FLIGHT CREW FATIGUE II - SHORT-HAUL FIXED-WING AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS

We monitored 74 crewmembers before, during, and after 3-4-d commercial short-haul trips crossing no more than one time zone per 24 h. The av erage duty day lasted 10.6 duty hours, with 4.5 flight hours and 5.5 f lights. On trips, crewmembers slept less, woke earlier, and reported h aving more difficulty falling asleep, with lighter, less restful sleep than pretrip. The consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and snacks increa sed on trip days, as did reports of headaches, congested nose, and bac k pain. The study suggests the following ways of reducing fatigue duri ng these operations: base the duration of rest periods on duty hours a s well as flight hours; avoid scheduling rest periods progressively ea rlier across a trip; minimize early duty report times; and inform crew members about strategic use oi caffeine and alternatives to alcohol fo r relaxing before sleep.