FAA Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX)Human Factors and ADMHard
A pilot has flown three consecutive early-morning flights after averaging only 4-5 hours of sleep per night for the past week. Although not currently drowsy, the pilot has noticeably slower reaction times and impaired judgment during a checklist review. This condition is best described as:
- ACircadian rhythm desynchronization from time zone change
- BChronic fatigue from cumulative sleep debt
- CHypoxic hypoxia
- DAcute fatigue
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Chronic fatigue from cumulative sleep debt
Chronic fatigue results from long-term, cumulative sleep debt over multiple days, unlike acute fatigue which results from a single instance of inadequate rest and resolves after normal sleep. The week-long pattern of insufficient sleep points to chronic fatigue.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. No time zone travel is mentioned, so circadian desynchronization does not apply here.
- C. Hypoxic hypoxia relates to oxygen deprivation at altitude, unrelated to sleep loss.
- D. Acute fatigue results from a single occasion of sleep loss or exertion, resolved by one good night's rest, not a week-long pattern.
Chronic Fatigue
Fatigue resulting from cumulative sleep debt over an extended period, not resolved by a single night of rest.
- Builds up over days or weeks of inadequate sleep
- More serious and harder to recover from than acute fatigue
- Impairs judgment, reaction time, and decision-making even without overt sleepiness
Memory trick: One bad night = acute; many bad nights = chronic debt piles up