The Impact of Mental Fatigue on Aircraft Maintenance Tasks Among Aircraft Maintenance Students

Abstract

Mental fatigue is a significant human factor that adversely affects cognitive performance, decision-making, and task accuracy in aviation maintenance, thereby increasing the likelihood of maintenance errors and compromising operational safety. This study investigated the impact of mental fatigue on aircraft maintenance tasks among Aircraft Maintenance Technology students at Indiana Aerospace University during their On-the-Job Training (OJT). Specifically, it examined the effects of mental fatigue on students' cognitive performance, aircraft maintenance inspections, and susceptibility to human error, while identifying common fatigue-related challenges encountered during training. The study employed a mixed-methods research design using a convergent parallel approach. A total of 101 purposively selected respondents, consisting of Aircraft Maintenance Technology and Aerospace Engineering students with OJT experience, participated in the study. Data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire administered via Google Forms, incorporating a four-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative responses were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings revealed that respondents generally agreed that mental fatigue significantly impairs attention, concentration, memory recall, inspection accuracy, and decision-making during aircraft maintenance tasks. They also strongly agreed that fatigue contributes to increased human error, reduced alertness, and decreased compliance with maintenance procedures. The most frequently reported challenges included increased human error, difficulty reviewing maintenance procedures, slower inspection performance, higher task-related mistakes, and impaired decision-making. The study concludes that effective fatigue management should be integrated into aviation education through structured rest periods, fatigue awareness programs, balanced academic workloads, and wellness initiatives to improve students' performance, enhance maintenance quality, and strengthen aviation safety.