Huey O'NeilMs. ZApril 8, 2014English I HonorPilot Fatigue: Problems Related to In-Flight FatigueOn February 12, 2009, Colgan Airlines Flight 3407, operated for Continental Airlines, crashed in Buffalo, New York, in a rural neighborhood. This incident caused the loss of forty-five lives on board the aircraft and one life on the ground due to pilot fatigue. The plane stalled on approach due to icing. Captain Marvin Renslow and FO Rebecca Shaw, the pilots operating the flight, had slept in the crew room at the airport, which affected the quality and duration of their sleep the previous night. This made pilots' response to icing, a substance commonly encountered in flight, substandard and inappropriate. According to the NTSB report, the probable cause of the incident was pilot error. In the report, fatigue was noted as a significant factor contributing to poor stall response. The incident sparked a debate within the airline industry about how much sleep pilots need. Airline pilots' unions and pilots are pushing for fewer flights and more rest. However, unions and pilots have been voicing their opinions about pilot fatigue for decades, without adequate response from Congress or the Federal Aviation Administration. With more than twenty-eight thousand commercial flights per day in the United States carrying more than a million and a half people, serious changes must be imposed. Some of these changes have already happened, but is it enough? Although reducing the maximum number of pilot duty hours allowed would require more pilots and cost more, pilots have less situational awareness when they are fatigued, endangering life on board their aircraft. aircraft, there is still no reliable method for testing fatigue, and .after...... middle of paper ......ne training for a qualified airline pilot is $70,000. This would amount to taking a colossal sum directly from the airline's profits. However, security outweighs economic spending. Travelers should not compromise the safety and integrity of the flight for lower fares. If U.S. airlines and flight departments had adopted better standards for flight crew scheduling, they could have saved money. Overall, safety is priority number one. Pilot fatigue is estimated to contribute to 15 to 20 percent of all fatal aviation accidents linked to human error. It is precisely when most people feel "dead tired" at the end of a long day of work that pilots must be fully alert to make critical decisions, concentrate and ensure a safe landing. security. Either way, getting to your destination in one piece is more important than the price of your ticket..