FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-21/16

Title and Subtitle: Summary Final Report for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Air Carrier Operations: UAS Operator Fatigue

Report Date: May 2021

Authors: Nesthus TE, Fercho KA, Durham JD, Mofle TC, Nesmith BL, Hu P

Abstract: There is a rapidly increasing interest in the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for commercial operations. Title 14 of the Code of Federal Aviation Regulation (14 CFR) Part 107 describes maximum weight limits for small UAS (sUAS) and operational permissions. This regulation does not allow for sUAS in air carrier operations. UAS exceeding the weight limit of 55 pounds are only permitted in civil operations if they are directly involved in military operations or authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with a Certificate of Authorization. Understanding fatigue, in particular how it relates to fitness for duty, is of utmost importance because the issued flight exemptions indicate that UAS operations are already occurring without policy guidance from research.

This summary report complements Durham et al. (2021), which describes an extensive literature review and annotated bibliography, consolidating information on pilot/operator duty time, shift work, and fatigue research in order to assist the FAA in developing future policy and regulations concerning UAS operators in air carrier operations. Fatigue is not an issue limited only to aviation; important human factors (HF) and ergonomics considerations from other fields that may affect operator fatigue in UAS operations are included to supplement research findings from within aviation. Articles were searched using keywords associated with unmanned and air carrier operations and fatigue. Ninety-nine articles (51 literature reviews/organization guidelines, 48 empirical studies) were found discussing duty time, shift work, and fatigue in unmanned and manned operations. The literature was summarized and organized into three primary sections: Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manned Operations, and U.S. Military Pilot Duty Time Regulations.

The review found that little research specific to UAS exists that addresses topics such as duty time, shift work, and fatigue, but found other non-aviation literature that can inform aviation research in fatigue. Further, improvements to UAS definitions and classifications are necessary in preparation for the integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). Future research directions are broken into four broad areas: Physiological Performance Metrics; Operator Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSAs), and Training; Systems Engineering; and Fatigue Risk Mitigation. A better understanding of fatigue in these areas can help provide guidance as demand for novel UAS operations continue to increase.

Key Words: unmanned aircraft systems, duty time, shift work, operator fatigue, air carrier operations, human factors, pilot flight duty

No. of Pages: 32