Airline Pilot Fatigue

The FAA wants a pilot to call out fatigued when they reach a fatigued condition. This is the most stupid rule. How do you expect a pilot to make a good fatigue decision when they can barely make good decisions. To top it off the FAA has rules in place like the 14 hour day extendable to 16 hours which are very fatiguing.

The FAA has a very long way to go before safe work hours are in place for airline pilots.

As a passenger have you ever thought of asking how long the pilots of your aircraft have been on duty. Why not, they are responsible for your safety. Would you get in a car with a taxi driver that was fatigued after driving for many hours? Of course not.

If there is a lot of weather or conditions that are causing delays, I would ask how long the flight crew has been on duty. Then factor in what the time of day it is. Is it late at night? That makes it even harder for the pilots to function after a challenging day.

Take control. Ask the gate or ask the flight crew themselves. If you feel your crew could be fatigued, get off and state your concern. This will help with making a change.

The airlines put a lot of pressure on the pilots and make it hard for them to call in fatigue.