I’ll never forget walking into the hangar at 0200 hrs and seeing Chuck’s glazed eyes during a torque inspection on that Gulfstream G600. His focus wavered—fatigue had crept in unnoticed. As a Director of Maintenance with a specialization in fatigue risk, moments like that drive my mission: mentor every crew to recognize early warning signs before they cost lives. On April 7, NBAA’s Spring 2025 Safety Stand-Down reinforced this urgency, focusing on fatigue management and “Just Culture” SMS under FAA AC 120-100. If you’re in a DOM or DO role, you know these concepts aren’t theoretical—they demand real-world mentorship.
Building a Fatigue “Huddle” Culture
When I stepped into my DOM role, I realized technical manuals didn’t cover “late-night brain fog.” So I launched a five-minute “fatigue huddle” at shift start. Each night, as techs filed in, I’d ask: “Who’s feeling dialed in? Who needs a quick reset?” That simple check forced us to speak up.
• Mentoring Moment: Last February, I caught a junior tech struggling with a stopwatch torque gauge. I pulled him aside, shared how a 20-minute nap saved my own midnight inspection, and urged him to step back. He returned alert and caught a misaligned panel rivet that would’ve flown right into service.
• Spread the Practice: Train supervisors to recognize slurred speech or slow reaction times. Encourage every line tech to say: “Hey boss, can we pause for a fatigue check?” Embedding that question in your team’s DNA builds resilience.
Anchoring SMS in Real Stories
SMS can feel like checkbox jargon—unless you root it in real mishaps. During SMS drills, I always open with a mechanics’ story:
“Last quarter, Monica flagged an uncalibrated pitot-static on a Citation Ten at 0300 hrs. Without that ‘too tired to double-check’ admission, the next flight might’ve ended in instrument confusion.”
We replay that near-miss step by step: what happened, why it happened, and how “Just Culture” let Monica share without fear.
• Mentoring Moment: I ask my teams to write down one “I almost missed it because I was tired” moment before the drill. We pick one story each quarter and build a scenario exercise around it—complete with role-playing and root-cause mapping.
• Embed in Training: Create a digital “story library.” Tag each anecdote by aircraft type or fatigue factor. When a new mechanic joins, they watch two videos: one on a fatigue-related slip and another on a successful SMS report. That pair teaches them to value speaking up.
Practical Steps for FOQs, DOs, and Mechanics
- Quarterly Fatigue Workshops
Block two hours each quarter. Bring in a human-performance expert to review circadian science: why brains dip between 0200-0500 hrs and 1300-1500 hrs. Then, have your own crew share “my best nap trick” in small groups. Document those tips in your SOPs. - Real-Time Fatigue Tracking
Use a simple “fatigue index” form: techs mark a 1–10 on alertness at shift start and midpoint. Supervisors review scores and offer micro-breaks—stretch sessions, 10-minute naps, or caffeine checks. - “Just Culture” Reporting Channels
Set up an anonymous digital drop box. Encourage techs and pilots to submit near-miss entries without jargon—just plain words: “I almost…” or “I forgot…” Each entry becomes a mentoring point in the next safety stand-down. - Scenario-Based SMS Drills
Use case studies from your “story library.” In one session, simulate an IFR departure when the autopilot fails. Ask dispatch, crew, and techs to walk through decisions. Debrief with “What worked? What would you do differently next time?”
Conclusion: Leading by Example
As a fatigue risk SME, I’ve seen how one brief nap or one honest report can prevent a catastrophe. Your role—whether as a DO, DOM, or SMS coordinator—is to mentor that mindset daily. Schedule your next fatigue huddle this week. Capture one more “late-night lesson” and store it in your digital library. And when you lead your next SMS drill, center it on a crew’s real story, not a generic checklist. Because in business aviation, safety thrives not on policies alone but on the human connections we forge in those critical moments.
References
NBAA Safety Stand-Down Guidelines (https://www.nbaa.org/news/safety/2025/nbaa-safety-stand-down-guidelines)
