Flight crew burnout as a source of aviation system threat

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of the average monthly workload on the dynamics of professional competencies of civil aviation flight personnel in the context of professional burnout and psychophysiological exhaustion syndrome. Based on a longitudinal study of the data of 800 airline pilots for 9 months, an assessment of technical and non-technical skills was carried out in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard DOC 9995. The methodology includes statistical analysis of correlations between flight hours, competency assessments and aviation incidents, as well as the use of the Demand- Resources model to interpret exhaustion mechanisms. The results revealed the absence of a direct link between the volume of flight hours and aviation incidents, which confirms to the effectiveness of safety management systems. However, a sharp workload increase (over 10 hours) leads to a decrease in the proportion of positively assessed flight crew competencies, reflecting the depletion of adaptive resources. Non-technical competencies show the greatest vulnerability, while technical skills remain stable. Cyclical overloads create an imbalance between competencies, reducing productivity in following months, which corresponds to the exhaustion phase. Based on the data obtained, a set of measures for prevention of occupational burnout syndrome is proposed, including the implementation of Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) using wearable biosensor devices, training programs for stress testing and AL algorithms for predicting burnout. The results highlight the critical role of regular competency monitoring for risk forecasting and the need to integrate psychophysiological aspects into crew resource management. The study confirms that dynamics of non-technical skills serve as an early indicator of latent safety threats, that require a preventive approach.