Fatigue Research

[bezerker]

I believe Conair runs it's crew on "reserve" with a 1.1 hour call out time. This can be done 365 days a year according to the CARs, as being on reserve (just like being "on call"), is not considered "on duty", and there is no "3 off in 17" requirement like there is for being "on call". I don't feel too bad for Conair though because they have a CBA.

[My-Shoes-Are-Covered]

Here's my epiphany: Want to combat fatigue? Schedule shorter work days, and adequate rest! That's your only solution!

[Investigator]

http://www.edmontonsun.com/money/2009/1 ... 1-sun.html

TORONTO -- The Air Canada Pilots Association is launching an initiative to track incidents of pilot fatigue.

Air Canada pilots will document incidents of fatigue and contributing factors with a form used by pilots at other major airlines.

The data will be used to create a database documenting fatigue in Canada and compare that with global industry standards.

The results will then be shared with Air Canada in the hopes of improving schedules to reduce the risk and incidence of pilot fatigue.

[Widow]

If anyone could PM or email me to talk about sleeping arrangements (i.e. accommodation), it would be appreciated!

[Hedley]

*** edited ***

[just curious]

If anyone could PM or email me to talk about sleeping arrangements (i.e. accommodation), it would be appreciated!

If I had a dollar from every woman who asked me that, I still couldn't afford a happy meal.

[CD]

Does anyone know if there has been any Canadian research on pilot fatigue?

There have been fatigue studies conducted on behalf of Transport Canada. The Transportation Development Centre coordinates that sort of multi-modal research for the Department. Here are a few of the studies conducted that specifically relate to flight crew:

Managing pilot fatigue – a unique approach
Assessment of pilot fatigue
Pilot fatigue – assessment and countermeasures
TP13620 - Best practices compendium of fatigue countermeasures in transport operations
TP13804 - Measurement and monitoring of the effects of work schedule and jet lag on the information processing capacity of individual pilots: Phase 2

Here are some of the additional multi-modal fatigue studies that have been published by the TDC that are available online:

Commercial motor vehicle driver fatigue and alertness study
Development of a North American fatigue management program for commercial motor carriers
Development of a scientific basis for review of hours-of-service (HOS) regulations
Effects of length of prior principal sleep periods and naps on commercial driver drowsiness
Investigation of the recovery period required for commercial vehicle drivers with cumulative fatigue
ATC shiftwork and overtime
TP13035 - A 36-hour recovery period for truck drivers: Synopsis of current scientific knowledge
TP13375 - Proceedings of the Fatigue in Transportation Workshop: multimodal issues and solutions Ottawa, Ontario October 15 & 16, 1998
TP13457 - Fatigue in air traffic controllers: Literature review
TP13620 - Best practices compendium of fatigue countermeasures in transport operations
TP13804 - Measurement and monitoring of the effects of work schedule and jet lag on the information processing capacity of individual pilots: Phase 2
TP13875 - Assessment of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) Hours of Work: Phase 1
TP13959 - Fatigue Management Guide for Canadian Pilots
TP14169 - Fatigue risk assessment of aircraft maintenance tasks

[mattedfred]

ALPA adopts landmark pilot fatigue policy

[bezerker]

That is a great bit of reading. Hopefully something like that will replace the two or three paragraphs in the CAR's regarding duty times, rest and fatigue.

For those too lazy to read through it all, a few highlights I found were:

- Maximum flight duty of 13 hrs, dropping to as low as 9 hrs depending on number of legs and time of day.
- Deadheading, pre and post flight duties are "flight duty".
- No more than 3 night shifts in a row.
- No such thing as "on call".
- Maximum of 14 hrs "on reserve" if not called out, otherwise 16 hrs duty day (or less) from start of "on reserve".
- Minimum rest period is 10 hrs from end of flight duty to beginning of flight duty.

It is funny that most of the stuff in there is just common sense. It is unfortunate that common sense has to be regulated (or at least enforced by a CBA). Make way for SMS.

