Narrative:

Crew fatigue is a factor in many schedules at my carrier. My crew and I had flown together between nov/xx/94, and nov/xx/94, monday: 9 hours duty/6 hours flying. Tuesday: 6 hours duty/3 hours flying. Wednesday: 15 hours duty/5 hours flying. Thursday: 13 hours duty/6 plus hours flying (6-9). Friday: 13 hours duty/6 hours flying. Included were 22 takeoffs and lndgs at extremely busy hubs (lga, jfk, phl, yyz) in WX that caused problems with icing and holding at arrival gates (airborne). Additionally my crew and I all live between 1 and 1 1/2 hours drive time from our crew base. This added to our fatigue on 3 days we drove between our homes and our crew base airport. On friday night our schedule included a long leg between yyz and bdl. On this leg I was flying pilot. Approximately 1 hour into the flight I discovered that my first officer had fallen asleep. I was on the verge of falling asleep. I feel that had any unusual situation occurred that our ability to handle it would be seriously impaired. On paper, our schedule that week, 56 hours on duty and 27 hours flight time, complied with far part 121 duty time regulations. My employer has instituted a procedure that ostensibly deals with the problem but in reality is more intimidation. Immediate notification to the management representative on duty at our central dispatch center. A requirement to call the chief pilot and request to be released from further duty. A requirement to fill out a lengthy pilot fatigue form and facsimile it to our flight standards office within 24 hours. Implementation of this procedure in january 1994 had a chilling effect on crew fatigue occurrences. My employer effectively swept the problem 'under the rug.' the problem is still there.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LTT FALLS ASLEEP WHILE AT CRUISE.

Narrative: CREW FATIGUE IS A FACTOR IN MANY SCHEDULES AT MY CARRIER. MY CREW AND I HAD FLOWN TOGETHER BTWN NOV/XX/94, AND NOV/XX/94, MONDAY: 9 HRS DUTY/6 HRS FLYING. TUESDAY: 6 HRS DUTY/3 HRS FLYING. WEDNESDAY: 15 HRS DUTY/5 HRS FLYING. THURSDAY: 13 HRS DUTY/6 PLUS HRS FLYING (6-9). FRIDAY: 13 HRS DUTY/6 HRS FLYING. INCLUDED WERE 22 TKOFS AND LNDGS AT EXTREMELY BUSY HUBS (LGA, JFK, PHL, YYZ) IN WX THAT CAUSED PROBS WITH ICING AND HOLDING AT ARR GATES (AIRBORNE). ADDITIONALLY MY CREW AND I ALL LIVE BTWN 1 AND 1 1/2 HRS DRIVE TIME FROM OUR CREW BASE. THIS ADDED TO OUR FATIGUE ON 3 DAYS WE DROVE BTWN OUR HOMES AND OUR CREW BASE ARPT. ON FRIDAY NIGHT OUR SCHEDULE INCLUDED A LONG LEG BTWN YYZ AND BDL. ON THIS LEG I WAS FLYING PLT. APPROX 1 HR INTO THE FLT I DISCOVERED THAT MY FO HAD FALLEN ASLEEP. I WAS ON THE VERGE OF FALLING ASLEEP. I FEEL THAT HAD ANY UNUSUAL SIT OCCURRED THAT OUR ABILITY TO HANDLE IT WOULD BE SERIOUSLY IMPAIRED. ON PAPER, OUR SCHEDULE THAT WK, 56 HRS ON DUTY AND 27 HRS FLT TIME, COMPLIED WITH FAR PART 121 DUTY TIME REGS. MY EMPLOYER HAS INSTITUTED A PROC THAT OSTENSIBLY DEALS WITH THE PROB BUT IN REALITY IS MORE INTIMIDATION. IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION TO THE MGMNT REPRESENTATIVE ON DUTY AT OUR CENTRAL DISPATCH CTR. A REQUIREMENT TO CALL THE CHIEF PLT AND REQUEST TO BE RELEASED FROM FURTHER DUTY. A REQUIREMENT TO FILL OUT A LENGTHY PLT FATIGUE FORM AND FAX IT TO OUR FLT STANDARDS OFFICE WITHIN 24 HRS. IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROC IN JANUARY 1994 HAD A CHILLING EFFECT ON CREW FATIGUE OCCURRENCES. MY EMPLOYER EFFECTIVELY SWEPT THE PROB 'UNDER THE RUG.' THE PROB IS STILL THERE.

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.