FAA Postpones Rules Requiring More Rest, Shorter Hours for Cargo and Charter Pilots

North Carolina Injury Lawyers Who Handle Bus Wrecks, Airplane Accidents & Train Accidents
Attorneys Licensed in NC and South Carolina (SC) with Office in Elizabeth City, NC

8/13/2011
Jim Lewis
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FAA Postpones Rules Requiring More Rest, Shorter Hours for Cargo and Charter Pilots

Federal regulations that would have limited cargo and charter plane pilots to a maximum workday of 13 hours and which were set to take effect on August 1, 2011, have been suspended indefinitely. According to the Wall Street Journal, freight and private air carriers object to the proposed rules for preventing pilot fatigue because "the changes would be expensive and eliminate necessary flexibility to transport commercial goods and even troops for the Pentagon."

In this video, Capt. Sully Sullenberger discusses the difficulty pilots have doing their job of keeping passengers safe when they have not had enough rest:

The Federal Aviation Administration first proposed making all commercial pilots follow the same rules for hours of service and rest between flying shifts in 2010. Passenger plane pilots have long been restricted to no more than 13 hours on the clock and at least 9 hours between flights. The FAA was prompted to act more broadly after the U.S. Congress learned that pilot fatigue played a significant role in causing the 2009 Colgan Air crash outside of Buffalo, New York (NY), in which a total of 50 passengers and crew members died.

As a licensed pilot and Carolina personal injury attorney, I know how important it is to be as alert as possible at all times in the cockpit. Just as drowsy drivers cause tens of thousands of accidents with injuries and deaths on U.S. roads every year, pilots who may -- or do -- fall asleep while flying put themselves and others on their planes in grave danger. Even if requiring cargo and charter pilots to get more rest increases costs for air companies, I believe that money will represent a necessary investment in people's safety.

EJL

Category: Mass Transit (Airline, Train, Bus)

Labels: Capt. Sully Sullenberger cargo planes Carolina personal injury attorney charter planes Colgan Air crash drowsy driver FAA injuries killed in plane crash Lewis passenger safety pilot fatigue regulations pilot rest rules plane accident

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling accidents involving airplanes, trains, buses and other forms of mass transit. In fact, our law firm published a free consumer safety guide on what to do if you are hurt in an airplane accident. We serve every area of North Carolina, including the Outer Banks, Nags Head and the western mountains, as well as all the cities and counties in between. In South Carolina, we cover the state from Myrtle Beach and Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Florence, Rock Hill, Darlington, Aiken, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been included among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and we have been named a North Carolina "Best Law Firm" for personal injury law by U.S. News & World Report since 2010. In addition, Rick and Jim have been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.

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Elizabeth City, NC Personal Injury Attorneys
North Carolina (NC) Personal Injury Lawyers
Specializing in North Carolina Wrongful Death & Injury Law

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FAA Postpones Rules Requiring More Rest, Shorter Hours for Cargo and Charter Pilots

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