FAA to Seek Data on Pilot Sleep Deprivation

Congressional leaders pressed FAA officials at a hearing yesterday for data on how many pilots skip sleep the night before a flight. Pilot fatigue has become a "hot button" issue after the National Transportation Safety Board found this month that the Feb. 12, 2009 crash by Pinnacle Airlines Corp.’s Colgan unit near Buffalo (which killed 50) was caused when the captain’s faulty response to a cockpit warning put the aircraft into an aerodynamic stall, and that the pilots' performance was likely impaired by fatigue due to lack of adequate sleep prior to the flight.

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About the Author

Tom D'Amore is the founder of D'Amore Law Group and a trial attorney with over 30 years of experience representing injured people and their families across the West Coast, securing more than $325 million in recoveries. He handles cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, construction injuries, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse. Licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California, Tom is the only NBTA board-certified truck accident attorney in Oregon. He is a national Board of Governors member, past Executive Committee member, and past Budget and Audit Chair of the American Association for Justice, as well as past President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and an Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice.