Pilot workload and fatigue on short-haul routes: an evaluation supported by instantaneous self-assessment and ethnography

In the context of claims that the European Aviation Safety Agency’s flight and duty- time regulations pose a threat to safety, pilot workload and fatigue were assessed on two short-haul routes using a mixed-methods approach. Data produced by the US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Crew Status Survey (CSS) showed that pilots rarely assessed workload and fatigue to be high-risk. Data produced by an ethnographic study somewhat contradicted the CSS findings, with some pilots claiming to be fatigued. The combined data suggested a correlation between both workload and fatigue and aviation system dynamics such as airspace manoeuvring restrictions, especially in the vicinity of busy airports. The research presented an opportunity to test claims made for the CSS, specifically that it is ‘easily understood, easy to administer and minimally intrusive’. Missing forms and errors suggest that it is not as reliable a research instrument as proponents suggest, although contextual factors may have served to reduce the volume and quality of data. It is concluded that a pre-survey, systems-thinking-informed evaluation of the host airline would suggest ways of improving buy-in.