Mon, Apr 05, 2004
Pilots Union Calls For Better-Defined Rest Periods
The Allied Pilots Association (APA),
collective bargaining agent for the 13,500 pilots of American
Airlines, called upon the Federal Aviation Administration over the
weekend to guarantee rest for US pilots flying internationally as
well as those flying domestically.
"We urge the FAA to comply with the National Transportation Safety
Board's Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvement on Human
Fatigue/Hours-of Work Policy," said Captain John E. Darrah, APA
President.
Darrah's comments came during National Sleep Awareness Week
(March 29 - April 4), which is a public awareness campaign
sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation to promote the
importance of quality sleep to health, productivity and safety.
Currently, US pilots flying domestically are limited under 14
CFR 121.471(b) to 16 hours of duty regardless of delays caused by
weather, air traffic control, or maintenance. This provides a
domestic pilot who is either flying or on-call with a guaranteed
eight-hour rest period every 24 hours. A pilot flying
internationally has no such guarantee and is effectively on duty
for the airline 24 hours a day with no guaranteed rest. An
international on-call pilot may be called to fly at any time during
the day, whether rested or not.
"There is no difference between the
two pilot groups other than where they fly, yet one group is
unnecessarily exposed to much greater risk of fatigue-induced
error," said Darrah.
The National Transportation Safety Board's Safety Recommendation
to the FAA #A-99-045 states: "Establish within 2 years
scientifically based hours-of-service regulations that set limits
on hours of service, provide predictable work and rest schedules,
and consider circadian rhythms and human sleep and rest
requirements." Status of the recommendation is currently labeled
"Open Unacceptable Response." The response notes that "the Safety
Board has for many years documented the safety problem caused by
operator fatigue in aviation and is frustrated by the FAA's lack of
progress concerning this issue."
"We encourage the FAA to apply an equal rest standard to US
pilots flying both domestically and internationally," said Darrah.
"The FAA states that its mission is to 'provide a safe, secure, and
efficient global aerospace system.' In keeping with this mission,
equal duty time limits must be applied to all pilots so that the
flying public is guaranteed a uniform level of safety wherever they
fly."
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