FAA to Propose New Fatigue Rules

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to propose changes to two of the most hotly contested issues involving cockpit fatigue, as part of a broader effort to revamp decades-old limits on how long commercial pilots can stay behind the controls.
The proposed changes would affect ultralong-range routes flown by jumbo jets as well as short hops flown by the smallest turboprop aircraft.
Airline pilots have long argued that current regulations governing crew scheduling on these two types of routes -- which operate at the opposite ends of commercial aviation -- fail to adequately address safety hazards. But the FAA hasn't followed through with changes, partly as a result of opposition from airlines concerned about costly rules.
Now, the agency is gearing up for an overhaul of regulations governing flight hours and length of workdays for all U.S. airline pilots. The FAA wants to replace the current one-size-fits-all rules on pilot workdays with a new regime that takes into consideration the latest scientific research on sleep.
Under these new parameters, pilots' schedules would vary depending on the time of day, the number of takeoffs and the internal body clocks of crew members.
The FAA is likely to end what are, in effect, longstanding exemptions permitting pilots of small turboprop aircraft at Skywest Airlines and a handful of other regional carriers to fly as much as 20% more hours per month than the rest of the industry, according to representatives of regional carriers and pilots. Such a change, affecting planes carrying between 19 and 30 passengers, could force some carriers to hire additional pilots.
For nonstop routes between 16 and 20 hours, the FAA is leaning toward proposing additional restrictions, possibly including enhanced rest periods for pilots, according to people familiar with the matter. Current FAA regulations were written decades before the advent of such flights connecting U.S. gateways with India or other far-flung destinations.
Airlines have successfully challenged earlier FAA proposals to extend pilot rest before, during and after flying ultralong routes. Airlines are concerned that it could be expensive to comply with new requirements because it could require that additional pilots be assigned to these routes.
16/09/09 Andy Pasztor/The Wall Street Journal

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Categories: Foreign Sep 2009, Safety Sep 2009