FAA wants rules to combat pilot fatigue

WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) -- New rules to combat pilot fatigue, a factor in several recent airline crashes, must be developed by Sept. 1, the Federal Aviation Administration says.

The FAA set the deadline for airlines, pilot unions and federal officials, calling fighting pilot fatigue one of its "most-wanted" safety improvements, USA Today reported Thursday.

In the 1990s, unions and airlines failed to reach a compromise on fatigue-prevention, leaving intact 50-year-old regulations that experts say do little to promote safety.

Current rules typically allow pilots to fly up to eight hours a day, and their workday, including time between flights, can go up to 16 hours, USA Today reported.

The rules include no restrictions on nighttime flying or making numerous takeoffs and landings, the newspaper said.

Chris Graeber, a scientist who has studied pilot fatigue, told USA Today restrictions should govern more than the hours a pilot flies. Other factors that should be considered include consecutive days a pilot has worked and whether rest periods allowed time for a good night's sleep, he said. Airlines in Europe, Australia and New Zealand have adopted rules taking such factors into account, Graeber said.

U.S. airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association said they would support the FAA's effort, the newspaper said.