Narrative:

We were on the last leg of 5, the last day of a 4 day schedule. This schedule is technically legal but has been reported as unsafe due to: legal 12 hour (block to block) layover day 3 that actually nets 4-5 hours of sleep due to planes, trains, trucks, inconsiderate guests, etc; 14 hour duty day with 5 legs in 4 aircraft with 5 sets of cabin crew; fatigue factors of changing aircraft 4 times, in and out at opposite ends of terminals, changing cabin crew every leg, being jerked around by ATC games, mechanic problems and terminal WX vary and can add up to a condition of subtle incapacitation. We can handle a day like this on the 1ST day of 4 due to being well rested from home. The FAA is in bed with management, so our recourse is to refuse to continue when fatigue is felt or suspected. In our case we were not as sharp as usual. The elmaa SID calls for intercepting the yyj 157R from the sea 227R. I was on a 250 degree heading and about 2 dots from intercepting the 227R when my first officer said we were almost on the 157R to which I replied 'we sure got there quick'. My remark did not register on either of us, otherwise I would have looked at my DME and saw 20 instead of 50 and my first officer would have seen that his VOR frequency was on 115.9 yvr instead of 113.7 yyj. We had just done a yvr turn which probably contributed to selecting 115.9. I started my turn to intercept the radial. After about 60 degree of turn, the center told us we were turning 20 mi too soon and to turn back to intercept the sea 227R. Flying the yvr 157R could conflict with inbnds on the malay 1 STAR. The yvr frequency is not on the SID, but I suspect that subtle fatigue caused my first officer to look at yyj 113.8 and subconsciously tune 115.9. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter participated in the boeing study. General discussion of the poor practice in making up schedules. Feels the longest duty day should be when a flight crew begins the sequence and not after 4 or 5 days of flying with minimum layovers at airport motels. Supplemental information from acn 158066. Captain's failure to xchk his DME on sea VOR when I called course 'olive' on my receiver before turning south. Also, we normally receive vectors to join airway at this location.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILURE TO FOLLOW SID.

Narrative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

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.