Revised rules on rest periods for commercial pilots should be ready for review by the end of this year or early next, with the US Federal Aviation Administration drafting new regulations.
The latest attempt to update rest requirements for commercial transport pilots follows years of unsuccessful attempts to reach industry consensus on the issue. Existing regulations are to be made less complex and more consistent, and the latest research on operator fatigue is to be incorporated.
Pilot fatigue is one of the factors that the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating in relation to the recent crash of an American Airlines Boeing MD-82 at Little Rock, Arkansas.
The cockpit crew had been on duty for 13h 30min, 30min less than the existing maximum.
Current FAA regulations impose an 8h flying-time limit during a 24h period, with a minimum of 8h rest during the same period, but the rules do not address the amount of time that pilots can be on duty.
The Safety Board recommends that the FAA establish, within two years, scientifically based crew rest regulations that set limits on hours of service, provide predictable work and rest schedules, and consider the effects of time zones and sleep requirements.
Source: Flight International
