PIC reporter complaint of flight crew work schedules being unduly punishing in a physical and mental...

Attributes
ACN	370720
Time
Date	199706
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	370720
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

My main concern as far as writing this report has to do with factors affecting the quality of human performance. As a B737 captain here at our xyz airlines, I am gravely concerned about an ongoing situation with scheduling. This company continues to schedule multiple legs per duty period on the back side of the clock and then, many times on the same pairing, completely invert the circadian rhythm. This is ongoing to the point of being abnormal, but accepted as normal operations. This company has compromised our margin of safety. I'm not just concerned, but scared, that due to fatigue, there will be a catastrophic accident. The company intimidation, coupled with financial duress is cause for many to be pushed into the highly fatigued envelope.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC RPTR COMPLAINT OF FLC WORK SCHEDULES BEING UNDULY PUNISHING IN A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SENSE.

Narrative: MY MAIN CONCERN AS FAR AS WRITING THIS RPT HAS TO DO WITH FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE. AS A B737 CAPT HERE AT OUR XYZ AIRLINES, I AM GRAVELY CONCERNED ABOUT AN ONGOING SIT WITH SCHEDULING. THIS COMPANY CONTINUES TO SCHEDULE MULTIPLE LEGS PER DUTY PERIOD ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK AND THEN, MANY TIMES ON THE SAME PAIRING, COMPLETELY INVERT THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. THIS IS ONGOING TO THE POINT OF BEING ABNORMAL, BUT ACCEPTED AS NORMAL OPS. THIS COMPANY HAS COMPROMISED OUR MARGIN OF SAFETY. I'M NOT JUST CONCERNED, BUT SCARED, THAT DUE TO FATIGUE, THERE WILL BE A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. THE COMPANY INTIMIDATION, COUPLED WITH FINANCIAL DURESS IS CAUSE FOR MANY TO BE PUSHED INTO THE HIGHLY FATIGUED ENVELOPE.

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.

PIC reporter complaint of flight crew work schedules being unduly punishing in a physical and mental sense.