'Pilot fatigue a major issue the world over'

Mumbai: Pilot fatigue has been the talking point in countries such as the US, Australia and UK for a while. In 1997, it became a major issue when 223 people died after the fatigued pilots of Korean Air flight 801 crashed a Boeing 747-300 into Nimitz Hill, just 5 km from the Guam airport.
Air safety expert M Ranganathan said, "Killers in Aviation, a complete study by world aviation experts on the fatigue factor involved in the Korean air crash, shows how critical decisions on pilot rest rules can be. Following that, countries all over the world started reducing duty hours and increasing rest periods".
Ranganathan pointed out that Australia, which had the best safety record, had carried out an extensive study on pilot fatigue. The 2007 CAR (new pilot rest rules) issued by India's DGCA was based on those findings.
The issue of cockpit crew fatigue got a hearing in India only when the DGCA (in May this year) decided to revert back to the rest rules framed in 1992 by putting a scientifically-backed set of rest rules in abeyance (CAR 2007).
"The reason? "Airlines had to recruit 35% more pilots, which meant added expenses," said a senior commander.
Defending their decision-against the petition filed by the Joint Action Committee of Airline Pilots demanding the implementation of the 2007 CAR-the DGCA said airlines could not afford the additional expenses.
The DGCA also pointed out that no carrier would want its planes to crash and so would not demand something that compromised safety.
"It is as good as saying that the earlier air accidents took place as the airlines concerned wanted their aircraft to crash," said a senior commander, adding that carriers across the world opposed rules that entailed additional expenses. It was the job of the aviation regulatory authority to see that profits did not get priority over safety.
"India has the DGCA, but it does not have a body like the NTSB. There is no board to rap the DGCA or ask it to take decisions in the interest of air safety," he added.
16/08/08 Manju V/Times of India

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Categories: Foreign Aug 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2008, Safety Aug 2008