General complaint of duty rigs extending through the night with rest periods of 3-4 hours.

Attributes
ACN	174757
Time
Date	199104
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	controller military : 2 controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 2 controller supervisory : 1 flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	174751
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I'm currently employed as a part 121 first officer at a large commuter airline in the us northeast. The april pilot and F/a schedules for the month contain many trips that include the 'continuous duty overnights' as a part of 2 and 3 day trips away from base. So far, no rptable accident or incident has occurred due to overnights allowing for 3-4 hours of sleep. I do feel that these trips including continuous duty overnights are not conducive to the safety of flight. The reason I say this is that when I start thinking of scenarios that include low IMC conditions coupled with a crew operating on 4-5 hours of sleep, the potential for problems rises tremendously. How about an in-flight emergency thrown in with the aforementioned conditions? I'm sure that the crews could handle these situations adequately most of the time. My concern is that when a crew doesn't handle a situation as well as they could have the main contributing factor lies in the lack of proper rest in regard to the human body and not the law. And what about the passenger who are unknowingly being transported by a crew that may not be as mentally sharp as they could be because they are working with only 1/2 the sleep they should have?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GENERAL COMPLAINT OF DUTY RIGS EXTENDING THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH REST PERIODS OF 3-4 HOURS.

Narrative: I'M CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AS A PART 121 F/O AT A LARGE COMMUTER AIRLINE IN THE U.S. NE. THE APRIL PLT AND F/A SCHEDULES FOR THE MONTH CONTAIN MANY TRIPS THAT INCLUDE THE 'CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHTS' AS A PART OF 2 AND 3 DAY TRIPS AWAY FROM BASE. SO FAR, NO RPTABLE ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED DUE TO OVERNIGHTS ALLOWING FOR 3-4 HRS OF SLEEP. I DO FEEL THAT THESE TRIPS INCLUDING CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHTS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE TO THE SAFETY OF FLT. THE REASON I SAY THIS IS THAT WHEN I START THINKING OF SCENARIOS THAT INCLUDE LOW IMC CONDITIONS COUPLED WITH A CREW OPERATING ON 4-5 HRS OF SLEEP, THE POTENTIAL FOR PROBS RISES TREMENDOUSLY. HOW ABOUT AN INFLT EMER THROWN IN WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED CONDITIONS? I'M SURE THAT THE CREWS COULD HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS ADEQUATELY MOST OF THE TIME. MY CONCERN IS THAT WHEN A CREW DOESN'T HANDLE A SITUATION AS WELL AS THEY COULD HAVE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR LIES IN THE LACK OF PROPER REST IN REGARD TO THE HUMAN BODY AND NOT THE LAW. AND WHAT ABOUT THE PAX WHO ARE UNKNOWINGLY BEING TRANSPORTED BY A CREW THAT MAY NOT BE AS MENTALLY SHARP AS THEY COULD BE BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING WITH ONLY 1/2 THE SLEEP THEY SHOULD HAVE?

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.