[mattedfred]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/airlinepil ... 0672/show/

US senate hearing on pilot fatigue

[mattedfred]

http://www.alpa.org/portals/alpa/FTDTFi ... fault.aspx

[A Regulator]

Since they put all this stuff in different places I copied and pasted it in one place to try and keep it straight. ( I have not updated this list for about one or two years) There is some interesting words in for Flight duty - "or reports as a flight crew member on standby" then in 720.21 for reserve and, 700.15 if you are a flight crew member on call you are restricted to 100hrs consecutive days, 700.19 (3) says the operator shall notify a flight crew member on call of the commencement and duration of the flight crew members time free from duty.

Most of the issues I have seen is that the operator does not use the same wording.

"flight crew member on reserve" - means a flight crew member who has been designated by an air operator to be available to report for flight duty on notice of more than one hour;

"flight crew member on call" - means a flight crew member who has been designated by an air operator to be available to report for flight duty on notice of one hour or less;

"flight crew member on standby" - means a flight crew member who has been designated by an air operator or private operator to remain at a specified location in order to be available to report for flight duty on notice of one hour or less;

"crew member" - means a person assigned to duty in an aircraft during flight time;

"flight crew member" - means a crew member assigned to act as pilot or flight engineer of an aircraft during flight time;

"flight deck duty time" - means the period spent by a flight crew member at a flight crew member position in an aeroplane during flight time;

"flight duty time" - means the period that starts when a flight crew member reports for a flight, or reports as a flight crew member on standby, and finishes at "engines off" or "rotors stopped" at the end of the final flight, except in the case of a flight conducted under Subpart 4 or 5 of Part VII, in which case the period finishes 15 minutes after "engines off" or "rotors stopped" at the end of the final flight, and includes the time required to complete any duties assigned by the air operator or private operator or delegated by the Minister prior to the reporting time and includes the time required to complete aircraft maintenance engineer duties prior to or following a flight;

"flight time" - means the time from the moment an aircraft first moves under its own power for the purpose of taking off until the moment it comes to rest at the end of the flight;

700.21 (1) An air operator shall provide flight crew members on reserve, within each 24-hour period, with a rest period that meets the requirements of the Commercial Air Service Standards.

720.21 Flight Crew Members on Reserve
The standards for compliance with this section are:
(1) An air operator shall provide each flight crew member with an opportunity to obtain at least 8 consecutive hours sleep in any 24 consecutive hours while on reserve by one of the following methods:
(a) the air operator shall provide the flight crew member with 24 hours notice of the time of commencement and duration of the rest period. The designated rest period cannot shift more than 3 hours earlier or later than the preceding rest period, nor more than a total of 8 hours in any 7 consecutive days;
(b) the flight crew member shall be given a minimum of 10 hours notice of the assignment and shall not be assigned any duty for these 10 hours; or
(c) the air operator shall not assign the flight crew member to flight duty time and shall not interrupt the flight crew member's rest period between 22:00 and 06:00 local time.

(2) Where an air operator is unable to provide a flight crew member with a rest period required by subsection (1) and the flight crew member is notified to report for flight duty or the reporting time occurs between 22:00 and 06:00 local time:
(a) the maximum flight duty time shall be 10 consecutive hours; and
(b) the subsequent minimum rest period shall be increased by at least one-half the length of the preceding flight duty time.

700.15 Flight Time Limitations

700.15 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no air operator shall assign a flight crew member for flight time, and no flight crew member shall accept such an assignment, if the flight crew member's total flight time in all flights conducted by the flight crew member will, as a result, exceed
(a) 1,200 hours in any 365 consecutive days;
(b) 300 hours in any 90 consecutive days;
(c) 120 hours in any 30 consecutive days or, in the case of a flight crew member on call, 100 hours in any 30 consecutive days;
(d) where the flight is conducted under Subpart 4 or 5 using an aircraft other than a helicopter, 40 hours in any 7 consecutive days;
(e) where the flight is conducted under Subpart 2 or 3, or is conducted using a helicopter, 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days; or
(f) where the flight crew member conducts single-pilot IFR flights, 8 hours in any 24 consecutive hours.


