Improving flight safety through controlled rest: pilot practices and perceptions

IF 5.4 1区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, INDUSTRIAL

Safety Science Pub Date : 2025-10-16 DOI:10.1016/j.ssci.2025.107030

Jonathan Higgins, Marina Efthymiou, Ioannis Ropotos

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The aviation industry maintains high safety standards, yet fatigue remains a persistent challenge among flight crew, with fatigue-related human error contributing to a significant proportion of accidents. This study investigates Controlled Rest (CR) as a countermeasure to fatigue in commercial aviation, assessing its acceptability and effectiveness from the perspective of pilots. Data were collected from 232 commercial pilots through a survey distributed across multiple regions and operational contexts, revealing that over 75% view CR as an effective countermeasure to fatigue. Approximately half the participants utilize CR weekly, with long-haul pilots reporting higher usage. Results indicate that CR is generally regarded as a safe, efficient tool for mitigating fatigue-related risks in flight operations, with a subset of pilots citing challenges in its implementation. Findings underscore the potential for CR to improve aviation safety and inform future fatigue management policies. Recommendations for integrating CR into Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) are discussed, providing actionable insights for regulators and operators.

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通过控制休息提高飞行安全：飞行员的实践和认识

航空业保持着很高的安全标准，但疲劳仍然是机组人员面临的一个持续挑战，与疲劳相关的人为失误导致了很大一部分事故。本研究以管制休息（CR）作为商业航空的疲劳对策，从飞行员的角度评估其可接受性和有效性。通过分布在多个地区和操作环境中的调查，从232名商业飞行员中收集了数据，显示超过75%的人认为CR是有效的疲劳对策。大约一半的参与者每周使用CR，长途飞行员报告的使用率更高。结果表明，CR通常被认为是一种安全、有效的工具，可以减轻飞行操作中疲劳相关的风险，但一小部分飞行员指出了其实施过程中的挑战。研究结果强调了CR在提高航空安全方面的潜力，并为未来的疲劳管理政策提供信息。讨论了将CR整合到疲劳风险管理系统（FRMS）中的建议，为监管机构和运营商提供了可行的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Safety Science 管理科学-工程：工业

CiteScore

13.00

自引率

9.80%

发文量

335

审稿时长

53 days

期刊介绍： Safety Science is multidisciplinary. Its contributors and its audience range from social scientists to engineers. The journal covers the physics and engineering of safety; its social, policy and organizational aspects; the assessment, management and communication of risks; the effectiveness of control and management techniques for safety; standardization, legislation, inspection, insurance, costing aspects, human behavior and safety and the like. Papers addressing the interfaces between technology, people and organizations are especially welcome.