Fatigue Identification and Management in Flight Training among Collegiate Aviation Pilots

Objective: The purpose of this study was fivefold: to investigate the symptoms that would prompt collegiate aviation pilots perceive they are fatigued; to investigate the time of the day they are most fatigued; to investigate their academic and personal schedules; to investigate the methods collegiate aviation pilots utilize to ensure they are fit to fly; and to investigate whether they have received any academic and/or flight fatigue identification and management training. Background: Fatigue is a pervasive safety hazard in aviation affecting several aspects of flight crew members’ ability to perform their job. Fatigue in aviation and its consequences has been researched across military and commercial operations, but until now Part 141 collegiate aviation pilots have been neglected. Method: Data were collected using an online survey questionnaire self-report questionnaire (N = 122) consisting of items investigating fatigue identification and management by Part 141 collegiate aviation pilots. Results: Sixty percent of the participants usually experience the mental and physical symptoms of fatigue during flight activities. A finding of concern was that 43% of the participants indicated they had not received any training in fatigue identification and management during ground and flight activities. Conclusion: The safety management of fatigue in a Part 141 collegiate aviation environment is a safety issue that warrants further research, and training and education

Competency Based Education: A Framework for a More Efficient and Safer Aviation Industry

Aircraft design and reliability as well as pilots’ education and training have steadily and significantly improved in the last 20 years. Nevertheless, high-profile accidents still occur, even when the aircraft and related systems are operating adequately. Controlled flight into terrain, runway incursions accidents, and loss-of-control-in-flight are examples of mishaps in which inadequate decision-making, poor leadership, and ineffective communication are frequently cited as contributing factors. Conversely, the investigation of accidents (e.g., US Airways Flight 1549, in US, in 01/15/2009) and serious incidents (e.g., JJ 3756, in Brazil, in 06/17/2011) have indicated that flight crews have to be flexible and adaptable, think outside the box, and to communicate effectively in order to cope with situations well beyond their individual expertise. Conventional flight training requirements generally consider only the so-called “technical skills” and knowledge. Interestingly, pilot’s competencies in important areas, such as leadership, teamwork, resilience, and decision-making are not explicitly addressed. The aviation system is reliable but complex. Thus, it is unrealistic to foresee all possible aircraft accident scenarios. Furthermore, there are many organizational variables that could have a detrimental impact in the flight deck of an aircraft. To further improve flight training, the global aviation industry is moving toward Evidence Based Training (EBT). EBT provides rigorous assessment and assurance of pilot competencies throughout their training, regardless of the accumulated flight hours. EBT programs must identify, develop, and evaluate the competencies required to operate safely, effectively, and efficiently in a commercial air transport environment. Moreover, EBT needs to address the most relevant threats according to evidence collected in aircraft mishaps, flight operations, and training. There is some emergent empirical evidence showing that high-quality education and flight training have a greater impact on efficiency and safety than just the total flight hours accumulated by entry-level pilots. Advanced Qualification Programs are utilized in Part 121 operations. A similar model with the development and assessment of defined competencies can lead to better education and flight training outcomes in collegiate aviation. In keeping with this transition to a competency-based educational model, and given an understanding of the benefits of an EBT program for aviation safety and efficiency, the Purdue School of Aviation and Transportation Technology is redesigning its professional flight program. The benefits of this program will include: a. The establishment of advanced training processes that will enhance the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities by the future professional pilot workforce that meet or exceed safety standards; b. Amplifying quality of education and flight training over flight hours; and c. Developing empirical data to inform decision-makers such as program leaders and regulators. The goal of this transformation process is to develop a competency-based program that will attend to academic and regulatory requirements, and that are in alignment with the major aviation stakeholders’ standards and recommendations. It is important to note that a competency-based degree will require graduates to demonstrate proficiency in competencies that are valued by the aviation and aerospace industries. Therefore, this will be beneficial for both the graduates as well as the industry

Mitigating the Risk of Bird Strikes: The Use of Virtual Reality During Flight Training

