Narrative:

This report is being filed to show how a crew's fatigue can affect their judgement and interpretation of the FARS. Crew members included in the report are the captain, stated above, first officer and flight engineer. The trip sequence began on march/sat/98. It included 1 round trip from MMMZ to msp and return to MMMZ. Day #2, mar/sun/98 was the same trip, MMMZ-msp- MMMZ. It also included an unplanned technical (fuel) stop in elp during the second half of the planned round trip. Day #3 was a planned long day. Cities svced included mar/mon/98 MMMZ-stl. The return trip was supposed to be back to MMMZ, however, due to a large frontal system with buildups over FL350 as well as unforecast high headwinds, a technical (fuel) stop again arose in elp. From elp the trip proceeded to MMMZ. At this particular point, all flts were now delayed between 1-2 hours. After landing at MMMZ the crew was not given a chance to obtain food for the remainder of the trip. The last time the crew ate was with crew provided meals 12 hours earlier. The crew departed MMMZ for den at late night. On this leg of the trip sequence the crew discussed the maximum flight time of 24 hours in a 72 hour period. We all concluded that we would not be able to continue from den. Upon reaching den, I notified company operations that we could not continue due to far 121.521. The company's interpretation of the rule was that first, the next flight to phx was a continuation of the same flight with the same flight number, therefore the rule did not apply and we could in fact continue. Second, the company stated it did not matter how far beyond the 24 hours the crew went, as long as the crew was given at least 18 hours off, the crew was perfectly legal to take the flight. The crew's physiological conditions were such: awake for 20 hours, flown for 11 hours, supplied food once during this period. It is the crew's opinion that we were experiencing fatigue prior to leaving den. There was also a great deal of stress induced by running behind schedule and trying to catch up. Upon landing in phx the crew had been awake for 22 hours, had flown over 12 and once again, supplied only 1 crew meal with no means to provide ourselves any form of nourishment. Although no other regulations were broken (except part 121.521) and each flight took off and landed without incident, this crew feels as though we should not have flown the last trip, or been asked to fly the trip. Due to our physiological state, we were perhaps guided into believing everything was ok, when in fact it was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 EXCEEDS THE FLT TIME IN 72 HRS DUE TO COMPANY PRESSURE AND REGS INTERP AND WX FACTORS.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS BEING FILED TO SHOW HOW A CREW'S FATIGUE CAN AFFECT THEIR JUDGEMENT AND INTERP OF THE FARS. CREW MEMBERS INCLUDED IN THE RPT ARE THE CAPT, STATED ABOVE, FO AND FE. THE TRIP SEQUENCE BEGAN ON MARCH/SAT/98. IT INCLUDED 1 ROUND TRIP FROM MMMZ TO MSP AND RETURN TO MMMZ. DAY #2, MAR/SUN/98 WAS THE SAME TRIP, MMMZ-MSP- MMMZ. IT ALSO INCLUDED AN UNPLANNED TECHNICAL (FUEL) STOP IN ELP DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE PLANNED ROUND TRIP. DAY #3 WAS A PLANNED LONG DAY. CITIES SVCED INCLUDED MAR/MON/98 MMMZ-STL. THE RETURN TRIP WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BACK TO MMMZ, HOWEVER, DUE TO A LARGE FRONTAL SYS WITH BUILDUPS OVER FL350 AS WELL AS UNFORECAST HIGH HEADWINDS, A TECHNICAL (FUEL) STOP AGAIN AROSE IN ELP. FROM ELP THE TRIP PROCEEDED TO MMMZ. AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT, ALL FLTS WERE NOW DELAYED BTWN 1-2 HRS. AFTER LNDG AT MMMZ THE CREW WAS NOT GIVEN A CHANCE TO OBTAIN FOOD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. THE LAST TIME THE CREW ATE WAS WITH CREW PROVIDED MEALS 12 HRS EARLIER. THE CREW DEPARTED MMMZ FOR DEN AT LATE NIGHT. ON THIS LEG OF THE TRIP SEQUENCE THE CREW DISCUSSED THE MAX FLT TIME OF 24 HRS IN A 72 HR PERIOD. WE ALL CONCLUDED THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE FROM DEN. UPON REACHING DEN, I NOTIFIED COMPANY OPS THAT WE COULD NOT CONTINUE DUE TO FAR 121.521. THE COMPANY'S INTERP OF THE RULE WAS THAT FIRST, THE NEXT FLT TO PHX WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE SAME FLT WITH THE SAME FLT NUMBER, THEREFORE THE RULE DID NOT APPLY AND WE COULD IN FACT CONTINUE. SECOND, THE COMPANY STATED IT DID NOT MATTER HOW FAR BEYOND THE 24 HRS THE CREW WENT, AS LONG AS THE CREW WAS GIVEN AT LEAST 18 HRS OFF, THE CREW WAS PERFECTLY LEGAL TO TAKE THE FLT. THE CREW'S PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE SUCH: AWAKE FOR 20 HRS, FLOWN FOR 11 HRS, SUPPLIED FOOD ONCE DURING THIS PERIOD. IT IS THE CREW'S OPINION THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING FATIGUE PRIOR TO LEAVING DEN. THERE WAS ALSO A GREAT DEAL OF STRESS INDUCED BY RUNNING BEHIND SCHEDULE AND TRYING TO CATCH UP. UPON LNDG IN PHX THE CREW HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR 22 HRS, HAD FLOWN OVER 12 AND ONCE AGAIN, SUPPLIED ONLY 1 CREW MEAL WITH NO MEANS TO PROVIDE OURSELVES ANY FORM OF NOURISHMENT. ALTHOUGH NO OTHER REGS WERE BROKEN (EXCEPT PART 121.521) AND EACH FLT TOOK OFF AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, THIS CREW FEELS AS THOUGH WE SHOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE LAST TRIP, OR BEEN ASKED TO FLY THE TRIP. DUE TO OUR PHYSIOLOGICAL STATE, WE WERE PERHAPS GUIDED INTO BELIEVING EVERYTHING WAS OK, WHEN IN FACT IT WAS NOT.

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.