Ms. Madeline Loftus, 24, was just one of the 50 individuals who lost their lives on February 12, 2009 when Continental Flight 3407 crashed in a neighborhood near Buffalo, NY. The NTSB investigation and a frightening PBS Frontline investigation called “Flying Cheap” identified airline industry practices that compromise pilots’ fitness for duty, including severe fatigue, as contributors to the disaster.
The Feb 2009 Pinnacle/Colgan/Continental airline disaster was not the first one in which fatigue was identified as a contributing factor in pilots’ errors and poor performance. Following an October 19, 2004 crash at the Kirksville, Missouri Regional Airport that killed 15, the NTSB noted that the pilots had inadequate overnight rest periods, early report for duty times, and too many consecutive flight legs. In response, the NTSB recommended in 2006 that FAA amend its regulations related to crew hours-of-service, and require the airlines to develop fatigue management programs. FAA responded in September 2010 to the NTSB recommendation by proposing comprehensive improvements and responding to thousands of comments on them. The final result is what was announced this week by the FAA.Continue reading…
