Quote:
OP,
I have days when I'm at my sharpest, and days when I'm just "off" - absent-minded, distracted, etc. Maybe I didn't sleep well, ate something weird, or whatever. I assume that most people have days when they're considerably less than their best. What about airline pilots and what about you? Have you ever been out-of-sorts enough in the morning to think "Man, I'm not sure I should fly a plane today"?
If it's bad enough, you don't fly. Fatigue is the big one and pilots have to be their own check on this. At my previous airline, the company was very progressive on this issue and, unfortunately, many pilots took advantage. But fatigue could be a real issue if you're flying 6 legs in crappy weather with de-icing, weather delays, etc and a 12-14 hour duty day.
Most pilots are very mission oriented and will gut it out but the big thing is to let the other pilot (or pilots for international) know what you're dealing with.
It can be a factor in accidents. I remember making an approach at night in blowing snow to Binghamton NY years ago after being on duty for 12 hours. No way you can be as sharp in that situation. We fall back on procedures, checklists, and the crew concept (I've heard it said often "It's not a mistake until we both make it.")
I could tell you stories of my single pilot days though...
Last edited by W0X0F; 12-14-2013 at 02:32 PM.