Safety Science and Engineering College, Civil Aviation University of China, No. 2898 Jinbei Road, Dongli District, Tianjin 300300, China.
Research Institute of Civil Aviation Safety Science, Civil Aviation University of China, No. 2898 Jinbei Road, Dongli District, Tianjin 300300, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 19;19(20):13567. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192013567.
Pilot fatigue and alertness are critical for civil aviation safety. Intercontinental pilots are more prone to fatigue and sleepiness due to jet lag, prolonged workdays, and disrupted rhythms. The Civil Aviation Administration of China excused enlarged flight crews from mandatory layovers and reimposed flight duration restrictions during COVID-19. This study investigates the sleep quality and attentional performance of pilots on intercontinental flights. The fifteen pilots who performed intercontinental flights in different crew compositions wore a body movement recorder, which has been proven to accurately estimate sleep duration and sleep efficiency. The crew's attentional performance and self-report were monitored at specified flight phases. In conclusion, the larger crews slept longer and more efficiently on board, particularly pilots in charge of takeoff and landing responsibilities. Crews on four-pilot layover flights were more alert before the takeoff of the inbound flights than exempt flights, but there was no significant difference towards the end of the mission. The new long-haul flight organization did not result in fatigue or decreased attention in the pilots. This study expands on the research by validating a novel intercontinental flight operation model under the COVID-19 scenario and highlighting critical spots for future fatigue management in various crew compositions.
飞行员疲劳和警觉性对民航安全至关重要。由于时差、长时间工作和作息紊乱，洲际飞行员更容易疲劳和困倦。中国民用航空局在 COVID-19 期间允许扩大的机组人员免除强制性中途停留，并重新实施飞行时间限制。本研究调查了洲际航班飞行员的睡眠质量和注意力表现。十五名在不同机组组成下执行洲际飞行任务的飞行员佩戴了身体运动记录仪，该记录仪已被证明能准确估计睡眠时间和睡眠效率。在特定的飞行阶段监测机组人员的注意力表现和自我报告。总之，较大的机组在机上睡眠时间更长、效率更高，尤其是负责起飞和降落任务的飞行员。在四机组中途停留航班中，机组人员在进港航班起飞前比豁免航班更警觉，但在任务结束时没有显著差异。新的长途飞行组织并没有导致飞行员疲劳或注意力下降。本研究通过验证 COVID-19 背景下新型洲际飞行操作模式，扩展了研究范围，并强调了在不同机组组成情况下未来疲劳管理的关键环节。
