Citation

Dai J, Luo M, Hu W, Ma J, Wen Z. Int. J. Occup. Safety Ergonomics 2018; ePub(ePub): 1-9.

Affiliation

School of Aerospace Medicine , the Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an , China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10803548.2018.1456796

PMID

29570043

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the fatigue risk is an important challenge in improving flight safety in aviation industry. The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive fatigue risk management indicators system and a fatigue questionnaire for Chinese civil aviation pilots.

METHODS: Participants included 74 (all males) civil aviation pilots. They finished the questionnaire in 20 minutes before a flight mission. The estimation of internal consistency with Cronbach's α and Student's t test as well as Pearson's correlation analysis were the main statistical methods.

RESULTS: The results revealed that the fatigue questionnaire had acceptable internal consistency reliability and construct validity; there were significant differences on fatigue scores between international and domestic flight pilots. And some international flight pilots, who had taken medications as a sleep aid, had worse sleep quality than those had not. The long-endurance flight across time zones caused significant differences in circadian rhythm.

CONCLUSIONS: The fatigue questionnaire can be used to measure Chinese civil aviation pilots' fatigue, which provided a reference for fatigue risk management system to civil aviation pilots.

Language: en

Keywords

Fatigue; aviation safety; civil aviation pilots; fatigue risk management system; flight fatigue