Narrative:

Operation is on-demand (non-scheduled/charter) freight. Pilots were on-call, 24 hours of every day. (We can request scheduled time off in advance, but that brings a severe economic penalty. Pilots returning from their time off go to the bottom of the 'rotation,' and our income depends on how many mi we fly.) captain and first officer were called at XA45, with, roughly 3-4 hours sleep. No matter what our sleep status, virtually all duty days are 14.00 hours, plus freight delays, often followed by a 2 hour 'voluntary' far- 91 flight to get the aircraft home to yip. I am new first officer in da- 20's. Captain is slightly younger but has lots of recent da- 20 time. Together, we have 20000 plus pilot hours, much of that as PIC in jets. First incident runway incursion. With air carrier jets ahead of us, captain elected to taxi on #1 engine. Most of checklists must be done after south engine is going. With no traffic ahead for takeoff, atl tower didn't ask (most local controllers don't ask) if we were ready. They just issued a takeoff clearance. I had head down in cockpit, trying hard to get yard-long checklist completed, relying on captain to taxi, trying to tell captain 'no, we ain't ready to go,' as he turned onto the wrong parallel runway. 'Tower' went ballistic, and we did a hasty '180' off the runway. Traffic on final -- initially not visible, due to haze -- appeared to be 1 1/2 mi out as we cleared (his) runway. We both made other amateur mistakes of a lesser nature, during this 16 1/2- hour, '14 hour' duty day. Far-135 duty time regulations must be revised this company and at least one of our competitors have an abortional accident rate, and fatigue is an integral part of the story. Freight delays occur on almost every leg of every trip: they cannot be used to extend a 14-hour duty day that may have started just as the crew was about to go to sleep. Far-91 'voluntary' flts home at the end of such a duty day are conducted by crews that have used up most of their neuromotor skills and all of their iq points! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter had just returned from another '14 hour' duty day that had lasted more than 16 hours and he sounded like it. The air carrier is involved in carrying automatic parts and there is no pilot's union. 'We could all be replaced in 96 hours.' the reporter says that 'he is more tired now (when returning from a trip) than he was as a combat pilot in vietnam or when crop dusting.' after 8 pilots were violated in one day for far part 135 duty time violations, his company became experts in their interpretation. All ferry flts are considered to be under far part 91 and are 'voluntary,' therefore do not fall under any duty time limitations.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: OP IS ON-DEMAND (NON-SCHEDULED/CHARTER) FREIGHT. PLTS WERE ON-CALL, 24 HRS OF EVERY DAY. (WE CAN REQUEST SCHEDULED TIME OFF IN ADVANCE, BUT THAT BRINGS A SEVERE ECONOMIC PENALTY. PLTS RETURNING FROM THEIR TIME OFF GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE 'ROTATION,' AND OUR INCOME DEPENDS ON HOW MANY MI WE FLY.) CAPT AND FO WERE CALLED AT XA45, WITH, ROUGHLY 3-4 HRS SLEEP. NO MATTER WHAT OUR SLEEP STATUS, VIRTUALLY ALL DUTY DAYS ARE 14.00 HRS, PLUS FREIGHT DELAYS, OFTEN FOLLOWED BY A 2 HR 'VOLUNTARY' FAR- 91 FLT TO GET THE ACFT HOME TO YIP. I AM NEW FO IN DA- 20'S. CAPT IS SLIGHTLY YOUNGER BUT HAS LOTS OF RECENT DA- 20 TIME. TOGETHER, WE HAVE 20000 PLUS PLT HRS, MUCH OF THAT AS PIC IN JETS. FIRST INCIDENT RWY INCURSION. WITH AIR CARRIER JETS AHEAD OF US, CAPT ELECTED TO TAXI ON #1 ENG. MOST OF CHKLISTS MUST BE DONE AFTER S ENG IS GOING. WITH NO TFC AHEAD FOR TKOF, ATL TWR DIDN'T ASK (MOST LCL CTLRS DON'T ASK) IF WE WERE READY. THEY JUST ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC. I HAD HEAD DOWN IN COCKPIT, TRYING HARD TO GET YARD-LONG CHKLIST COMPLETED, RELYING ON CAPT TO TAXI, TRYING TO TELL CAPT 'NO, WE AIN'T READY TO GO,' AS HE TURNED ONTO THE WRONG PARALLEL RWY. 'TWR' WENT BALLISTIC, AND WE DID A HASTY '180' OFF THE RWY. TFC ON FINAL -- INITIALLY NOT VISIBLE, DUE TO HAZE -- APPEARED TO BE 1 1/2 MI OUT AS WE CLRED (HIS) RWY. WE BOTH MADE OTHER AMATEUR MISTAKES OF A LESSER NATURE, DURING THIS 16 1/2- HR, '14 HR' DUTY DAY. FAR-135 DUTY TIME REGS MUST BE REVISED THIS COMPANY AND AT LEAST ONE OF OUR COMPETITORS HAVE AN ABORTIONAL ACCIDENT RATE, AND FATIGUE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE STORY. FREIGHT DELAYS OCCUR ON ALMOST EVERY LEG OF EVERY TRIP: THEY CANNOT BE USED TO EXTEND A 14-HR DUTY DAY THAT MAY HAVE STARTED JUST AS THE CREW WAS ABOUT TO GO TO SLEEP. FAR-91 'VOLUNTARY' FLTS HOME AT THE END OF SUCH A DUTY DAY ARE CONDUCTED BY CREWS THAT HAVE USED UP MOST OF THEIR NEUROMOTOR SKILLS AND ALL OF THEIR IQ POINTS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAD JUST RETURNED FROM ANOTHER '14 HR' DUTY DAY THAT HAD LASTED MORE THAN 16 HRS AND HE SOUNDED LIKE IT. THE ACR IS INVOLVED IN CARRYING AUTO PARTS AND THERE IS NO PLT'S UNION. 'WE COULD ALL BE REPLACED IN 96 HRS.' THE RPTR SAYS THAT 'HE IS MORE TIRED NOW (WHEN RETURNING FROM A TRIP) THAN HE WAS AS A COMBAT PLT IN VIETNAM OR WHEN CROP DUSTING.' AFTER 8 PLTS WERE VIOLATED IN ONE DAY FOR FAR PART 135 DUTY TIME VIOLATIONS, HIS COMPANY BECAME EXPERTS IN THEIR INTERP. ALL FERRY FLTS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE UNDER FAR PART 91 AND ARE 'VOLUNTARY,' THEREFORE DO NOT FALL UNDER ANY DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS.

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.