A Technology Partnership for the New Millennium

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1.14 Fatigue Countermeasures Program

 747 pilots participating in cockpit rest field study
747 pilots participating in the Cockpit Rest Field Study, performed in collaboration with the FAA

Responding to a congressional request, NASA created a program to examine whether "there is a safety problem of uncertain magnitude, due to transmeridian flying and a potential problem due to fatigue in association with various factors found in air transport operations." The NASA Ames Fatigue/Jet Lag Program was created to collect systematic, scientific information on fatigue, sleep, circadian rhythms, and performance in flight operations.

Three program goals were established and continue to guide research efforts:

  • To determine the extent of fatigue, sleep loss, and circadian disruption in flight operations
  • To determine the impact of these factors on flight crew performance
  • To develop and evaluate countermeasures to mitigate the adverse effects of these factors and maximize flight crew performance and alertness

Studies have been conducted with the support and collaboration of the FAA in a variety of aviation field environments and controlled laboratory settings, as well as in a full-mission flight simulator. In the early 1990's, the name of the program was changed to the Fatigue Countermeasures Program to provide a greater emphasis on the development and evaluation of countermeasures. Additional collaboration between NASA and the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute resulted in research to examine the impact of shiftwork on air traffic controllers' operational errors and incidents.

Recent studies include:

  • An evaluation of the onboard bunk sleep of flight crews in augmented long-haul flights
  • A 747-400 simulator study of the effectiveness of in-flight activity breaks for flight crews during long overnight flights
  • A test of the feasibility of a video-based system for unobtrusively tracking and monitoring pilot fatigue
NASA POC:
Dr. David Neri
650-604-0658
dneri@mail.arc.nasa.gov
http://olias.arc.nasa.gov/zteam/

 
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Curator: SAIC Information Services
http://www.aerospace.nasa.gov