Narrative:

This was my 3RD trip as captain on the medium large transport. On my 2 previous trips I had new coplts. This trip was no exception. It was my first officer's 1ST trip. We flew from pit-phl-pbs-acy-phl-pwm. On the bpi-phl leg we diverted to acy because of thunderstorms at phl. Before we diverted we were given holds at 3 different locations for a total of about 1 hour 20 min before we finally made the decision to divert to acy. We refueled and flew to phl. By this time fatigue was setting in. 2 pilots, new to an aircraft flying about 8 1/2 hours in bad WX, getting ready to fly yet another leg to pwm. We were to take our place in a line of airplanes for 25 min on the taxiway. After departure runway 27L (first officer flying), I called phl departure. He gave us a left turn to a 050 degree heading to intercept the ood 274 right and climb to 10,000'. I acknowledged. Then my first officer started a right turn and I immediately told him it was a left turn. My first officer said 'I thought he said right'. I confirmed it with departure that it was a left turn. Then I dialed in 10,000' and armed the altitude. The first officer said 'are you sure it was 10,000'?' now I could feel myself becoming frustrated. Both the first officer and I were obviously very fatigued. The first officer was making mistakes and I was trying very hard to watch him and the aircraft's performance. I picked up the microphone to confirm the altitude. The controller began to confirm the clearance and was blocked or I just missed it because of my watching the aircraft and the first officer. I asked the controller to repeat and he became outraged, inappropriately raising his voice to such a degree that his reply 'turn left 050 degree intercept the ood 274 climb to 10,000' over' was over modulating. I replied out of frustration and fatigue, 'just take it easy buddy, it's been a long day for everyone and I don't need you yelling in my ear'. I knew then that I had reached my limit by this display of anger. I guess the moral of the story is: 1) don't pair new pilots together. 2) 8 hours should be the maximum, especially in the northeast (high density). 3) controllers should be aware that on occasion pilots must address several problem at once and hanging on their every word is not always possible (we must fly the airplane first).

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LONG TIRING DAY. DEP CTLR IRASCIBLE. FLT CREW AGGRESSIVELY OBNOXIOUS.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY 3RD TRIP AS CAPT ON THE MLG. ON MY 2 PREVIOUS TRIPS I HAD NEW COPLTS. THIS TRIP WAS NO EXCEPTION. IT WAS MY F/O'S 1ST TRIP. WE FLEW FROM PIT-PHL-PBS-ACY-PHL-PWM. ON THE BPI-PHL LEG WE DIVERTED TO ACY BECAUSE OF TSTMS AT PHL. BEFORE WE DIVERTED WE WERE GIVEN HOLDS AT 3 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 1 HR 20 MIN BEFORE WE FINALLY MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO ACY. WE REFUELED AND FLEW TO PHL. BY THIS TIME FATIGUE WAS SETTING IN. 2 PLTS, NEW TO AN ACFT FLYING ABOUT 8 1/2 HRS IN BAD WX, GETTING READY TO FLY YET ANOTHER LEG TO PWM. WE WERE TO TAKE OUR PLACE IN A LINE OF AIRPLANES FOR 25 MIN ON THE TXWY. AFTER DEP RWY 27L (F/O FLYING), I CALLED PHL DEP. HE GAVE US A LEFT TURN TO A 050 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE OOD 274 R AND CLIMB TO 10,000'. I ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN MY F/O STARTED A RIGHT TURN AND I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM IT WAS A LEFT TURN. MY F/O SAID 'I THOUGHT HE SAID RIGHT'. I CONFIRMED IT WITH DEP THAT IT WAS A LEFT TURN. THEN I DIALED IN 10,000' AND ARMED THE ALT. THE F/O SAID 'ARE YOU SURE IT WAS 10,000'?' NOW I COULD FEEL MYSELF BECOMING FRUSTRATED. BOTH THE F/O AND I WERE OBVIOUSLY VERY FATIGUED. THE F/O WAS MAKING MISTAKES AND I WAS TRYING VERY HARD TO WATCH HIM AND THE ACFT'S PERFORMANCE. I PICKED UP THE MIC TO CONFIRM THE ALT. THE CTLR BEGAN TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC AND WAS BLOCKED OR I JUST MISSED IT BECAUSE OF MY WATCHING THE ACFT AND THE F/O. I ASKED THE CTLR TO REPEAT AND HE BECAME OUTRAGED, INAPPROPRIATELY RAISING HIS VOICE TO SUCH A DEG THAT HIS REPLY 'TURN LEFT 050 DEG INTERCEPT THE OOD 274 CLIMB TO 10,000' OVER' WAS OVER MODULATING. I REPLIED OUT OF FRUSTRATION AND FATIGUE, 'JUST TAKE IT EASY BUDDY, IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY FOR EVERYONE AND I DON'T NEED YOU YELLING IN MY EAR'. I KNEW THEN THAT I HAD REACHED MY LIMIT BY THIS DISPLAY OF ANGER. I GUESS THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS: 1) DON'T PAIR NEW PLTS TOGETHER. 2) 8 HRS SHOULD BE THE MAX, ESPECIALLY IN THE NE (HIGH DENSITY). 3) CTLRS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ON OCCASION PLTS MUST ADDRESS SEVERAL PROBLEM AT ONCE AND HANGING ON THEIR EVERY WORD IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE (WE MUST FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.