Narrative:

Operation is on demand (non scheduled charter) freight. Pilots are 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 states, virtually all duty days are 14 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. Second incident: altitude bust. This time (same crew, 3 hours later), I'm PF and captain is doing PNF duties, including navigation. On J-586, en route to cyyz, we are cleared for a profile descent. Captain reads wrong profile descent, then instructs me to descend to 8000 ft (correct profile calls for descent to 12000 ft, if I recall correctly). Approach control catches the bust, instructs us to maintain 9000 ft. 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 1 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 form 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 1 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.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISREAD PROFILE DSCNT.

Narrative: OP IS ON DEMAND (NON SCHEDULED CHARTER) FREIGHT. PLTS ARE 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 STATES, VIRTUALLY ALL DUTY DAYS ARE 14 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. SECOND INCIDENT: ALT BUST. THIS TIME (SAME CREW, 3 HRS LATER), I'M PF AND CAPT IS DOING PNF DUTIES, INCLUDING NAV. ON J-586, ENRTE TO CYYZ, WE ARE CLRED FOR A PROFILE DSCNT. CAPT READS WRONG PROFILE DSCNT, THEN INSTRUCTS ME TO DSND TO 8000 FT (CORRECT PROFILE CALLS FOR DSCNT TO 12000 FT, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY). APCH CTL CATCHES THE BUST, INSTRUCTS US TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT. 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 1 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 FORM 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 1 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.

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.