Crew Factors in Flight Operations XV:
Alertness Management in General Aviation Education Module

Rosekind, M. R., Co, E. L., Neri, D. F., Oyung, R. L., & Mallis, M. M. (2002). Crew Factors in Flight Operations XV: Alertness Management in General Aviation Education Module (NASA Technical Memorandum 2002-211394). Moffett Field, California: NASA Ames Research Center.

ABSTRACT

General aviation encompasses a broad range of operations, pilots, and equipment. This module is intended to help all involved in general aviation including pilots, fixed base operators (FBO’s), flight instructors, dispatchers, maintenance technicians, policy makers, and others, to understand the physiological factors underlying fatigue, how flight operations affect fatigue, and what can be done to counteract fatigue and maximize alertness and performance in their operations.
The over-all purpose of this module is to promote aviation safety, performance, and productivity. It is intended to meet three specific objectives: (1) to explain the current state of knowledge about the physiological mechanisms underlying fatigue; (2) to demonstrate how this knowledge can be applied to improving flight crew sleep, performance, and alertness; and (3) to offer strategies for alertness management. Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports are used throughout this module to demonstrate that fatigue is a safety issue in the general aviation community.
The appendixes include the ASRS reports used for the examples contained in this publication, brief introductions to sleep disorders and relaxation techniques, summaries of relevant NASA publications, and a list of general readings on sleep, sleep disorders, and circadian rhythms.

For the full report download the Adobe Acrobat .PDF file below.

GAETM_XV.pdf (666KB)

Last Update: Dinah Reduta
Date: June 20, 2003