Originally Posted by
SEGATAKI
Everyone that wants to comment on this accident should read the CVR that is available for public viewing. From cruise flight until intercepting the localizer there was so much mindless chatter.
ALPA actually asked about this to the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute rep for the FAA. ALPA was asking 'would appropriately timed conversation (above 10K) help reduce fatigue'?
The answer was 'yes'. As the NTSB pointed out too, many people use conversation to stay awake in cars, and pilots should consider it as well as a fatigue mitigation strategy, provided it doesn't detract from their duties. However, as I write this, NASA is testifying that 'conversation usually requires attention, thus detracting from situational awareness'. So,
consider talk to reduce fatigue, but not enough to detract from situational awareness.
It should be noted that the direct physical events that caused this accident (retardation of the throttle, flap extension, gear extension, prop pitch change, shaker, control column movement, partial throttle increase, pusher, rudder pedal movement, flap retraction) did
not occur in the midst of conversation.
Originally Posted by
dojetdriver
Lets see, wake up at 4am, 2am on my body clock. Not uncommon at the "regionals" these days whose flying consists of flying in the region of the entire United States. Anyway, wake up at 4 am, fly 2 hours, sit for four hours after flying that 2, then fly 3 hours, sit 2 hours, then fly 1 hour to an 8 1/2 hour sit (overnight) at a hotel, repeat.
I'm not talking about day 1 of a trip with a commute in on that day, I'm talking about days 2 and 3 of many "regional" type 4 day trips.
Yes, but the accident FO awoke in the morning in SEA, then started her commute that evening (or that was my understanding from the testimony in front of the NTSB hearing yesterday). The NTSB and FAA believe she had over 36 hours since her last full sleep. She slept on her SEA-MEM leg, as well as in MEM. How well was she rested @ the time of the accident? We'll never know for sure.
Her schedule was likely more fatiguing than any regional schedule (even the worst ones are not a 36 hour duty day).
The problem is the public doesn't hear about the majority of commuters, but only about this one, which was abnormal. The public only knows the most sensational aspects of reality.