Narrative:

I am filling out this form not because of something that happened, but rather because of a potential disaster. Enclosed is a copy of one of our base's shift schedule. This is not an out of the ordinary schedule, but actually our normal schedule each month. I am very concerned of pilot fatigue, not only for myself, but of my fellow pilots and my passenger. As a commuter airline pilot air carrier X, we are expected to fly, and the schedules are written to the point of maximum physical capabilities, and stretches the legal limit to the maximum. We are constantly putting in 8 or more hours of flight time and working 16 hour shifts a day. Somehow, this is legal. Working 16 hours a day is twice that of the normal 9-5 job, how can the FAA feel this is safe? We are responsible for many lives, yet we are allowed to work longer hours than truck drivers! At the end of a 16 hour shift, and 8 hours of flying, my mind is mentally fatigued and my motor skills and reflex abilities, as well as decision making abilities, all suffer. My last leg the other night of a 15 hour shift resulted in setting off the terrain alert on the GPWS, and stall warning horn on landing. I thought to myself, 'I should not be flying.' the FAA needs to change these regulations to lower the maximum time on duty. Certain airlines, such as the one I fly for, stretch these regulations to maximum when creating the schedule, rather than creating safe schedules. The current duty maximums of 16 hours should only be used as a last resort when needed, not as the norm. The FAA needs to create a stipulation, and/or lower the maximum duty time to something more reasonable, such as 12 hours. The maximum flight time can stay the same, but the duty time needs to change -- it is not safe when done every other day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR BE02 FO COMPLAINS ABOUT EXCESSIVE DUTY AND FLT TIME THAT, WHILE LEGAL, RESULTS IN, HIS OPINION, AN UNSAFE OP. HE RELATES 2 EVENTS ON A FLT THAT HE FEELS WERE THE DIRECT RESULT OF HIS FATIGUED STATE.

Narrative: I AM FILLING OUT THIS FORM NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED, BUT RATHER BECAUSE OF A POTENTIAL DISASTER. ENCLOSED IS A COPY OF ONE OF OUR BASE'S SHIFT SCHEDULE. THIS IS NOT AN OUT OF THE ORDINARY SCHEDULE, BUT ACTUALLY OUR NORMAL SCHEDULE EACH MONTH. I AM VERY CONCERNED OF PLT FATIGUE, NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF, BUT OF MY FELLOW PLTS AND MY PAX. AS A COMMUTER AIRLINE PLT ACR X, WE ARE EXPECTED TO FLY, AND THE SCHEDULES ARE WRITTEN TO THE POINT OF MAX PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES, AND STRETCHES THE LEGAL LIMIT TO THE MAX. WE ARE CONSTANTLY PUTTING IN 8 OR MORE HRS OF FLT TIME AND WORKING 16 HR SHIFTS A DAY. SOMEHOW, THIS IS LEGAL. WORKING 16 HRS A DAY IS TWICE THAT OF THE NORMAL 9-5 JOB, HOW CAN THE FAA FEEL THIS IS SAFE? WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY LIVES, YET WE ARE ALLOWED TO WORK LONGER HRS THAN TRUCK DRIVERS! AT THE END OF A 16 HR SHIFT, AND 8 HRS OF FLYING, MY MIND IS MENTALLY FATIGUED AND MY MOTOR SKILLS AND REFLEX ABILITIES, AS WELL AS DECISION MAKING ABILITIES, ALL SUFFER. MY LAST LEG THE OTHER NIGHT OF A 15 HR SHIFT RESULTED IN SETTING OFF THE TERRAIN ALERT ON THE GPWS, AND STALL WARNING HORN ON LNDG. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'I SHOULD NOT BE FLYING.' THE FAA NEEDS TO CHANGE THESE REGS TO LOWER THE MAX TIME ON DUTY. CERTAIN AIRLINES, SUCH AS THE ONE I FLY FOR, STRETCH THESE REGS TO MAX WHEN CREATING THE SCHEDULE, RATHER THAN CREATING SAFE SCHEDULES. THE CURRENT DUTY MAXIMUMS OF 16 HRS SHOULD ONLY BE USED AS A LAST RESORT WHEN NEEDED, NOT AS THE NORM. THE FAA NEEDS TO CREATE A STIPULATION, AND/OR LOWER THE MAX DUTY TIME TO SOMETHING MORE REASONABLE, SUCH AS 12 HRS. THE MAX FLT TIME CAN STAY THE SAME, BUT THE DUTY TIME NEEDS TO CHANGE -- IT IS NOT SAFE WHEN DONE EVERY OTHER DAY.

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.