Shared responsibility for managing fatigue: Hearing the pilots

Area of Science:

• Aviation safety and human factors research.
• Occupational health and performance science.

Background:

• Fatigue is a critical safety concern in commercial aviation, defined as reduced performance due to sleep loss, extended wakefulness, circadian disruption, or workload.
• International Civil Aviation Organisation mandates shared responsibility for fatigue risk management among airlines, pilots, and support staff.
• Existing research predominantly focuses on regulatory and operator-driven fatigue mitigations, with limited attention to pilot perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pilots' views and experiences with in-flight sleep as a primary fatigue mitigation strategy on long-range flights.
• To gather insights into other fatigue mitigation strategies employed by pilots.
• To understand factors influencing the quality and quantity of in-flight sleep from the pilot's viewpoint.

Main Methods:

• Thematic analysis of qualitative data from diary and survey responses.
• Data collected from 291 pilots across three aircraft types, 17 trip types, and four airlines on three continents.
• Focus on long-range and ultra-long-range flight operations.

Main Results:

• Recommended fatigue mitigation strategies, particularly in-flight sleep, are effective and utilized by pilots on long-haul flights.
• Pilot pre-flight sleep strategies varied based on expected break timing and circadian phase.
• Factors affecting in-flight sleep quality and quantity were identified, moving beyond anecdotal evidence.

Conclusions:

• Pilot-reported fatigue mitigation strategies, including in-flight sleep, are effective and align with quantitative findings.
• Further investigation is needed into flight preparation strategies, especially concerning the uncertainty of in-flight break allocation.
• Incorporating pilot perspectives and operational experiences is crucial for enhancing fatigue risk management systems in aviation.