Pilot fatique as a causal factor in aviation accidents

Pilot fatigue as a causal factor in aviation accidents

This aims to delve into the processes and effects of pilot fatigue and its role as a causal factor in aviation accidents . Pilot fatigue as a term is hard to define since different kind of people feel it in different ways and in certain degrees . For the purpose of this however , we will define pilot fatigue as a state of mental and physical exhaustion resulting in a decrease in the ability to perform and maintain activities . The will examine the causes of pilot fatigue

br its effect to pilot performance in the aircraft and its role in causing aviation accidents

The feeling of fatigue is usually associated with two factors lack of sleep and disruption of the body 's normal circadian rhythm . The occurrence of one or both usually results in a feeling of sleepiness tiredness and exhaustion

One of the most essential functions in the human body is sleep . Sleep is the main way by which the body receives rest and enables it to resume activities after wakening . The effects of sleep have been almost based mostly on the results felt with and without it . Generally , having the proper amount of sleep , about 6-8 hours , results in a feeling of well being and freshness . Sleep loss means the time getting less sleep than what is required by the body to perform functions effectively upon awakening . The amount of sleep one needs to perform effectively varies per person , with some needing eight hours while others can simply make do with four . If one needs only 4 hours , and he only sleeps two , two hours of sleep loss occurs . The first night of sleep loss may or may not have a perceptible impact on work activities but after cumulative sleep losses , the impact also increases . Sleep is one of the various body processes regulated by our circadian rhythm

The circadian rhythm deals with regulating processes based on cycles of night and day . When one alters the circadian rhythm , it disrupts the body 's natural cycle of rest and sleep . ADDIN EN .CITE SanquistSanquist , T F .Raby , M .Forsythe A .Carvalhais , A B .Battelle Seattle Research Centre , WA , USA sanquist battelle .orgWork hours , sleep patterns and fatigue among merchant marine personnelJ Sleep ResJ Sleep Res245-5164AdultAnalysis of Variance Circadian RhythmFatigue /complications psychologyHumansMiddle AgedMilitary Personnel psychologyPilot ProjectsSleep Diss /complications diagnosisTime FactorsWakefulness /physiology Work 1997Dec 9493524http /www .ncbi .nlm .nih .gov /entrez /query .fcgi ?cmd Retrieve am br

db PubMed dopt Citation list_uids 9493524 (Sanquist , Raby Forsythe Carvalhais , 1997

Fatigue effects are generally the body 's way of attempting to get some rest . These include drowsiness , lapsing in and out of sleep , reduced alertness and muscle coordination , loss of concentration and spotty memory . A fatigued person has sluggish movements , slow reaction times and a tendency to lose focus of the task at hand . Graver is the tendency to become unconscious for brief periods of time , neglecting whatever action at hand . ADDIN EN .CITE ConwayConway...