There were 193,969 wildlife strikes in the US from 1990 through 2017. Wildlife strikes annually cost the US civil aviation industry, on average, $186 million in monetary losses and 111,284 hours of aircraft downtime (Dolbeer & Begier, 2019). According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM) is a systematic approach that encourages pilots to identify hazards and manage risks (FAA, 2016). Additionally, it helps aviators to make timely and safe decisions. Even though it is practically impossible to eliminate the risk of bird strikes, crewmembers play a vital role in the accident prevention process (Mendonca, Carney, & Fanjoy, 2018), especially outside the airport environment (Dolbeer & Begier, 2019). Crewmembers can mitigate the risk of aircraft accidents due to birds through adequate flight planning and the use of appropriate aircraft operating techniques, among other strategies

Fatigue in Collegiate Aviation

Flight training has received little attention in fatigue research. Only transfers of knowledge gained in commercial and military aviation have been applied to general aviation without bridging the gap to the training environment. The purpose of this study was to assess collegiate aviation students’ perceptions of lifestyle and mitigation strategies related to fatigue. Participants were recruited from a Midwestern university’s accredited Part 141 flight school and a partner fixed base operator (FBO). The researchers of this study used a survey questionnaire to gather quantitative and qualitative responses. The majority of participants (68%) had logged less than 250 flight hours and were under 25 years of age (93%). Many respondents (66%) reported fatigued stemming from sleep quantity or quality deficits. The primary fatigue contributing factors included an insufficient resting time and an inadequate work-free time balance. Daily free time activities conducive to healthy sleep patterns were frequently neglected. Furthermore, several other factors that affected participants’ lifestyles resulted from demands imposed by the college environment. A finding of concern was that half of the sample did not consider themselves to engage in fully adequate bodily exercise, nutritional habits, and workload or stress management. These areas, however, are prime considerations when working towards healthy sleep patterns. Lastly, the researchers presented recommendations for future research. Findings from this study can assist the general aviation community in gaining a greater understanding of how collegiate aviation students perceive, process, and manage the risk of fatigue in aviation. Abstract from Levin, E., Mendonca, F. C., Keller, J., & Teo, A. (2019). Fatigue In Collegiate Aviation. International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.15394/ijaaa.2019.135

Measuring Fatigue and Sleepiness in Collegiate Aviation Pilots

The National Transportation Safety Board has communicated the need to reduce fatigue related accidents through the top ten most wanted list. Additionally, the International Civil Aviation Organization and Federal Aviation Administration have continuously promoted fatigue risk management. Most fatigue related research as well as safety standards in aviation involve air carrier and military operations. However, there has been a recent revival of fatigue related research in collegiate aviation. A recent study found that 85% of collegiate aviation pilots (n = 141) reported fatigue negatively impacted their flight training activities. Results of a qualitative study indicated poor knowledge and behaviors by Part 141 collegiate aviation students (n = 35) regarding quality and quantity of sleep, decision-making processes, and lifestyle choices. The current research study examines the sleepiness and fatigue of collegiate aviation pilots using self-reported scales. The Karolinska Sleepiness and the Samn-Perelli Scales measure the level of sleepiness and fatigue states, respectively. Thirty students (n = 30) were asked to track their fatigue and sleepiness levels four times a day, once a week, for four months, during the 2019 Fall academic semester. Researchers expect to gain a clearer understanding of how time of the day, day of the week, and month effect sleepiness and fatigue levels during flight operations in a collegiate aviation environment. Understanding these factors may help provide better safety promotion efforts such as training and education, fatigue awareness, and fatigue risk management standards. Findings of this study and opportunities for future research will be discussed

