"The government told passenger airlines Wednesday they'll have to do more to ensure pilots aren't too tired to fly, nearly three years after the deadly western New York crash of a regional airliner flown by two exhausted pilots.
The Federal Aviation Administration's update of airline pilot work rules, some of which dated to the 1960s, reflects a better understanding of the need for rest and how night shifts and traveling through time zones can increase errors," reports the AP via Yahoo!
The changes come after several years of safety advocates requesting changes to FAA rules regarding pilot work and sleep schedules. Previous attempts have all failed due to an inability for the airlines and pilot unions to reach a mutual agreement.
The catalyst prompting this latest push to make rule changes was a 2009 plane crash in Buffalo that left 50 people dead. Following the crash, family members of the deceased have been pushing hard for stricter regulations aimed at avoiding pilot fatigue, which is believed to be one of the causes of the crash.
The new regulations will:
• Limit maximum time a pilot can be scheduled to be on duty to 9-14 hours, depending on the time of day the pilot began flying and the number of times zones he or she crossed.
• Limit the maximum amount of time a pilot can be schedule to fly to 8-9 hours, with a minimum of 10 hours of rest in between duty periods.
• Increase the minimum amount of time off between work weeks by 25 percent.
• Limit how many hours per month pilots are allowed to fly, depending on the time of day the pilots are flying. Overnight pilots will be allowed to fly fewer hours per month than pilots who fly during the day.
Airline carriers have two years to adopt the new regulations. At this time, cargo carriers are not included in the new rules because the cost-benefit analysis of forcing cargo carriers to reduce their pilots allowed hours compared with safety benefits is not favorable.
Pilots unions are not pleased with this exemption, as they have pointed out that allowing fatigued cargo pilots to share skies with rested pilots is still a risk. "A tired pilot is a tired pilot." Nevertheless, the FAA has estimated that the new regulations, even without the inclusion of cargo carriers, will prevent approximately 1.5 accidents - an average of six deaths - per year while improving pilot health. Incidents of pilot stress and work injury will likely decrease as well.
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Illinois Work Injury Blog
Illinois Work Injury Blog - providing information and resources regarding work injury and workers compensation issues in the Chicago, Illinois area.
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