpa.org/LinkClick.aspx fileticket=LuTU%2FiviaQE%3D&tabid=3335

Air Line Pilot Association. (2019). PART 117—MAXIMUM FLIGHT TIME: UNAUGMENTED OPERATIONS [Table]. GUIDE TO PART 117 FLIGHT-TIME LIMITATIONS AND REST REQUIREMENTS. https://www3.alpa.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=LuTU%2FiviaQE%3D&tabid=333

Trejos, N. U. T. (2014, January 3). USA TODAY. USATODAY. https://eu.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/01/03/pilot-fatigue-mandatory-rest-new-faa-rules/4304417/

Wald, M. L. (2009, May 14). Pilots in Buffalo Crash Were Set Up for Fatigue, Officials Say at Hearing. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/nyregion/14pilot.html

The US Aviation Industry - The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978

The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978

The airline industry has been heavily regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) since 1938. Airlines had to request approval from the CAB to establish and modify routes, set fares, or change schedules (Siddiqui). All that regulation was no longer there after Congress approved the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. The consequence of the legislation was seen right away, competition increased, airfare prices were more affordable, and passenger demand increased. (Smith, 2020). 

After deregulating the industry, airlines were able to expand the business. Southwest was limited to fly within Texas, after the deregulation, the airline expanded their business to different states and today they fly to international destinations. Nowadays, airlines have the freedom to adjust as the market changes.

Do you imagine how catastrophic it would have been if airlines had to request changes to their schedules to the FAA during the COVID-19 pandemic?

References:

Siddiqui, A. (n.d.). Deregulation and its consequences. https://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Commercial_Aviation/Dereg/Tran8.htm

Smith, F. L. (2020, June 16). Airline deregulation. https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/AirlineDeregulation.html