Narrative:

The following incident is not one of mishap, but is a situation plaguing primarily the regional/commuter industry. I work for a regional carrier with 2 1/2 yrs seniority and am on reserve as a first officer in an light transport. Although regulations state that 'reserve pilots in a 135/121 operation must be scheduled an 8-HR rest period for each 24 hour period on reserve status, my airline schedules their reserves for 24 hours for a calendar day up to 6 calendar days in a row. This means you may be on reserve/on call status for 144 hours at a time. This is potentially dangerous since a crew member on reserve status has no idea what time of day he/she will be called to fly, so therefore are unable to schedule themselves a 'safe' rest period. Why the FAA does not enforce this 8 hour scheduled rest period and allows scheduled carriers to do this is unbelievable. The following is a personal experience showing the danger of this practice: on oct/sat/93 I was on reserve, acting on a regular sleep schedule (awake day/sleep night). I was about to go to bed at about very early am oct/sun/93 when scheduling called and wanted me to report to the airport as soon as possible to fly an aircraft part from rdu to lex and then return. We departed rdu at about XB30 (oct/sun/93) to take the part which ended up being useless (wrong part). Then we returned to rdu. We arrived rdu at about xg (oct/sun/93). The flight consisted of moderate turbulence, icing, heavy rain and marginal IFR at destinations. We had not slept in over 24 hours. I told the scheduler before the trip that I had not slept since last night. The scheduler stated that 'well, you are on reserve and I will give you a miss-trip if you do not go.' on the flight back to rdu, the captain and I were so exhausted that we had trouble staying awake. We had to shoot a 300 ft and 1/2 mi approach in rdu. It is an unwritten practice at my airline to fire someone who calls in 'fatigued' and unable to fly. This situation is a big problem. Crews on reserve 24 hours a day do not know when to sleep because they don't know when they will fly. Why does the FAA not enforce the regulations! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter works for a regional carrier that recently completed negotiations for a new contract. One of the proposals that was rejected was to have 2 periods of reserve each day so that crew persons on reserve would be able to get proper rest. The light transport that the reporter flies has no autoplt. The part that the reporter delivered to lex was the wrong part. This added to his frustration and fatigue. The reporter talked to his union about this situation. He states that his air carrier tried to fire anyone that called in 'fatigued.' the pilots were reinstated, of course, after the new contract was signed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A REGIONAL ACR PLT COMPLAINS OF FATIGUE ON A RESERVE ASSIGNMENT.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT IS NOT ONE OF MISHAP, BUT IS A SIT PLAGUING PRIMARILY THE REGIONAL/COMMUTER INDUSTRY. I WORK FOR A REGIONAL CARRIER WITH 2 1/2 YRS SENIORITY AND AM ON RESERVE AS A FO IN AN LTT. ALTHOUGH REGS STATE THAT 'RESERVE PLTS IN A 135/121 OP MUST BE SCHEDULED AN 8-HR REST PERIOD FOR EACH 24 HR PERIOD ON RESERVE STATUS, MY AIRLINE SCHEDULES THEIR RESERVES FOR 24 HRS FOR A CALENDAR DAY UP TO 6 CALENDAR DAYS IN A ROW. THIS MEANS YOU MAY BE ON RESERVE/ON CALL STATUS FOR 144 HRS AT A TIME. THIS IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SINCE A CREW MEMBER ON RESERVE STATUS HAS NO IDEA WHAT TIME OF DAY HE/SHE WILL BE CALLED TO FLY, SO THEREFORE ARE UNABLE TO SCHEDULE THEMSELVES A 'SAFE' REST PERIOD. WHY THE FAA DOES NOT ENFORCE THIS 8 HR SCHEDULED REST PERIOD AND ALLOWS SCHEDULED CARRIERS TO DO THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. THE FOLLOWING IS A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SHOWING THE DANGER OF THIS PRACTICE: ON OCT/SAT/93 I WAS ON RESERVE, ACTING ON A REGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULE (AWAKE DAY/SLEEP NIGHT). I WAS ABOUT TO GO TO BED AT ABOUT VERY EARLY AM OCT/SUN/93 WHEN SCHEDULING CALLED AND WANTED ME TO RPT TO THE ARPT ASAP TO FLY AN ACFT PART FROM RDU TO LEX AND THEN RETURN. WE DEPARTED RDU AT ABOUT XB30 (OCT/SUN/93) TO TAKE THE PART WHICH ENDED UP BEING USELESS (WRONG PART). THEN WE RETURNED TO RDU. WE ARRIVED RDU AT ABOUT XG (OCT/SUN/93). THE FLT CONSISTED OF MODERATE TURB, ICING, HVY RAIN AND MARGINAL IFR AT DESTS. WE HAD NOT SLEPT IN OVER 24 HRS. I TOLD THE SCHEDULER BEFORE THE TRIP THAT I HAD NOT SLEPT SINCE LAST NIGHT. THE SCHEDULER STATED THAT 'WELL, YOU ARE ON RESERVE AND I WILL GIVE YOU A MISS-TRIP IF YOU DO NOT GO.' ON THE FLT BACK TO RDU, THE CAPT AND I WERE SO EXHAUSTED THAT WE HAD TROUBLE STAYING AWAKE. WE HAD TO SHOOT A 300 FT AND 1/2 MI APCH IN RDU. IT IS AN UNWRITTEN PRACTICE AT MY AIRLINE TO FIRE SOMEONE WHO CALLS IN 'FATIGUED' AND UNABLE TO FLY. THIS SIT IS A BIG PROB. CREWS ON RESERVE 24 HRS A DAY DO NOT KNOW WHEN TO SLEEP BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL FLY. WHY DOES THE FAA NOT ENFORCE THE REGS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR WORKS FOR A REGIONAL CARRIER THAT RECENTLY COMPLETED NEGOTIATIONS FOR A NEW CONTRACT. ONE OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WAS REJECTED WAS TO HAVE 2 PERIODS OF RESERVE EACH DAY SO THAT CREW PERSONS ON RESERVE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET PROPER REST. THE LTT THAT THE RPTR FLIES HAS NO AUTOPLT. THE PART THAT THE RPTR DELIVERED TO LEX WAS THE WRONG PART. THIS ADDED TO HIS FRUSTRATION AND FATIGUE. THE RPTR TALKED TO HIS UNION ABOUT THIS SIT. HE STATES THAT HIS ACR TRIED TO FIRE ANYONE THAT CALLED IN 'FATIGUED.' THE PLTS WERE REINSTATED, OF COURSE, AFTER THE NEW CONTRACT WAS SIGNED.

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.