Narrative:

Having duty days up to 16 hours, we all know the schedules we fly can be long and tiring. The cdo trips the company has us flying are the worst example of such trips. We all hear the complaining about cdo's among the ranks, and I'm as guilty as the next for doing so. Yet, there has never been legitimate consensus we could use as a pilot group to express our opinion on cdo trips appropriately. I would therefore like to ask you to read my opinion on the subject; then express your opinion by filling out the questionnaire that follows. The questionnaire will remain anonymous. Continuous duty overnights are created under management's supervision and they inherently cause fatigue problems. If a crew member declares him or herself fatigued during a cdo they still have to argue their case to management to prevent a loss of pay. This policy puts undue pressure on the financially-strapped crew members to fly when they otherwise would not. When a crew's 4-5 hours of actual sleep time is reduced or eliminated by mechanical or WX delays, they are still expected to complete the sequence. When a crew's morning flight is delayed for whatever reason causing the duty time to extend to 16 hours or more they are still expected to complete the sequence. These are only 2 of the reasons why I don't think cdo's are something we like or feel safe about in our schedules. They push the limits of human capabilities far beyond what should be tested with a professional air carrier. I use the word 'tested' because that is exactly what we are doing by flying these trips. We are testing the regulations to see if 'legal' equals safe. Until someone gets hurt or killed we will continue to test this philosophy. Although the managers in this company believe legal equals safe, I think the FARS that we live by were written as limitations to work within and not limitations to reach on a regular basis. Management's philosophy should be: if the sequence is safe to do it's legal to do. We have begged the management to get rid of these cdo's. When we call in fatigued, they do their best to intimidate us into flying, claiming it is our responsibility to obtain adequate rest before we show for the flight. Now, let's be realistic, we are animals, not machines. We desperately need intervention to keep our management, through the FAA, from killing us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ACR MDT COMPLAINT, AND REQUEST OF FELLOW FLC MEMBERS FOR SURVEY OF CREW SCHEDULING CAUSING FATIGUE.

Narrative: HAVING DUTY DAYS UP TO 16 HRS, WE ALL KNOW THE SCHEDULES WE FLY CAN BE LONG AND TIRING. THE CDO TRIPS THE COMPANY HAS US FLYING ARE THE WORST EXAMPLE OF SUCH TRIPS. WE ALL HEAR THE COMPLAINING ABOUT CDO'S AMONG THE RANKS, AND I'M AS GUILTY AS THE NEXT FOR DOING SO. YET, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN LEGITIMATE CONSENSUS WE COULD USE AS A PLT GROUP TO EXPRESS OUR OPINION ON CDO TRIPS APPROPRIATELY. I WOULD THEREFORE LIKE TO ASK YOU TO READ MY OPINION ON THE SUBJECT; THEN EXPRESS YOUR OPINION BY FILLING OUT THE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT FOLLOWS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE WILL REMAIN ANONYMOUS. CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHTS ARE CREATED UNDER MGMNT'S SUPERVISION AND THEY INHERENTLY CAUSE FATIGUE PROBS. IF A CREW MEMBER DECLARES HIM OR HERSELF FATIGUED DURING A CDO THEY STILL HAVE TO ARGUE THEIR CASE TO MGMNT TO PREVENT A LOSS OF PAY. THIS POLICY PUTS UNDUE PRESSURE ON THE FINANCIALLY-STRAPPED CREW MEMBERS TO FLY WHEN THEY OTHERWISE WOULD NOT. WHEN A CREW'S 4-5 HRS OF ACTUAL SLEEP TIME IS REDUCED OR ELIMINATED BY MECHANICAL OR WX DELAYS, THEY ARE STILL EXPECTED TO COMPLETE THE SEQUENCE. WHEN A CREW'S MORNING FLT IS DELAYED FOR WHATEVER REASON CAUSING THE DUTY TIME TO EXTEND TO 16 HRS OR MORE THEY ARE STILL EXPECTED TO COMPLETE THE SEQUENCE. THESE ARE ONLY 2 OF THE REASONS WHY I DON'T THINK CDO'S ARE SOMETHING WE LIKE OR FEEL SAFE ABOUT IN OUR SCHEDULES. THEY PUSH THE LIMITS OF HUMAN CAPABILITIES FAR BEYOND WHAT SHOULD BE TESTED WITH A PROFESSIONAL AIR CARRIER. I USE THE WORD 'TESTED' BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING BY FLYING THESE TRIPS. WE ARE TESTING THE REGULATIONS TO SEE IF 'LEGAL' EQUALS SAFE. UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED WE WILL CONTINUE TO TEST THIS PHILOSOPHY. ALTHOUGH THE MANAGERS IN THIS COMPANY BELIEVE LEGAL EQUALS SAFE, I THINK THE FARS THAT WE LIVE BY WERE WRITTEN AS LIMITATIONS TO WORK WITHIN AND NOT LIMITATIONS TO REACH ON A REGULAR BASIS. MGMNT'S PHILOSOPHY SHOULD BE: IF THE SEQUENCE IS SAFE TO DO IT'S LEGAL TO DO. WE HAVE BEGGED THE MGMNT TO GET RID OF THESE CDO'S. WHEN WE CALL IN FATIGUED, THEY DO THEIR BEST TO INTIMIDATE US INTO FLYING, CLAIMING IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE REST BEFORE WE SHOW FOR THE FLT. NOW, LET'S BE REALISTIC, WE ARE ANIMALS, NOT MACHINES. WE DESPERATELY NEED INTERVENTION TO KEEP OUR MGMNT, THROUGH THE FAA, FROM KILLING US.

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.