Beech baron PF as lead plane for fire fighting activity complains of strenuous schedule resulting in...

Narrative:

I am a forest service lead plane pilot and am concerned over hours required by the agency for us to be on duty throughout the yr. We do aerial fire-fighting -- our mission is low level and very intense flying. I am concerned not only for our agency pilots, but also for the contract air tanker pilots. If you check our accident record, you'll see why I'm concerned. We are required to work either 12 days on and 2 days off or 6 days on and 1 day off -- our duty days average 10-12 hours. I started this schedule sometime in feb this yr and it will last until maybe oct or longer! I'm tired!! I attended your fatigue countermeasures workshop. I know what to look for. The overtime is great, but it clouds over safety factors. We cannot seem to convince the fire management people who have control over our aviation departments that the schedule we're on is too much! But they can't understand why we have so many accidents and a lot are fatal! They do not know or choose to ignore the signs of fatigue. Their idea of a safety program is to tell us to 'be safe' while we walk around with bloodshot eyes at the end of our 12 days. Many of our own pilots don't recognize it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the issue has been brought up with the forest service agency but they claim budget constraints are the problem. Yet they complain about the accident rate for these pilots. Reporter indicates it takes about 2 to 3 yrs to train a lead plane pilot. This is the aircraft which guides the bombers into the fire area at low levels and can be quite dangerous. Usually an investigation will be unable to determine a cause when there is an accident. Reporter is well informed as she attended the NASA fatigue program and is trying to get the forest service to have him do a presentation at their facility which will help make others aware of the safety factors of fatigue. Aircraft was a beech baron.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH BARON PF AS LEAD PLANE FOR FIRE FIGHTING ACTIVITY COMPLAINS OF STRENUOUS SCHEDULE RESULTING IN FATIGUE. MANY ACCIDENTS RESULT DURING THE FIRE FIGHTING SEASON. BEECH BARON.

Narrative: I AM A FOREST SVC LEAD PLANE PLT AND AM CONCERNED OVER HRS REQUIRED BY THE AGENCY FOR US TO BE ON DUTY THROUGHOUT THE YR. WE DO AERIAL FIRE-FIGHTING -- OUR MISSION IS LOW LEVEL AND VERY INTENSE FLYING. I AM CONCERNED NOT ONLY FOR OUR AGENCY PLTS, BUT ALSO FOR THE CONTRACT AIR TANKER PLTS. IF YOU CHK OUR ACCIDENT RECORD, YOU'LL SEE WHY I'M CONCERNED. WE ARE REQUIRED TO WORK EITHER 12 DAYS ON AND 2 DAYS OFF OR 6 DAYS ON AND 1 DAY OFF -- OUR DUTY DAYS AVERAGE 10-12 HRS. I STARTED THIS SCHEDULE SOMETIME IN FEB THIS YR AND IT WILL LAST UNTIL MAYBE OCT OR LONGER! I'M TIRED!! I ATTENDED YOUR FATIGUE COUNTERMEASURES WORKSHOP. I KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR. THE OVERTIME IS GREAT, BUT IT CLOUDS OVER SAFETY FACTORS. WE CANNOT SEEM TO CONVINCE THE FIRE MGMNT PEOPLE WHO HAVE CTL OVER OUR AVIATION DEPTS THAT THE SCHEDULE WE'RE ON IS TOO MUCH! BUT THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE SO MANY ACCIDENTS AND A LOT ARE FATAL! THEY DO NOT KNOW OR CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE SIGNS OF FATIGUE. THEIR IDEA OF A SAFETY PROGRAM IS TO TELL US TO 'BE SAFE' WHILE WE WALK AROUND WITH BLOODSHOT EYES AT THE END OF OUR 12 DAYS. MANY OF OUR OWN PLTS DON'T RECOGNIZE IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP WITH THE FOREST SVC AGENCY BUT THEY CLAIM BUDGET CONSTRAINTS ARE THE PROB. YET THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ACCIDENT RATE FOR THESE PLTS. RPTR INDICATES IT TAKES ABOUT 2 TO 3 YRS TO TRAIN A LEAD PLANE PLT. THIS IS THE ACFT WHICH GUIDES THE BOMBERS INTO THE FIRE AREA AT LOW LEVELS AND CAN BE QUITE DANGEROUS. USUALLY AN INVESTIGATION WILL BE UNABLE TO DETERMINE A CAUSE WHEN THERE IS AN ACCIDENT. RPTR IS WELL INFORMED AS SHE ATTENDED THE NASA FATIGUE PROGRAM AND IS TRYING TO GET THE FOREST SVC TO HAVE HIM DO A PRESENTATION AT THEIR FACILITY WHICH WILL HELP MAKE OTHERS AWARE OF THE SAFETY FACTORS OF FATIGUE. ACFT WAS A BEECH BARON.

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.

Attributes
ACN	342160
Time
Date	199607
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Baron 55/Cochise
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000
ASRS Report	342160
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Beech baron PF as lead plane for fire fighting activity complains of strenuous schedule resulting in fatigue. Many accidents result during the fire fighting season. Beech baron.