Brussels, 14/02/2011(Agence Europe) - Referring to the tragedy of a commercial aircraft of the American company Colgan Air, which left 50 dead when it crashed on 12 February 2009, the European Cockpit Association (ECA) has once again called into question the current draft amendment to the European rules limiting the flying and working time of flight crew (FTL) (EUROPE 10282). According to the ECA, the proposals put on the table by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is competent in the matter, “completely disregard science and best practice”. The association refers to the recent report by the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK on pilot fatigue, which reveals that the majority of air crew interviewed (206 out of 389) have at some point fallen asleep in the cockpit. Seventy per cent of crew members and pilots interviewed felt that European rules on pilot fatigue do not satisfy safety standards and 17% admitted that they sometimes felt so tired that they should not be in the cockpit. Fifty-seven per cent of respondents also felt that work-related stress was a potential safety risk. The association also cites a British survey, which shows that only 3% of British nationals interviewed feel that pilots should be able to work for more than 12 hours, whilst the legislation in force allows greater flexibility. More information can be found at http: //http://www.eurocockpit.be/pages/fatigue-in-accidents . (A.By./transl.fl)