Narrative:

Flts hong kong to seoul and seoul to anchorage are flown by the same crew in 1 long (114 hours and 4 mins scheduled) duty period. This is flown through the night after having short layovers of less than 24 hours in anchorage, seoul and hong kong the pairing was originally built on the premise of maximum crew utilization with no regard given to circadian rhythms, proper rest, traveling (working) through 7 time zones, or any other normal needs pertaining to human physiological functions. By the time the return flts began in hong kong, the crew has been scheduled for 19:54 of flight time in a 97:53 hour period. After the hong kong to anchorage flts, the crew was scheduled to amass 30:38 hours in 11 plus 42 hours of being on the trip. Within the first week of the trip, 39 plus 57 hours was scheduled to be flown (41 plus 24 was actually flown). Throughout the remainder of the trip, the crew never got below 30 hours of flight time in a 168 hour (7 day) period. Had this been a domestic trip, it would have been illegal. But because it was an international trip, air carrier was able to get away with all these abuses. The leg from seoul to anchorage is flown through the night and everyone is extremely tired. On jan/sat/94, I inadvertently dozed off 3 times. Each time when I awoke, the other 2 crew members were also asleep! It was impossible to stay awake sitting in your seat simply because of the abusive schedule that we had to endure over the previous 102 plus 32 hours. While making the approach into anchorage on jan/sat/94 and again on jan/thu/94 after flying from seoul, several minor mistakes were made in programming the EFIS system to comply with ATC instructions. These mistakes can only be attributed to the fatigue of the crew. Though no regulations were broken, it is felt that, under the current conditions, it is only a matter of time before a big mistake happens and a crew is violated or worse, that some type of mishap occurs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FRTR HVT CREW FELL ASLEEP AT THE SWITCHES.

Narrative: FLTS HONG KONG TO SEOUL AND SEOUL TO ANCHORAGE ARE FLOWN BY THE SAME CREW IN 1 LONG (114 HRS AND 4 MINS SCHEDULED) DUTY PERIOD. THIS IS FLOWN THROUGH THE NIGHT AFTER HAVING SHORT LAYOVERS OF LESS THAN 24 HRS IN ANCHORAGE, SEOUL AND HONG KONG THE PAIRING WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT ON THE PREMISE OF MAX CREW UTILIZATION WITH NO REGARD GIVEN TO CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS, PROPER REST, TRAVELING (WORKING) THROUGH 7 TIME ZONES, OR ANY OTHER NORMAL NEEDS PERTAINING TO HUMAN PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS. BY THE TIME THE RETURN FLTS BEGAN IN HONG KONG, THE CREW HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR 19:54 OF FLT TIME IN A 97:53 HR PERIOD. AFTER THE HONG KONG TO ANCHORAGE FLTS, THE CREW WAS SCHEDULED TO AMASS 30:38 HRS IN 11 PLUS 42 HRS OF BEING ON THE TRIP. WITHIN THE FIRST WK OF THE TRIP, 39 PLUS 57 HRS WAS SCHEDULED TO BE FLOWN (41 PLUS 24 WAS ACTUALLY FLOWN). THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP, THE CREW NEVER GOT BELOW 30 HRS OF FLT TIME IN A 168 HR (7 DAY) PERIOD. HAD THIS BEEN A DOMESTIC TRIP, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL. BUT BECAUSE IT WAS AN INTL TRIP, ACR WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH ALL THESE ABUSES. THE LEG FROM SEOUL TO ANCHORAGE IS FLOWN THROUGH THE NIGHT AND EVERYONE IS EXTREMELY TIRED. ON JAN/SAT/94, I INADVERTENTLY DOZED OFF 3 TIMES. EACH TIME WHEN I AWOKE, THE OTHER 2 CREW MEMBERS WERE ALSO ASLEEP! IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO STAY AWAKE SITTING IN YOUR SEAT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE ABUSIVE SCHEDULE THAT WE HAD TO ENDURE OVER THE PREVIOUS 102 PLUS 32 HRS. WHILE MAKING THE APCH INTO ANCHORAGE ON JAN/SAT/94 AND AGAIN ON JAN/THU/94 AFTER FLYING FROM SEOUL, SEVERAL MINOR MISTAKES WERE MADE IN PROGRAMMING THE EFIS SYS TO COMPLY WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS. THESE MISTAKES CAN ONLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FATIGUE OF THE CREW. THOUGH NO REGS WERE BROKEN, IT IS FELT THAT, UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A BIG MISTAKE HAPPENS AND A CREW IS VIOLATED OR WORSE, THAT SOME TYPE OF MISHAP OCCURS.

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.