An Analysis of Wildlife Strikes to Aircraft in Brazil: 2011-2018

Purpose: Aircraft accidents due to wildlife hazards have become a growing safety and economic problem to the Brazilian and international aviation industries. These safety occurrences have resulted in significant direct and indirect economic losses as well injuries and fatalities worldwide. The purpose of this study was to develop empirical information obtained from the analysis of wildlife strike and aircraft operations data in Brazil that could be used for accident prevention efforts. Design/methodology: The research team collected and analyzed aircraft operations as well as wildlife strike data from the 32 busiest commercial airports in Brazil, from 2011 through 2018. Researchers obtained the number of aircraft operations at each of those 32 Brazilian airports from the Brazilian air traffic operations annual reports published by the Air Traffic Control Department. Wildlife strike data from the studied airports were obtained from the Brazilian national wildlife strike database. Descriptive data analysis was adopted to provide an intuitive and overall trend of wildlife strikes at and the 32 busiest commercial airports in Brazil. Findings: Results indicate that the number of wildlife strikes at and around the investigated airports increased 70% even though the number of aircraft operations at these airports declined by 12% during the period studied. Birds were involved in 88% of the reported events. Most reported strikes (59%) and damaging strikes (39%) occurred during the arrival phases-of-flight. Most (33%) strikes were reported by airport personnel. A finding of concern was that the majority of wildlife strikes (97%) and damaging wildlife strikes (96%) occurred within the airport environment. Practical implications: Findings of this study could be used as the groundwork during the development and assessment of wildlife hazard management programs and other aviation stakeholders’ safety efforts to prevent aircraft accidents due to wildlife strikes. Originality/value: The current project contributes to the safety management of wildlife hazards in Brazil by conducting a comprehensive analysis of wildlife strike and aircraft operations data (2011-2018) in the 32 busiest Brazilian commercial airport

An Exploratory Study of Automation Errors in Part 91 Operations

The purpose of automation is to improve pilot performance, increase efficiency, reduce risks, and human error (Parasuraman, Sheridan, & Wickens, 2000). Generally, automation has made the National Airspace system safer and more efficient. However, automation has been and continues to be an important topic for aviation safety (Vidulich & Tsang, 2016). Most of the discussions and research has revolved around scheduled Part 121. With the reduction in costs, automation has proliferated in Part 91 general aviation operations which provides ongoing research opportunities. Researchers of the current study utilized the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database to find reports of incidents involving automation. During the past 11 years, there have been 161 self-reported incidences of mismanagement of automation within Part 91 operations. It can be assumed that the number of actual events is much higher. During analysis of the dataset, reported incidents were put into four categories in order to gain a clearer understanding into the causes of errors and outcomes. Results indicated automation malfunctions and automation dependency were key factors that led to the ASRS self-report. Based on the analyses, recommendations on how to mitigate the overuse of automation in general aviation were outlined

Fatigue Issues and Mitigation Strategies in Collegiate Aviation

The reduction of fatigue-related accidents has been in the NTSB most wanted list since 2016 (NSTB, 2019). Most research studies have focused on fatigue identification and management within the commercial and/or military aviation environments (Caldwell et al., 2009; Gawron, 2016; Sieberichs & Kluge, 2016). However, collegiate aviation may be the most challenging in terms of fatigue mitigation. Flight instructors and students often have schedules which may increase the risks for fatigue

Julius Keller

Julius Keller is an Assistant Professor in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology at Purdue University. He is an active Certified Flight Instructor with airplane single- and multi-engine, and instrument-airplane ratings. Prior to entering academics, Dr. Keller gained experience as a charter pilot in a Piper Navajo. He also managed multi-modal transportation and logistics for numerous Fortune 500 Companies. Dr. Keller’s primary scholarly areas in aviation include general aviation human factors, collegiate aviation safety, training, and education. His research has been acknowledged by the Federal Aviation Administration and the University Aviation Association. In addition to his scholarship, he has been recognized for his leadership efforts involving women and underrepresented minorities in collegiate aviation. Dr. Keller is the faculty advisor for the Women in Aviation Purdue Chapter, a member of the University Aviation Association, and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Dr. Keller teaches courses pertaining to advanced aircraft systems, advanced navigation, multi-cultural team operations, and aviation management.https://commons.erau.edu/ntas-bios/1103/thumbnail.jp

A Case Study Using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System Framework

Aircraft accidents are generally the end result of a number of latent conditions arising in the organizational and managerial sectors. These conditions frequently permit or even motivatethe unsafe acts by the flight crew. The Human Factors Analysis and ClassificationSystem (HFACS) is a system safety tool for the investigation and analysis of underlying human causal factors in aircraft accidents. Using the HFACS framework, four researchers classified the human factors identified by the Brazilian Aeronautical AccidentsInvestigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) during the investigation of a mishap(PR-AFA) that happened in Brazil in 2014. CENIPA argued that errors and violations by both pilots contributed to the accident.Resultsof this study indicate that inappropriate decision making by upper-level management had an adverse effect on the performance ofthe PR-AFA pilots. Most importantly, safety strategies to mitigate unsafe acts by crewmembersshould receive significant attentionfromthe highest managerial levels of the organization