Narrative:

The deviation from course occurred on the final leg of a charter flight. The captain had flown the last 3 legs of the trip and requested that I fly the final leg. We arrived at our drop off point of st louis with the 14 plus hours of duty due to a delay and then continued home to pontiac, concluding a 16 plus hour duty day. About a half an hour into the flight, the captain sitting in the right seat began to fall asleep. At approximately XA30 I began to feel extremely tired. At approximately XA40 I noticed that we had drifted 100 ft low off of our altitude and 180 degrees off course. At sometime we had executed a slow 180 degree turn to the right, causing us to drift 10-15 mi south of course and begin flying in the opposite direction. I became aware of the situation because the chicago controller was trying to get hold of us. I immediately made a quick left turn back on to course and answered the controller who then asked if there was a problem and to contact the next controller. I believe that the captain taking 3 consecutive legs and then assigning the last leg to me, as well as his falling asleep, were contributing factors to this incident. Also I believe that having protected rest times for all charter operators would help reduce future chances of this occurring. Our company requires us to be on call at all times and only starts duty time when called for a trip. I also believe that the 14 hours of duty time should not be allowed to be exceeded on the part 91 legs home. Maximum duty time should be 14 hours for all legs of a charter operator's trips excluding any delays.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV. ALTDEV.

Narrative: THE DEV FROM COURSE OCCURRED ON THE FINAL LEG OF A CHARTER FLT. THE CAPT HAD FLOWN THE LAST 3 LEGS OF THE TRIP AND REQUESTED THAT I FLY THE FINAL LEG. WE ARRIVED AT OUR DROP OFF POINT OF ST LOUIS WITH THE 14 PLUS HRS OF DUTY DUE TO A DELAY AND THEN CONTINUED HOME TO PONTIAC, CONCLUDING A 16 PLUS HR DUTY DAY. ABOUT A HALF AN HR INTO THE FLT, THE CAPT SITTING IN THE R SEAT BEGAN TO FALL ASLEEP. AT APPROX XA30 I BEGAN TO FEEL EXTREMELY TIRED. AT APPROX XA40 I NOTICED THAT WE HAD DRIFTED 100 FT LOW OFF OF OUR ALT AND 180 DEGS OFF COURSE. AT SOMETIME WE HAD EXECUTED A SLOW 180 DEG TURN TO THE R, CAUSING US TO DRIFT 10-15 MI S OF COURSE AND BEGIN FLYING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I BECAME AWARE OF THE SIT BECAUSE THE CHICAGO CTLR WAS TRYING TO GET HOLD OF US. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A QUICK L TURN BACK ON TO COURSE AND ANSWERED THE CTLR WHO THEN ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB AND TO CONTACT THE NEXT CTLR. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAPT TAKING 3 CONSECUTIVE LEGS AND THEN ASSIGNING THE LAST LEG TO ME, AS WELL AS HIS FALLING ASLEEP, WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT. ALSO I BELIEVE THAT HAVING PROTECTED REST TIMES FOR ALL CHARTER OPERATORS WOULD HELP REDUCE FUTURE CHANCES OF THIS OCCURRING. OUR COMPANY REQUIRES US TO BE ON CALL AT ALL TIMES AND ONLY STARTS DUTY TIME WHEN CALLED FOR A TRIP. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE 14 HRS OF DUTY TIME SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE EXCEEDED ON THE PART 91 LEGS HOME. MAX DUTY TIME SHOULD BE 14 HRS FOR ALL LEGS OF A CHARTER OPERATOR'S TRIPS EXCLUDING ANY DELAYS.

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.