The Federal Aviation Administration this week released new rules aimed at preventing airline pilots from flying while fatigued. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said, “This is a major safety achievement. We made a promise to the traveling public that we would do everything possible to make sure pilots are rested when they get in the cockpit. This new rule raises the safety bar to prevent fatigue.”
But wait, what about aircraft mechanic duty time? We get fatigued just as pilots do. Industry along with the FAA has for years admitted mechanic fatigue is a known contributor factor to human errors in aircraft maintenance, and the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) offers an online training course for mechanics titled, “Fatigue Countermeasures”.
The FAA press release on the new rule stated that safety advocates have been urging regulators to consider changing the rules for more than two decades. Again, what about mechanic duty time? Discussions on mechanic duty time have also been going on for decades. 14 CFR 121.377 titled, “Maintenance and preventive maintenance personnel duty time limitations” has been in place for decades and speaks to airline mechanic duty time. But most would agree this current rule does little to combat the issue of mechanic fatigue.
Anyone who has worked in a busy environment, among the noise, the traffic, the heat or cold, working nights or rotating shifts, correcting and tracking discrepancies on multiple aircraft would agree that fatigue can be a problem. It’s up to us as mechanics to determine if we are fit for duty and understanding fatigue is part of that determination.
Happy Holidays, Ron
