Yesterday, the US Federal Aviation Administration announced the publication of new safety rules, aimed at ensuring that pilot fatigue – due to long duty hours, insufficient rest/sleep opportunities, etc. – does not endanger flight operations. These rules come almost 3 years after 50 people died in the US Colgan Air accident in which pilot fatigue played a crucial role.

In 2010, the European pilots’ community was very active all along the legislative process which led to the adoption of the new EU Accident Investigation Regulation. A clear-cut independence of safety investigation from prosecution and the related solid protection of sensitive safety data were the two key demands of ECA. After having contributed to this new Regulation, today ECA makes a further contribution to enhancing aviation safety: a template Advance Arrangement for the coordination between safety investigators and the judicial authorities.

The January 2009 Hudson River miracle, where “Captain Sully” safely landed after his A320 was hit by a flock of birds, revealed to the public the hazard that birds represent for airplanes. Bird strikes in helicopters are less famous as they are not always reported and given so much media coverage. Yet the danger exists and, once more, the solution is to be sought in stringent certification requirements.

Late this summer, the International Civil Aviation Organisation organised a “Fatigue Risk Management System” (FRMS) Symposium, followed by a FRMS Forum, in Montreal. Attended by over 500 participants – including safety experts from ECA – this important event demonstrated that prescriptive rules are a necessary basis, but not sufficient to manage fatigue. Compliance with the rules does not mean an operation is safe. Instead, fatigue needs to be managed proactively and FRMS is an important additional tool in that respect.