Don't hold your breath for safer rest rules
 

Political rhetoric aside, looks like the FAA and congress have once again put airline safety firmly on the sidelines. Can't say I'm surprised as it is standard operating procedure unless they need to act to keep their butts from getting chewed on. Which is few and far between because they are masters at shifting blame.

Plane crash victims push W.Va. senator for bill - Yahoo! Finance


I cringe whenever I hear these folks talk about safety. They act swiftly for the industry when they think it will keep costs low but can't bother with major risk mitigating changes that are long overdue. Long haul truckers have better rest rules.

I guess the problem has gone away (butt chewing potential) because we haven't had any other accidents directly attributable to fatigue. With a wave of their hand they're saying, "Go about your business, nothing to see here."

Maybe we should put together another commission to decide when the next meeting on this will be.

Yep. Seems no one cares, unless there is an incident or even worse a crash.

Fatigue issues need to be addressed NOW! Not at the first opportunity for a sound bite from Senator XXXXXXX.

Rest Rules
 

Aside from the problems changing regulations, any change will not address the problem of commuting. Regardless of what changes in flight time limits and rest requirements, there won't be any change in rule which would prevent a crewmember from commuting all night or for an even longer period of time and then show for a 16 hour duty day.

This is where rules need to change. This is where the Colgan crew drew their fatigue.

TransMach

I have met Senator XXXXX. He is an idiot. He has no business being on anything in transportation. You have a great point about truckers. You should dig up how many trucking accidents happen in his state because of safety.

Probably haven't heard of any fatigue accidents because it's easier just to say pilot error and sweep it under the rug. The Captain of that flight lived in my neighborhood. The news here crucified him with pilot error accusations.

Says the guy who lives 20 minutes from domicile and hasn't been moved around much ... :rolleyes:

I've actually lived that close to base at once. Now I have a 2 hour flight connecting to a 6 hour flight.

While I have only been commuting that far for less than 3 years, I can safely say that those individuals that live near their base have just as much of a chance to report to work fatigued as the long distance commuter.

I have lived both life styles enough to know a "commuter regulation" will do little if anything to address the issue of fatigue in the cockpit.

The most fatigued I have ever been is well after that first report anyway. Maybe as early as day 3, or as late as day 15. How will a commuting regulation address that problem ?

And the Capt, who was PF, arrived in EWR the day prior at 1544....w/21+ hours of rest until his 1330 report the next day.

The FO arrived at 0623 for her initial 1330 report....BTW, at 0729 she sent a text message indicating her only flight for the day was the one to BUF.

Of course, since their first two flights were canx'd so their first flight duty was the mishap flight. Release was issued at 1800 for a 1910 departure.

Commuting regulation would have adverse impacts to quality of life for all pilots that do not live in domicile, and would instantiate another potential "jeopardy" issue that may impact career & earnings.

A government can not regulate against stupidity and incompetence, as much as it tries.

Every professional pilot should know & observe his limitations, for rest, and all of us are different, based on our experience & life status (.

Any such regulation could have the counter effect of causing more fatigue as pilots would endeavor to arrive "just in time" and have x hours to kill before check in vs having a continous rest followed by a commute.

Additionally, all commuting is different, sitting in the middle seat on a 737 for 3-4 hours is vastly different than sleeping in a bunk in an MD-11 for 5-6 hours with respect to fatigue.

While I don't think a "commuter" regulation does anything to resolve the issue, using the "career & earnings" argument doesn't work here.

You have to choose. Safety or "career & earnings". Guess which one the voters will want the gubm'nt to pick.

Not saying you're wrong on your position. Not at all. Just that we need to watch throwing out the "career & earnings" side as an argument against a commuter regulation.

-mini

What I meant by a career & earnings jeapordy issue, is that if there was a "regulation" and it was violated- and prosecuted by either the company or FAA, it could jeapordize a pilot's career and thus earnings.

i.e. rule says be in domicile x hours prior, due to cancellations wx, etc, a pilot arrives x-y time prior, and the company/FAA decides to make an example out of him- for effect, we would have an issue where we do not under current regulation.

Latest from the FAA indicated a NPRM September-ish 2010 (which may mean June 2015).