Single-pilot fatigue on a night cargo sector
You are a single pilot operating a non-autopilot light twin on a night cargo flight. You woke at 03:30 after 5 hours of sleep, reported at 04:30, and have flown three sectors with short turnarounds. It is now 22:00; your fourth sector is a 2-hour flight, and you have been on duty 17.5 hours. You have had one 30-minute meal break. You feel alert after coffee but have twice caught yourself yawning and losing track of radio calls. The weather is VMC, but destination has a 2,000 ft broken ceiling and 8 km visibility. Company pressure is high because the cargo is time-critical. You have 9 hours of rest available after the flight.
1. Identify the fatigue-related hazards and explain how they affect performance.
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The hazards are sleep debt (5 hours), a long duty day (17.5 hours), night operation, single-pilot workload, no autopilot, and circadian low. Fatigue degrades vigilance, reaction time, working memory, and radio call accuracy; the pilot has already missed radio calls. Coffee masks symptoms but does not restore performance. Company pressure is a social hazard and must not override the physiological state.
2. What should you do, and what should you say to the operator?
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Do not operate the fourth sector. Use IMSAFE: fatigue is present and significant. Inform the operator that the flight cannot be conducted safely, request a replacement crew or a delay, and record the decision. The 9 hours of rest available is useful but does not fully repay a sleep debt; a rest period before duty and a proper sleep opportunity are needed. A pilot is responsible for not accepting a flight when unfit.
3. If you were already airborne when these symptoms appeared, what options would you consider?
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If already airborne, the pilot should consider landing at the nearest suitable aerodrome, declaring a PAN PAN if safety is compromised, and using any available autopilot or second pilot. If none is available, reduce workload, use oxygen if available, and set a go/no-go point. Do not press on to destination because the cargo is time-critical; fatigue can progress to uncontrolled sleep.