Sleep is Crucial For Pilots

It's up to each pilot—GA, airline, cargo, or otherwise—to monitor and control their habits to get enough rest.

Michael Wildes

Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 09:07 AM ET

Verified

Sleepy pilots aren't good for anybody. [File Photo: Adobestock]

Key Takeaways:

Pilot fatigue is a pervasive and increasing safety concern across aviation, highlighted by recent reports, pilot protests over demanding schedules, and its recognition as a key safety recommendation by the NTSB.
Current regulatory protections against fatigue are inconsistent, as cargo and general aviation pilots often lack the same mandatory rest rules as commercial airline pilots, contributing to higher accident rates in those sectors.
Addressing fatigue requires both structural changes within the industry and individual pilots taking proactive steps to educate themselves on sleep hygiene, understand fatigue's cumulative effects, and implement personal risk management strategies.

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The Flight Safety Foundation recently published its Annual Safety Report, which measures the causes of incidents and accidents in the previous year. While it covers the obvious numbers—such as loss of control in flight, controlled flight into terrain, and runway mishaps as leading causes of incidents and accidents across aviation operations—what caught my attention was the focus on pilot wellness.

Specifically, the report spotlights the state of mind of the pilots it surveyed as related to sleep and fatigue. At this point, I’m sure no one is surprised that the pandemic added to the burden pilots had to bear to do their jobs, but it is surprising just how universally tired pilots are.