Narrative:

I have had numerous discussions with flight attendants at our airline. The flight attendant this morning flew 140 block hours in the month of july. She is not the only one who is doing this. Basically this is the norm, not the exception! I fail to see how a flight attendant cannot be fatigued with this type of schedule. During an emergency I feel their reactions would be slow, judgement impaired, and the lives of passenger, other crew members and the flight attendant would be endangered. As the captain I have very shaky ground to stand on if I feel a flight attendant is fatigued. As long as the flight attendant says everything is fine, then corporate policy is to let them fly, and I am reprimanded. The flight attendant manual does stipulate a maximum 14 hour duty day, but if they get 1 min of rest they are legal to fly again. (No minimum rest number published(. Some of these individuals are going 70 plus hours on duty without rest. We need to stop this before someone gets killed. I am dreading the day a sleep walking flight attendant gets hit by a moving propeller. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he reported incident to alpa safety committee, FAA hotline and company. New regulations will go into effect in march to eliminate this condition. This incident involved an flight attendant who had been on duty and was scheduled for a stand up overnight which would have been 28 hours duty time. These are usually young 18 or 19 yr olds who are very afraid to admit fatigue as they are still on probation. When a captain refuses to accept one as a crew member they may be switched to another flight. Now the capts have banded together and refuse to accept them. Reporter felt this should be in the database. He is an alpa safety representative himself and will be delighted when the new regulations become effective. Response from the hotline was that this scheduling is legal at present.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT RPT OF CABIN ATTENDANT SCHEDULING AND LACK OF REST.

Narrative: I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS WITH FLT ATTENDANTS AT OUR AIRLINE. THE FLT ATTENDANT THIS MORNING FLEW 140 BLOCK HRS IN THE MONTH OF JULY. SHE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO IS DOING THIS. BASICALLY THIS IS THE NORM, NOT THE EXCEPTION! I FAIL TO SEE HOW A FLT ATTENDANT CANNOT BE FATIGUED WITH THIS TYPE OF SCHEDULE. DURING AN EMER I FEEL THEIR REACTIONS WOULD BE SLOW, JUDGEMENT IMPAIRED, AND THE LIVES OF PAX, OTHER CREW MEMBERS AND THE FLT ATTENDANT WOULD BE ENDANGERED. AS THE CAPT I HAVE VERY SHAKY GND TO STAND ON IF I FEEL A FLT ATTENDANT IS FATIGUED. AS LONG AS THE FLT ATTENDANT SAYS EVERYTHING IS FINE, THEN CORPORATE POLICY IS TO LET THEM FLY, AND I AM REPRIMANDED. THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL DOES STIPULATE A MAX 14 HR DUTY DAY, BUT IF THEY GET 1 MIN OF REST THEY ARE LEGAL TO FLY AGAIN. (NO MINIMUM REST NUMBER PUBLISHED(. SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING 70 PLUS HRS ON DUTY WITHOUT REST. WE NEED TO STOP THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I AM DREADING THE DAY A SLEEP WALKING FLT ATTENDANT GETS HIT BY A MOVING PROP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE RPTED INCIDENT TO ALPA SAFETY COMMITTEE, FAA HOTLINE AND COMPANY. NEW REGS WILL GO INTO EFFECT IN MARCH TO ELIMINATE THIS CONDITION. THIS INCIDENT INVOLVED AN FLT ATTENDANT WHO HAD BEEN ON DUTY AND WAS SCHEDULED FOR A STAND UP OVERNIGHT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN 28 HRS DUTY TIME. THESE ARE USUALLY YOUNG 18 OR 19 YR OLDS WHO ARE VERY AFRAID TO ADMIT FATIGUE AS THEY ARE STILL ON PROBATION. WHEN A CAPT REFUSES TO ACCEPT ONE AS A CREW MEMBER THEY MAY BE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER FLT. NOW THE CAPTS HAVE BANDED TOGETHER AND REFUSE TO ACCEPT THEM. RPTR FELT THIS SHOULD BE IN THE DATABASE. HE IS AN ALPA SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE HIMSELF AND WILL BE DELIGHTED WHEN THE NEW REGS BECOME EFFECTIVE. RESPONSE FROM THE HOTLINE WAS THAT THIS SCHEDULING IS LEGAL AT PRESENT.

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.