Spec 116: Integration of Aviation Maintenance Technician Fatigue into Safety Management Systems, Original Issue

Description

This specification is intended for use by operators in conjunction with their Safety Management System (SMS) incorporating Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMT) fatigue. It shall apply to AMTs , however strong consideration should be given to Aviation Maintainers, as in Advisory Circular 120-115. Not all aspects will be appropriate to every operator, however the intent is to provide sufficient basis for program design and implementation according to the individual operator’s culture, contracts, and operational needs.

Fatigue has been identified as a critical issue in aviation maintenance by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) since 1996. Since 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has conducted research that finds fatigue continues to be a primary concern for aviation, and for aviation maintenance in particular. Aviation maintenance is especially susceptible based on several factors: back of the clock operations, condensed scheduling, frequent overtime/shift swapping, and a lack of regulatory requirements associated with reducing fatigue risk in the Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) population. Understanding how to detect, identify, assess, and mitigate fatigue risk within an aviation maintenance operation’s current Safety Management System (SMS) is a necessary priority.

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