Narrative:

The incident occurred on the second leg of a 4 leg trip which departs at XA30 EST and arrives in chicago at approximately XB40 EST. 2 main things contributed to this event. First, I have a 12 hour rest period between runs and normally get between 4-6 hours of sleep during the day as well as 3 hours of sleep on the layover in chicago. But the afternoon preceding this flight I was only able to sleep about 2 hours and arrived for work not as well rested as normal. The second and probably biggest contributing factor was that the flight was delayed for 3 hours before departing for chicago. When the cargo did not arrive at its normal time I tried to contact company operations to determine what was wrong. Normally the company has a very good communication system and we are able to resolve any problems of delays quickly. But this time I was unable to reach anyone and spent the next couple of hours trying to contact someone and determine what the problem was or if this leg of the flight had been cancelled. At approximately XC30 EST I still had not been able to contact anyone and returned to the FBO assuming that this leg had been cancelled and decided to get some sleep. At XD10 EST our ground transportation crew arrived and it was decided to go ahead and make the flight. At XD30 EST I departed for chicago and everything went normal until approximately 40 mi from the destination. WX conditions were near prefect with clear skies, 20 plus mi visibility, and a smooth ride. The aircraft has a very reliable autoplt system and it was engaged. 40 mi out I must have fallen asleep and been asleep for about 10 mins. When I awoke I was just passing my destination airport still at 6000 ft. I quickly contacted center and they handed me off to chicago approach control. The approach controller chewed me out and rightly so but overall he was pretty reasonable about the whole thing. Needless to say, I am still shocked that it happened to 'me' and get a sick feeling when I think about what could have happened. I feel the lack of rest, the stress of not being able to determine the nature of the delay promptly, and the ensuing fatigue were the major contributing factors in this incident and affected my ability to properly determine my performance level. The option not to fly this leg due to the late start could have been a possible choice but seems not a very practical one in the nature of this type of flying. The better choice would have been to call and have someone else cover the entire run that evening due to my lack of adequate rest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT WENT TO SLEEP ENRTE TO MDW AND WOKE OVER THE ARPT AT 6000 FT.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE SECOND LEG OF A 4 LEG TRIP WHICH DEPARTS AT XA30 EST AND ARRIVES IN CHICAGO AT APPROX XB40 EST. 2 MAIN THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT. FIRST, I HAVE A 12 HR REST PERIOD BTWN RUNS AND NORMALLY GET BTWN 4-6 HRS OF SLEEP DURING THE DAY AS WELL AS 3 HRS OF SLEEP ON THE LAYOVER IN CHICAGO. BUT THE AFTERNOON PRECEDING THIS FLT I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SLEEP ABOUT 2 HRS AND ARRIVED FOR WORK NOT AS WELL RESTED AS NORMAL. THE SECOND AND PROBABLY BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE FLT WAS DELAYED FOR 3 HRS BEFORE DEPARTING FOR CHICAGO. WHEN THE CARGO DID NOT ARRIVE AT ITS NORMAL TIME I TRIED TO CONTACT COMPANY OPS TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. NORMALLY THE COMPANY HAS A VERY GOOD COM SYS AND WE ARE ABLE TO RESOLVE ANY PROBLEMS OF DELAYS QUICKLY. BUT THIS TIME I WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANYONE AND SPENT THE NEXT COUPLE OF HRS TRYING TO CONTACT SOMEONE AND DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS OR IF THIS LEG OF THE FLT HAD BEEN CANCELLED. AT APPROX XC30 EST I STILL HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT ANYONE AND RETURNED TO THE FBO ASSUMING THAT THIS LEG HAD BEEN CANCELLED AND DECIDED TO GET SOME SLEEP. AT XD10 EST OUR GND TRANSPORTATION CREW ARRIVED AND IT WAS DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE FLT. AT XD30 EST I DEPARTED FOR CHICAGO AND EVERYTHING WENT NORMAL UNTIL APPROX 40 MI FROM THE DEST. WX CONDITIONS WERE NEAR PREFECT WITH CLR SKIES, 20 PLUS MI VISIBILITY, AND A SMOOTH RIDE. THE ACFT HAS A VERY RELIABLE AUTOPLT SYS AND IT WAS ENGAGED. 40 MI OUT I MUST HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP AND BEEN ASLEEP FOR ABOUT 10 MINS. WHEN I AWOKE I WAS JUST PASSING MY DEST ARPT STILL AT 6000 FT. I QUICKLY CONTACTED CENTER AND THEY HANDED ME OFF TO CHICAGO APCH CTL. THE APCH CTLR CHEWED ME OUT AND RIGHTLY SO BUT OVERALL HE WAS PRETTY REASONABLE ABOUT THE WHOLE THING. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM STILL SHOCKED THAT IT HAPPENED TO 'ME' AND GET A SICK FEELING WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I FEEL THE LACK OF REST, THE STRESS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE DELAY PROMPTLY, AND THE ENSUING FATIGUE WERE THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT AND AFFECTED MY ABILITY TO PROPERLY DETERMINE MY PERFORMANCE LEVEL. THE OPTION NOT TO FLY THIS LEG DUE TO THE LATE START COULD HAVE BEEN A POSSIBLE CHOICE BUT SEEMS NOT A VERY PRACTICAL ONE IN THE NATURE OF THIS TYPE OF FLYING. THE BETTER CHOICE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CALL AND HAVE SOMEONE ELSE COVER THE ENTIRE RUN THAT EVENING DUE TO MY LACK OF ADEQUATE REST.

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.