In April 2011 numerous media reports surfaced about FAA air traffic controllers in airport towers falling asleep and not responding to arriving aircraft seeking landing clearance. Within a period of about a week instances of airport tower control operators being asleep came to the public's attention when arriving aircraft were unable to make radio contact with airport tower control operators at Washington Reagan National Airport (March 23, 2011); Orlando International Airport (March 27, 2011); Preston Smith International Airport at Lubbock, Texas (March 29, 2011); and Reno-Tahoe International Airport (April 13, 2011); and April 16, 2011 at a busy regional radar facility where a controller responsible for separating aircraft, preventing an in-flight catastrophic collision, was reported sleeping before his radar screen. These problem undoubtedly existed for years but  somehow the media became aware of the incidents and wrote about them.

The questionable FAA reaction was to put two controllers in the tower during late night shifts when there often is virtually no aircraft traffic, and hope that both don't fall asleep at the same time. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has reportedly urged allowing controllers to take naps on midnight shifts. That doesn't change the basic problem and and doubles the personnel requirement over what is really needed.

This writer, having spent many years as captain in long international flights that include all-night flying, and as an FAA safety inspector, he feels that the most probable solution is the most obvious. Eliminate the frequency of shift changes and extend the weeks before changing a person's shift from day to night or vice versa.  It takes time to adjust to a change in shift, say from day to night, or midnight to day. Frequent changes in schedule disrupts the circadian rhythm and results in chronic fatigue for many workers. As a general figure, one month or longer in one shift pattern would be desirable, and result in a lower chance of chronic fatigue.

Some studies suggest that the direction of the shift change should best be by rotating ahead. That is, an early day shift should progress to a late day or early night shift, and late night shift to an early day shift. Also, that the worker have at least 24 hours off from work before started the next shift change.

As stated by a former air traffic controller instructor at the FAA center in Oklahoma City, "It has always been a problem. There is no way you can get off at 2 p.m. in the afternoon and be back at 10 p.m. at night and get decent sleep."

For years the FAA had allowed eight hours between shifts, ignoring the most basic facts of life. When a controller gets off from one shift and is scheduled back ready to work eight hours later, that intervening eight hours is consumed by travel time to and from work, which can easily be an hour each way; time to eat, time to settle down, which leaves maybe five hours for sleep. A person does not have to be a rocket scientist to realize the controller will be in urgent need for sleep when he is back ready to control aircraft. On April 16, 2011, new rules to solve the problem consisted of extending the time between shifts, from active handling of aircraft, to nine hours from eight. That won't solve the problem. The FAA, known to insiders as "the tombstone agency," is not known for addressing safety problems. See www.defraudingamerica.com/faa_index.html.

The blame must be shared by the powerful unionized air traffic controllers who want as many days off from work as possible and have pressured to have such unsatisfactory and unsafe work rules in place. That time off from work permits them to have another job or business, or more time for personal pursuits.

Circadian Rhythm

Circadian rhythm is often defined as a 24 hour cycle in the physiological processes, and affected by various factors such as temperature and day or night conditions. Circadian rhythm problems from change in work schedules or changing time zones sometimes result in sleep disorders as unable to sleep, or sleepiness, fatigue. Most people follow a 24-hour daily rhythm cycles and these are called circadian rhythms. These cycles provide for high activity during the day and low activity at night.

This writer's background is at www.defraudingamerica.com/stich_bio.html. He has written numerous books on aviation and other matters involving overt and covert government operations. See list at www.defraudingamerica.com/list_of_books.html.