Narrative:

After takeoff from runway 9L at mia, departure control gave us a heading of 280 degrees, then a handoff to ZMA. A few mins after we checked in with center, controller asked what our heading was. I replied, '280 degrees.' and he asked, 'wasn't that 280 degrees to join J73?' by this time we were about 15 NM northwest of mia VOR, south of J73. I told him that if we'd been given instructions to join the arwy, we missed it. He then gave us a 325 degree heading for direct lakeland. Neither the copilot nor I recall instructions to join. If we indeed received that clearance and forgot, the cause was fatigue. This was our seventh leg of 8 scheduled for the day, and into our thirteenth hour on duty. I had flown this trip twice before west/O undue fatigue, but this day was different. There were thunderstorms everywhere we went, approachs to minimums and continuous light-moderate turbulence on every leg. We had held in turbulence for over 1 hour going into mia. Our longest ground time all day was 33 mins, and we hadn't eaten for 9 hours. We ended the day with 14 hours, 55 mins on duty. This is a hard day under ideal circumstances, but throw in bad WX and, well, is it safe? If the DOT and FAA want to improve flying safety, they'll limit duty time to 10-12 hours and increase minimum rest times. All the publicity on checking pilots for drugs and alcohol may appease the public, but it is misplaced in a genuine search for safety. Never have I flown with a pilot I considered to be on drugs or alcohol. Many times after minimum rest breaks or long days in bad WX I have flown west/O crews who were fatigued. I consider it to be, by far, the #1 hazard in aviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT TRACK HEADING DEVIATION ON DEP VECTOR OUT OF MIA.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 9L AT MIA, DEP CTL GAVE US A HDG OF 280 DEGS, THEN A HDOF TO ZMA. A FEW MINS AFTER WE CHKED IN WITH CENTER, CTLR ASKED WHAT OUR HDG WAS. I REPLIED, '280 DEGS.' AND HE ASKED, 'WASN'T THAT 280 DEGS TO JOIN J73?' BY THIS TIME WE WERE ABOUT 15 NM NW OF MIA VOR, S OF J73. I TOLD HIM THAT IF WE'D BEEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO JOIN THE ARWY, WE MISSED IT. HE THEN GAVE US A 325 DEG HDG FOR DIRECT LAKELAND. NEITHER THE COPLT NOR I RECALL INSTRUCTIONS TO JOIN. IF WE INDEED RECEIVED THAT CLRNC AND FORGOT, THE CAUSE WAS FATIGUE. THIS WAS OUR SEVENTH LEG OF 8 SCHEDULED FOR THE DAY, AND INTO OUR THIRTEENTH HR ON DUTY. I HAD FLOWN THIS TRIP TWICE BEFORE W/O UNDUE FATIGUE, BUT THIS DAY WAS DIFFERENT. THERE WERE TSTMS EVERYWHERE WE WENT, APCHS TO MINIMUMS AND CONTINUOUS LIGHT-MODERATE TURB ON EVERY LEG. WE HAD HELD IN TURB FOR OVER 1 HR GOING INTO MIA. OUR LONGEST GND TIME ALL DAY WAS 33 MINS, AND WE HADN'T EATEN FOR 9 HRS. WE ENDED THE DAY WITH 14 HRS, 55 MINS ON DUTY. THIS IS A HARD DAY UNDER IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THROW IN BAD WX AND, WELL, IS IT SAFE? IF THE DOT AND FAA WANT TO IMPROVE FLYING SAFETY, THEY'LL LIMIT DUTY TIME TO 10-12 HRS AND INCREASE MINIMUM REST TIMES. ALL THE PUBLICITY ON CHKING PLTS FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL MAY APPEASE THE PUBLIC, BUT IT IS MISPLACED IN A GENUINE SEARCH FOR SAFETY. NEVER HAVE I FLOWN WITH A PLT I CONSIDERED TO BE ON DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. MANY TIMES AFTER MINIMUM REST BREAKS OR LONG DAYS IN BAD WX I HAVE FLOWN W/O CREWS WHO WERE FATIGUED. I CONSIDER IT TO BE, BY FAR, THE #1 HAZARD IN AVIATION.

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.