All articles tagged with #pilot fatigue
An Air India captain, Sunny Sharad Asaldekar, 46, was found unresponsive in a Delhi hotel during an overnight layover and later died; a post-mortem is pending as the Federation of Indian Pilots calls for a fatigue-management review, while experts note that overnight layovers and cross-time-zone schedules can disrupt pilots' sleep and health.
The captain and copilot of a Batik Air A320 flight from Kendari to Jakarta fell asleep for 28 minutes during the flight, with both pilots taking turns napping while the other communicated with air traffic controllers. The incident was attributed to pilot fatigue, with the copilot not having rested sufficiently the night before. The airline stated it operates with an adequate rest policy and is committed to implementing safety recommendations, while the report made safety recommendations regarding checking pilots' physical and mental conditions and carrying out cockpit checks.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has convened a "Safety Summit" to investigate a concerning number of high-profile "near misses" and dangerous turbulence incidents that have occurred since the start of the year. While officials and airlines say flyers can continue to board planes with confidence, some say recent events are a warning sign of potential trouble to come. The FAA has not found a common cause for the incidents, but staffing and training issues, as well as pilot fatigue, have been cited as potential factors. The summit focused on discussing concrete steps to make the system safer.