700.19 Requirements for Time Free from Duty
700.19 (1) Subject to subsection (2), an air operator shall provide each flight crew member with the following time free from duty:
(a) where the operation is conducted under Subpart 4 or 5 using an aircraft other than a helicopter, one period of at least 36 consecutive hours within each 7 consecutive days or one period of at least 3 consecutive calendar days within each 17 consecutive days;
(b) where the operation is conducted under Subpart 2 or 3 or is conducted using a helicopter, one period of at least 24 consecutive hours 13 times within each 90 consecutive days and 3 times within each 30 consecutive days; and
(c) where the flight crew member is a flight crew member on call, one period of at least 36 consecutive hours within each 7 consecutive days or one period of at least 3 consecutive calendar days within each 17 consecutive days.
(2) An air operator may provide a flight crew member with time free from duty other than as required by paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) if
(a) the time free from duty is authorized in the air operator certificate; and
(b) the air operator and the flight crew member comply with the Commercial Air Service Standards.
(3) An air operator shall notify a flight crew member on call of the commencement and duration of the flight crew member's time free from duty.

[seafeye]

Management can't understand why pilots get tired....

L2B46D BSE REPT: 1055 REPORT- 07/31/09 LOCAL Times
Fr 31 2206 CLT-IAD 1133 1303 0130 035
Fr 31 2251 IAD-CLT 1338 1501 0123 129
Fr 31 DH 1768 CLT-DCA 1630 1756 0043 104 US
Fr 31 2587 DCA-BNA 1900 1953 0153 0446 0043 0529 0529 1013 BNA 1337
D-END: 2008 (NR 1100) REPORT 0945

Sa 01 2412 BNA-DCA 1115 1401 0146 044
Sa 01 2564 DCA-MCI 1445 1626 0241 025
Sa 01 2564 MCI-MCI 1651 1702 0011 020
Sa 01 2564 MCI-DCA 1722 2024 0202 052
Sa 01 2396 DCA-HPN 2116 2217 0101 023
Sa 01 DH 8396 HPN-HPN 2240 2241 0012 TX 0741 0012 1037 1037 1211 HPN 1236
D-END: 2256 (NR 1100) REPORT 1132

Su 02 2437 HPN-CLT 1224 1518 0254 115
Su 02 DH 2328 CLT-ORF 1633 1733 0035 051
Su 02 2328 ORF-LGA 1824 1944 0120 040
Su 02 2475 LGA-BUF 2024 2134 0110 039
Su 02 2475 BUF-LGA 2213 2321 0108 036
Su 02 2591 LGA-CLT 2357 0131 0134 0806 0035 0927 0927 1414
D-END: 0146 --------------------------------------
TOTALS BLOCK 2033 DHD 0130 CREDIT HRS. 2533 T.A.F.B. 6251

[navajo_jay]

thank go we have Fatigue Unit to stop that......

[Widow]

Would you believe that the CARs Guidance material actually contained the definition of "Unforeseen Operational Circumstances"? I say contained, because through the lobbying efforts of ATAC, Transport Canada removed the clauses in 2007.

Hi Martin...

Is it possible that the information you have was published in another location (i.e. an advisory circular or somewhere else)? The reason I ask is that the Guidance Material for subpart 700 was first added to the TC website in October 2004. The published provisions of S740.17 at that time are the same as those in the current S740.17:

S740.17 Unforeseen Operational Circumstances (current)
Guidance Material - Subpart 700 (as at October 2004)

Edit to add:

Nevermind... I did find a version of the guidance you describe that was posted in early 2007:

S740.17 Unforeseen Operational Circumstances (as at January 2007)

It would be nice to know why the guidance material was changed over the years and why there is no indication that it has been changing...

http://www.avcanada.ca//forums2/viewtop ... 79#p568279

I asked Jacqueline Booth about this at the recent SMS Info Session. She said the page was being revised, but did not seem to know when it would be completed and reposted.