Pilot Fatigue in Aviation

Pilot Fatigue in Aviation

Aviation transport is said to be the safest transportation method by man but is challenged by incidents and accidents that resulted to tragic loss of lives and damage to properties . One very important reason that is being looked upon by aviation and concerned authorities like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA ) is of man 's physiological limitation which is fatigue

Pilot fatigue is highly blamed in most aviation accidents over the years . The risk of accident is said to be

high if the pilot is deprived of sleep . Sleep is a vital physiological function , and obtaining even one hour less than required can increase waking sleepiness (Air Line Pilot , November 1994 , page 22 . Sleep loss can be acute and if continued over time may result in a cumulative sleep debt . Cumulative sleep loss and disruption of 24-hour biological , or circadian rhythms can lead to decreased waking alertness , impaired performance , and altered mood Fatigue is the symptom often reported to characterize the sum of these negative experiences . Sleep-deprived personnel lose approximately 25 to 30 of their ability to perform useful mental work with each 24-hour period of sleep loss (Johnston III , S .L , 2005 . In fact , a 2003 study on the impact of fatigue on F-117 pilots revealed that 27-33 hours of sleep deprivation (1 night of sleep loss ) degrade basic piloting skills by more than 40 below normal (Johnston III , S .L , 2005

For this reason , NASA and FAA...