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
