Fatigue key to mistakes among pilots, mechanics

By Alan Levin and Brad Heath, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of pilots, mechanics and air-traffic controllers reported that fatigue led them to make mistakes on the job, including six cases where pilots fell asleep in midflight, a USA TODAY analysis of safety records since 2003 shows.
The reports show that crews flew to the wrong altitude, botched landings and missed radio calls, according to an aviation safety database compiled by NASA. In one case, a pilot and co-pilot fell asleep while descending toward Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., the NASA records say.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will address the issue of fatigue Thursday at its annual hearing to adopt its "most wanted" safety enhancements. While the incidents represent only a small percentage of the more than 40 million airline flights during the period, the NTSB has linked pilot fatigue to 10 commercial aviation accidents. The crashes, all since 1993, killed 260 people.