Narrative:

Flew 2 day trip. First day is 14 hours of duty, 9 legs. 2 breaks of 1.5 hours and 1 hour long in day. After 9 hours of what the regulations call 'rest,' flew 3 more legs. After about 6 legs I was tired. It is difficult for a crew member to determine 'fatigue.' no doubt, had I taken a check ride late in the first day, my performance would not have been all I was normally capable of. However, considering the repercussions of declaring myself 'fatigued,' I am not likely to do so unless I am absolutely great. A pilot who calls fatigue often does receive 'special attention' from management. The current duty regulations are a farce. Duty time of 15 hours increaseable to 16 is outrageous. Reduced rests which can be scheduled ahead of time are ludicrous. Rest periods which consist of transportation 'local in nature' is a not-so-funny joke. To safely operate in the environment where I work (a scheduled part 135/121 commuter operating turboprop feeding a major airline) on an ongoing basis, one needs 9 hours in the hotel room or at home. Basically, one needs to limit duty to 12 hours a day. I can usually do trips like described at the beginning of this report, but only because I am quite experienced in the aircraft and am senior enough to bid enough days off to recuperate between trips. There is no question in my mind that scenarios where pilots fly with some degree of fatigue occur regularly. We were running late (this is the trip where the previous 3 legs have turn times of 2, 9 and 25 mins). After unloading a full load of passenger/bags, went inside to get WX/restroom/water. Upon entering building, observed infax flashing 'boarding' for our flight. Called operations and told them that they needed to hold passenger in hallway until 1 of the crew members could get back, which would be about 5 mins. The person I spoke with indicated she would try. Approximately 5 mins later, I went back to the aircraft. As I approached, I observed passenger boarding. They walked right past the ramp lead (the one known as 'mr personality'). He ignored them. When I got to the aircraft, I stopped a passenger about to board, instructed a ramp person to stand with the passenger, while I sorted out the situation inside. I found 3 passenger in seats with 2 bags blocking the aisle, after checking boarding passes and clearing the aisle (one bag had to come off because it was way too big), my first officer arrived and we continued boarding. I then told the ramp lead that I didn't appreciate him boarding the aircraft without a crew member present -- that this act was unsafe. What if a fire occurred? He basically told me that it was time to board and if I didn't like it to talk to my supervisor. Without a crew member present to insure a safe deplaning in an emergency, the activation of fire detection/prevention system and someone who will tell the passenger to deplane if necessary, we are asking for trouble. I believe it should be SOP. No crew member present, hold the passenger in the hallway. Sort out later why no crew member was present.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART 135 ACR CAPT COMPLAINS ABOUT HIS ACR'S SCHEDULING AND BOARDING PROCS.

Narrative: FLEW 2 DAY TRIP. FIRST DAY IS 14 HRS OF DUTY, 9 LEGS. 2 BREAKS OF 1.5 HRS AND 1 HR LONG IN DAY. AFTER 9 HRS OF WHAT THE REGS CALL 'REST,' FLEW 3 MORE LEGS. AFTER ABOUT 6 LEGS I WAS TIRED. IT IS DIFFICULT FOR A CREW MEMBER TO DETERMINE 'FATIGUE.' NO DOUBT, HAD I TAKEN A CHK RIDE LATE IN THE FIRST DAY, MY PERFORMANCE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALL I WAS NORMALLY CAPABLE OF. HOWEVER, CONSIDERING THE REPERCUSSIONS OF DECLARING MYSELF 'FATIGUED,' I AM NOT LIKELY TO DO SO UNLESS I AM ABSOLUTELY GREAT. A PLT WHO CALLS FATIGUE OFTEN DOES RECEIVE 'SPECIAL ATTN' FROM MGMNT. THE CURRENT DUTY REGS ARE A FARCE. DUTY TIME OF 15 HRS INCREASEABLE TO 16 IS OUTRAGEOUS. REDUCED RESTS WHICH CAN BE SCHEDULED AHEAD OF TIME ARE LUDICROUS. REST PERIODS WHICH CONSIST OF TRANSPORTATION 'LCL IN NATURE' IS A NOT-SO-FUNNY JOKE. TO SAFELY OPERATE IN THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE I WORK (A SCHEDULED PART 135/121 COMMUTER OPERATING TURBOPROP FEEDING A MAJOR AIRLINE) ON AN ONGOING BASIS, ONE NEEDS 9 HRS IN THE HOTEL ROOM OR AT HOME. BASICALLY, ONE NEEDS TO LIMIT DUTY TO 12 HRS A DAY. I CAN USUALLY DO TRIPS LIKE DESCRIBED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS RPT, BUT ONLY BECAUSE I AM QUITE EXPERIENCED IN THE ACFT AND AM SENIOR ENOUGH TO BID ENOUGH DAYS OFF TO RECUPERATE BTWN TRIPS. THERE IS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT SCENARIOS WHERE PLTS FLY WITH SOME DEG OF FATIGUE OCCUR REGULARLY. WE WERE RUNNING LATE (THIS IS THE TRIP WHERE THE PREVIOUS 3 LEGS HAVE TURN TIMES OF 2, 9 AND 25 MINS). AFTER UNLOADING A FULL LOAD OF PAX/BAGS, WENT INSIDE TO GET WX/RESTROOM/WATER. UPON ENTERING BUILDING, OBSERVED INFAX FLASHING 'BOARDING' FOR OUR FLT. CALLED OPS AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY NEEDED TO HOLD PAX IN HALLWAY UNTIL 1 OF THE CREW MEMBERS COULD GET BACK, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT 5 MINS. THE PERSON I SPOKE WITH INDICATED SHE WOULD TRY. APPROX 5 MINS LATER, I WENT BACK TO THE ACFT. AS I APCHED, I OBSERVED PAX BOARDING. THEY WALKED RIGHT PAST THE RAMP LEAD (THE ONE KNOWN AS 'MR PERSONALITY'). HE IGNORED THEM. WHEN I GOT TO THE ACFT, I STOPPED A PAX ABOUT TO BOARD, INSTRUCTED A RAMP PERSON TO STAND WITH THE PAX, WHILE I SORTED OUT THE SIT INSIDE. I FOUND 3 PAX IN SEATS WITH 2 BAGS BLOCKING THE AISLE, AFTER CHKING BOARDING PASSES AND CLRING THE AISLE (ONE BAG HAD TO COME OFF BECAUSE IT WAS WAY TOO BIG), MY FO ARRIVED AND WE CONTINUED BOARDING. I THEN TOLD THE RAMP LEAD THAT I DIDN'T APPRECIATE HIM BOARDING THE ACFT WITHOUT A CREW MEMBER PRESENT -- THAT THIS ACT WAS UNSAFE. WHAT IF A FIRE OCCURRED? HE BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS TIME TO BOARD AND IF I DIDN'T LIKE IT TO TALK TO MY SUPVR. WITHOUT A CREW MEMBER PRESENT TO INSURE A SAFE DEPLANING IN AN EMER, THE ACTIVATION OF FIRE DETECTION/PREVENTION SYS AND SOMEONE WHO WILL TELL THE PAX TO DEPLANE IF NECESSARY, WE ARE ASKING FOR TROUBLE. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE SOP. NO CREW MEMBER PRESENT, HOLD THE PAX IN THE HALLWAY. SORT OUT LATER WHY NO CREW MEMBER WAS 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.