WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a subcommittee hearing today on Aviation Safety: Pilot Fatigue.

Witness List:

Ms. Peggy Gilligan, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, Federal Aviation Administration

Mr. Basil Barimo, Vice President of Operations and Safety, Air Transport Association

Captain John Prater, President, Air Line Pilots Association International

Mr. William R. Voss, President and CEO, The Flight Safety Foundation

Key Quotations from Today’s Hearing:

“With Thanksgiving having just ushered in the holiday season, there is no better time to focus on fatigue. Today, pilots are pushed to aggressively perform as many take-offs and landings as they can each day, while new aircraft can fly incredibly long routes halfway around the globe. The American people expect the pilots flying their plane to be completely awake and alert. It is about safety plain and simple – the safety of our airways, the safety of our pilots and most importantly the safety of the traveling public.”

Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

“This hearing examines the important issue of aviation safety and pilot fatigue, and what can be done to ensure the flight crews are well-rested and prepared. I want to make certain the FAA moves forward expeditiously on bringing their time and duty rules into the 21st century. And the FAA must do the necessary work to ensure any rules or guidelines address the systemic problems in our national air transportation system that contribute to fatigue.”

Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Chairman, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security

“The FAA has always been a leader in advancing measures targeted at preventing or mitigating pilot fatigue through our sponsored research, dissemination of training and educational materials, and, most significantly, through our regulatory requirements. We believe that it is critical, whenever possible, to incorporate scientific information on fatigue and human sleep physiology into regulations on flight crew scheduling. Such scientific information can help to maintain the safety margin and promote optimum crew performance and alertness during flight operations.”

Ms. Peggy Gilligan, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, Federal Aviation Administration

“We support a duty-day regulation designed to account for fatigue risks, including circadian cycles, time awake, time on task and acclimation to time zones. Our goal is to mitigate fatigue risk by: reducing the duty time of pilots, expanding scheduled rest opportunities to ensure adequate rest, and increasing pilots’ awareness of fatigue risk and their personal role in mitigating that risk.”

Mr. Basil Barimo, Vice President of Operations and Safety, Air Transport Association

“We badly need a new flight and duty-time regulation. While we have been told it will be done in mid-2010, we have seen too many times in the past that the FAA has not delivered on its promises with regard to pilot fatigue regulations. We respectfully solicit Congress’ active support in ensuring that this new regulation becomes a reality.”

Captain John Prater, President, Air Line Pilots Association International

“The United States should be leading the world on fatigue management as it has led the world on so many advances in aviation safety. Civil aviation authorities all around the world are using the research undertaken by NASA and ICAO to mitigate the risk that comes from a fatigued aviation work force. The time is now for the FAA, the operators, management, and labor to come together and develop a consensus on this vital issue.”

Mr. William R. Voss, President and CEO, The Flight Safety Foundation

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