"pilot error, plain and simple."
Bullcrap. An accident whose probable cause begins with the words "The pilot's failure to..." is most often the final erroneous action or decision in a long list of mistakes, oversights and latent organizational pathogens that set the killing conditions resulting in the flightcrew making the final mistake that allows the dirt into the cockpit. "Leadership Error" is what we should call it.
Kim and Jonathon are talking to us here folks, and we should honor their memory by taking this opportunity to learn as much as possible about what killed them, in an attempt to keep it from ever happening to us. We owe them that much.
Debating the importance of airlines getting serious about crew fatigue issues is wasted bandwidth guys, without the regulatory stick to beat them, they won't do it. Even when people are killed. "We here at ______ Airlines encourage our crews to call in fatigued, they are instructed repeatedly that operating an aircraft in a fatigued manner is contrary to the regulations and our stated company policy and directives." What we should be doing is talking about how we as aviators can work within the current structure to minimize the risk. In other words, the part of the equation we control!
A lot of this comes down to personal discipline. There are several coping strategies that can assist us:
Regular, cardiovascular exercise. Twenty minutes a day, three times a week, will decrease your bodies need for sleep. Being physically fit will greatly reduce the effects of fatigue during your four day from heck. Instead of watching a bunch of garbage on the hotel TV, try going to bed earlier. Get up first thing in the morning and hit the treadmill, elliptical trainer, bike, rowing machine, whatever. You'll feel better all day.
Proper diet and nutrition. Avoid refined sugar and processed foods. Potatoes, white rice, white bread, enriched anything. Avoid any substance with high fructose corn syrup in it. Instead of packing those energy bars, put a couple of apples, grapefruits, bananas or other pieces of fruit you like in your suitcase. Transfer a few out each morning into your flight bag so they'll be available in the cockpit. These "slow release" sugars are much more healthy for you, and will result in more even, consistent energy throughout the day. Sports drinks? Avoid them. Drink water throughout the day, whether you're thirsty or not. You can probably draw your aircraft's fuel system and recite all of it's limitations and EP's by heart, but do you understand how your pancreas and insulin control your metabolism and the fuel your body (which is the most important system in the jet!) uses to move, think, shoot that ILS? If the answer is no, time to head to the library or your physician and find out.
Do some research on fatigue and rest. There are several good books available. Learn about your circadian rhythm, know when your two low points are during the day and why. If you're a caffeine user, consume it strategically to negate that 1500-1700 "dip" every afternoon. Understand that your short-term memory goes to heck in a handbasket when you're tired. Know that you're at risk for channelized attention. Be aware that factors such as illness and sleep debt play a big roll in fitness for flight. Realize that as the fatigued pilot, you are the LAST person in the world whose in a good position to evaluate your fitness for flight. How often have you had that "Are you good for one more, brotha?" conversation with your crewmates? "Yeah, I guess..." If you're trying to talk yourself into it and are rationalizing along the lines of "I'll just make sure we're both aware of the risk." guess what? There's nothing you can do to improve your performance when you're fatigued, no matter how aware you are you're tired.
So, what to do? Brief it up carefully, demanding careful adherence to the SOP and diligent checklist usage. You may not be able to do anything as a human machine to avoid fatigue-related errors, but by following our procedures carefully and making an effort to make every standard callout, communicate thoroughly and hit every checklist item just as if a check airman was sitting there, we increase the odds that any mistake we do make will be mitigated before it causes us any trouble. Fatigue and hypoxia are very similar. When you've got it, you're probably not aware of it. Fatigue is a much bigger killer.
Kim and Jonathon are talking to us here guys. Are we listening? Screw the company, personal discipline and good solid airmanship are where it's at.
So, there are folks far more experienced and clever than I on this board, who else wants to post something relating to their strategies on coping with fatigue?
