• Ms. Peggy Gilligan

  Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety

  Federal Aviation Administration

• Mr. Basil Barimo

  Vice President of Operations and Safety

  Air Transport Association

• Ms. Peggy Gilligan

  Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety

  Federal Aviation Administration

Majority Statement

• Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV
  Read statement

  Majority Statement

  Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

  WASHINGTON, D.C.—Good morning. Addressing pilot fatigue is an issue for which it has taken far too long to achieve meaningful reform. The travelling public deserves a better effort to make certain any plane on which they fly has an alert and well rested flight crew.

  With Thanksgiving having just ushered in the holiday season, there is no better time to focus on fatigue. This has always been a critical issue, yet it has languished on the National Transportation Safety Board’s Most Wanted List of Safety Improvements since the list was first published nearly two decades ago.

  The urgency to address the complexities of fatigue has been heightened as the industry has changed dramatically in recent years. Pilots are pushed to aggressively perform as many take-off and landings as they can each day, while new aircraft can fly incredibly long routes halfway around the globe.

  Stories of pilots anonymously admitting to nodding off, or even a case last year where both pilots fell asleep while flying a commercial aircraft on a short flight, highlight the need to confront this issue directly and immediately. It is just not acceptable to imagine putting your entire family on a flight where there is any possibility that the flight crew has not received enough rest.

  The FAA’s current fatigue rules are universally believed to be out of date. We can and must do better; new policies are long overdue.

  I am encouraged that the FAA has formed an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to develop recommendations, and unlike past efforts, this one has reached a consensus on several critical changes. I look forward to having the agency finally issue new rules in the near future.

  And I hope the FAA will consider every option at its disposal when it comes to flight fatigue and putting countermeasures into action.

  In July, I introduced the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, which seeks to make absolutely certain that the latest scientific research on fatigue is considered and incorporated into any future rules created for commercial flight crews.

  We have to get this right. The old rules are not working, and the consequences of doing nothing could be devastating.

  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.

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Minority Statement

• Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison
  Read statement

  Minority Statement

  Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison

  WASHINGTON, D.C. - Thank you, Senator Dorgan, for holding the hearing. Pilot fatigue has long been a challenge for the FAA, NTSB and the aviation industry as a whole.

  We all know how important it is for pilots to receive adequate rest and the potential consequences if they don’t get enough. The stakes are high.

  However, addressing fatigue is not an easy obstacle to overcome. As we have seen from the past, it is very difficult for the FAA and the industry to find a consensus on how to comprehensively incorporate a balance between effective utilization of employees, scientific data and most importantly safety.

  While seemingly a simple topic, fatigue is actually a very multi-faceted problem that will take a complex approach to properly address, especially given the varied type of operations airlines conduct. The difference between long haul international flights and multi-leg domestic flights is quite significant, but never-the-less needs to be addressed.

  Finally, this is not just a regulatory challenge. Pilots need to make serious professional choices regarding the issue of commuting and proper utilization of their down time.

  Thank you, I look forward to the testimony.

Testimony

• Mr. William R. Voss

  President and CEO

  The Flight Safety Foundation
  Download Testimony (194.26 KB)

• Captain John Prater

  President

  Air Line Pilots Association International
  Download Testimony (102.55 KB)

• Mr. Basil Barimo

  Vice President of Operations and Safety

  Air Transport Association
  Download Testimony (204.78 KB)

• Ms. Peggy Gilligan

  Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety

  Federal Aviation Administration
  Download Testimony (72.23 KB)