WASHINGTON — Continuing its work to improve aviation safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tasked a panel of fatigue experts to identify new ways to address air traffic controller fatigue.

The three-member panel will examine how the latest science on sleep needs and fatigue considerations could be applied to controller work requirements and scheduling. The panel will identify potential ways the FAA could better address controller fatigue.

As part of its work, it will review previous controller-fatigue research.

The panel will begin its work in early January and provide a final report to the FAA about six weeks later.

Mark Rosekind, a safety and sleep/fatigue professional and former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member, will chair the panel. Other members are:

• Charles Czeisler, chief and senior physician, Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, head of the NASA Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory.

Read more about the FAA’s safety initiatives here.