Capt. Lee Moak, president of ALPA said “As we
learn more about the events leading to the UPS
crash in Birmingham, Alabama, it is becoming
more apparent that separate rest requirements
for cargo and passenger pilots is unsustainable,
unsupportable, and unconscionable.
On August 14, 2013, UPS Airlines
Flight 1354 was on a scheduled cargo flight
from Louisville International Airport to
Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport.
On its final approach the A300-600F, crashed and
burst into flames short of the runway. Both
pilots were pronounced dead at the scene of the
crash. They were the only people aboard the
aircraft. It is believed that pilot fatigue play
a major role in this crash.
“Pilots who operate in the same skies, take off
from the same airports, and fly over the same
terrain must be given the same opportunities for
full rest, regardless of what is in the back of
the plane.”
Earlier this year, the FAA implemented FAR 117,
which established strict rest-requirements for
passenger pilots; however, these rules don’t
apply to cargo pilots. ALPA was fully engaged in
the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee
regarding pilot fatigue and has long maintained
that the new flight- and duty-time limits and
minimum-rest requirements must cover all airline
pilots. Science-based studies show that all
airline pilots experience fatigue in the same
ways, regardless of whether they are
transporting passengers or cargo. |