Narrative:

I completed a minimum crew rest day on sep/mon/89. On the next day my duty day was 13:45+. Both my first officer and myself are showing signs of fatigue. I am unable to concentrate, cannot repeat clrncs back if they contain more than 2 bits of information, and I cannot even remember my flight #. I have had trouble with fixation on simple tasks. I am going to take some time off without pay because these effects seem to be cumulative and intensifying with each stressful day. What is happening to me is not the result of a short-term workload, but the addition of external pressures above my flying committments. Some of those elements include: 1) all training done on days off in august. I had a run of days that had 4 days off in a 24 hour period. 2) long duty days in conjunction with 8:45 minute block-to-block layovers. 3) unreliable eating schedule. Commonly, I have had to go 18 to 24 hours without eating. Air carrier shows many of these areas to be covered, however, in many cases what is on paper does not happen. For example, crew meals routinely are not boarded and unavailable upon request. Air carrier's maximum duty day of 13:45 is extendable to 16 hours. The oct lines reflect part of the problem one medium large transport line has 414 hours time away from base to obtain the line divisor of 87 hours. Many lines will exceed 350 hours away from base. Air carrier also publishes routinely information of a nature that addresses stress sleep patterns, and eating habits, but does not reflect those concerns in the scheduling and implementation of crew utilization. Attempts to ensure sleep needs and eating patterns is met with counseling and disciplinary action. Please help us before we are forced into the public eye with an accident or incident. Also, if you do review our schedules, look at the bottom 1/3 of pilot scheduling closely and xchk training records for dates accomplished the training on days off does not always show up on the scheduling. I am 33, good health, and not a commuter. Some are not so lucky as myself. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter is a captain with a scheduled air carrier and is quite upset about the scheduling practices of this carrier. He stated that although they do follow all the FARS so far as duty regulations, they tend to let things slip such as one day off in a period of days, letting it go until the pilot calls attention to it and then giving them 1 24 hour period off from that time. He asked if the public would feel safe flying behind a flight crew that had 4 days off in 24, had just completed 9-14 hour duty days of 8:45 block-to-block crew rest with maximum hours flying. Feels that government't regulations are inadequate. Has spoken with FAA air carrier inspectors and they say there is nothing they can do. Cites inadequate coordination in this air carrier with the food vendors so that the scheduled meals do not get on the flight. Low blood sugar has been a problem to the extent that this captain, at times, could not function with any long term memory. Also feels that this is a trend within the industry. Feels above all that a minimum crew rest at the hotel from check in to check out has to be 8 hours. Very grateful for someone to talk with. Personally feels that his morale is down and hopes he can make it to retirement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT COMPLAINT OF INADEQUATE REST DUE TO DUTY RIGS BASED ON FEDERAL AVIATION REGS.

Narrative: I COMPLETED A MINIMUM CREW REST DAY ON SEP/MON/89. ON THE NEXT DAY MY DUTY DAY WAS 13:45+. BOTH MY F/O AND MYSELF ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF FATIGUE. I AM UNABLE TO CONCENTRATE, CANNOT REPEAT CLRNCS BACK IF THEY CONTAIN MORE THAN 2 BITS OF INFO, AND I CANNOT EVEN REMEMBER MY FLT #. I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH FIXATION ON SIMPLE TASKS. I AM GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF WITHOUT PAY BECAUSE THESE EFFECTS SEEM TO BE CUMULATIVE AND INTENSIFYING WITH EACH STRESSFUL DAY. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME IS NOT THE RESULT OF A SHORT-TERM WORKLOAD, BUT THE ADDITION OF EXTERNAL PRESSURES ABOVE MY FLYING COMMITTMENTS. SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS INCLUDE: 1) ALL TRAINING DONE ON DAYS OFF IN AUGUST. I HAD A RUN OF DAYS THAT HAD 4 DAYS OFF IN A 24 HR PERIOD. 2) LONG DUTY DAYS IN CONJUNCTION WITH 8:45 MINUTE BLOCK-TO-BLOCK LAYOVERS. 3) UNRELIABLE EATING SCHEDULE. COMMONLY, I HAVE HAD TO GO 18 TO 24 HRS WITHOUT EATING. ACR SHOWS MANY OF THESE AREAS TO BE COVERED, HOWEVER, IN MANY CASES WHAT IS ON PAPER DOES NOT HAPPEN. FOR EXAMPLE, CREW MEALS ROUTINELY ARE NOT BOARDED AND UNAVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. ACR'S MAX DUTY DAY OF 13:45 IS EXTENDABLE TO 16 HRS. THE OCT LINES REFLECT PART OF THE PROBLEM ONE MLG LINE HAS 414 HRS TIME AWAY FROM BASE TO OBTAIN THE LINE DIVISOR OF 87 HRS. MANY LINES WILL EXCEED 350 HRS AWAY FROM BASE. ACR ALSO PUBLISHES ROUTINELY INFO OF A NATURE THAT ADDRESSES STRESS SLEEP PATTERNS, AND EATING HABITS, BUT DOES NOT REFLECT THOSE CONCERNS IN THE SCHEDULING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CREW UTILIZATION. ATTEMPTS TO ENSURE SLEEP NEEDS AND EATING PATTERNS IS MET WITH COUNSELING AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION. PLEASE HELP US BEFORE WE ARE FORCED INTO THE PUBLIC EYE WITH AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT. ALSO, IF YOU DO REVIEW OUR SCHEDULES, LOOK AT THE BOTTOM 1/3 OF PLT SCHEDULING CLOSELY AND XCHK TRAINING RECORDS FOR DATES ACCOMPLISHED THE TRAINING ON DAYS OFF DOES NOT ALWAYS SHOW UP ON THE SCHEDULING. I AM 33, GOOD HEALTH, AND NOT A COMMUTER. SOME ARE NOT SO LUCKY AS MYSELF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER IS A CAPT WITH A SCHEDULED ACR AND IS QUITE UPSET ABOUT THE SCHEDULING PRACTICES OF THIS CARRIER. HE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THEY DO FOLLOW ALL THE FARS SO FAR AS DUTY REGS, THEY TEND TO LET THINGS SLIP SUCH AS ONE DAY OFF IN A PERIOD OF DAYS, LETTING IT GO UNTIL THE PLT CALLS ATTN TO IT AND THEN GIVING THEM 1 24 HR PERIOD OFF FROM THAT TIME. HE ASKED IF THE PUBLIC WOULD FEEL SAFE FLYING BEHIND A FLT CREW THAT HAD 4 DAYS OFF IN 24, HAD JUST COMPLETED 9-14 HR DUTY DAYS OF 8:45 BLOCK-TO-BLOCK CREW REST WITH MAX HRS FLYING. FEELS THAT GOV'T REGS ARE INADEQUATE. HAS SPOKEN WITH FAA ACR INSPECTORS AND THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. CITES INADEQUATE COORD IN THIS ACR WITH THE FOOD VENDORS SO THAT THE SCHEDULED MEALS DO NOT GET ON THE FLT. LOW BLOOD SUGAR HAS BEEN A PROBLEM TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS CAPT, AT TIMES, COULD NOT FUNCTION WITH ANY LONG TERM MEMORY. ALSO FEELS THAT THIS IS A TREND WITHIN THE INDUSTRY. FEELS ABOVE ALL THAT A MINIMUM CREW REST AT THE HOTEL FROM CHECK IN TO CHECK OUT HAS TO BE 8 HRS. VERY GRATEFUL FOR SOMEONE TO TALK WITH. PERSONALLY FEELS THAT HIS MORALE IS DOWN AND HOPES HE CAN MAKE IT TO RETIREMENT.

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.