Narrative:

Event occurred en route from syd to lax. Primary and secondary relief pilots in the seat with captain and flying first officer on break. I was the PF and we had been in the seats approximately 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Received a clearance from oakland via datalink to climb and maintain FL370. We had not been at FL350 very long and this was just about optimum at this time. I decided to reject this clearance due to performance and via free text requested a block altitude FL350-FL370. I did this because of a moonlit night, could see clouds ahead and felt a little higher altitude would clear the tops possibly providing a smoother ride. Next, received a request from oakland via datalink asking when we would be able to climb to FL370. Sent them a time of XY35Z which I felt was at least 1/2 hour earlier than optimum. At XY11Z received clearance to cross santa intersection at and maintain FL370, report reaching, if unable expect FL330. I believe santa was approximately 210 mi ahead at approximately the time we said we would be able FL370. We accepted the clearance and I climbed immediately to FL360 to top out over the cloud cover. This put us above our optimum altitude by 500-1000 ft. Now since I was step-climbing based on optimum, I simply forgot about the crossing restr to be at FL370 by santa. We crossed santa at XY36Z at FL360. At XY49Z received datalink message to confirm altitude. We realized our mistake and climbed immediately to FL370. At XY51Z sent message 'level FL370.' so we were 14-15 mins late reaching our assigned altitude. Never received any more messages from oakland related to this and there was no traffic conflict that I am aware of. When the captain returned from break, I informed him of my error and that I might send in a NASA report. If I had to pick the chief cause of this error, it would be crew fatigue. Due to our irregular sleep schedules, we are night flying on the back side of the clock, followed by 24 hour layovers where you are now required to FLIP-flop your work schedule. On this particular trip, which departs lax at XY40, the relief pilots go on break at XZ30 pm, but the PF's don't go on break until approximately AB30 am. Then after a 28 1/2 hour layover (25 hours at the hotel) the relief pilots go on break and climb into the seat 6 hours later. On this particular flight I have reported, I had been awake since AC45 and the other relief pilot since AA00, when our shift began. Neither of us being able to get any sleep during our break. The vast majority of our trips have 24 hour layovers. With this you begin work at approximately the same time you finished work the day before. Probably the worst schedule you could design for the human body.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 CREW FAILS TO MAKE AN ALT XING RESTR BASED UPON A POINT AND TIME ON AN EXTENDED OVERWATER OP SE OF ITO, HI.

Narrative: EVENT OCCURRED ENRTE FROM SYD TO LAX. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RELIEF PLTS IN THE SEAT WITH CAPT AND FLYING FO ON BREAK. I WAS THE PF AND WE HAD BEEN IN THE SEATS APPROX 1 - 1 1/2 HRS. RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM OAKLAND VIA DATALINK TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL370. WE HAD NOT BEEN AT FL350 VERY LONG AND THIS WAS JUST ABOUT OPTIMUM AT THIS TIME. I DECIDED TO REJECT THIS CLRNC DUE TO PERFORMANCE AND VIA FREE TEXT REQUESTED A BLOCK ALT FL350-FL370. I DID THIS BECAUSE OF A MOONLIT NIGHT, COULD SEE CLOUDS AHEAD AND FELT A LITTLE HIGHER ALT WOULD CLR THE TOPS POSSIBLY PROVIDING A SMOOTHER RIDE. NEXT, RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM OAKLAND VIA DATALINK ASKING WHEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CLB TO FL370. SENT THEM A TIME OF XY35Z WHICH I FELT WAS AT LEAST 1/2 HR EARLIER THAN OPTIMUM. AT XY11Z RECEIVED CLRNC TO CROSS SANTA INTXN AT AND MAINTAIN FL370, RPT REACHING, IF UNABLE EXPECT FL330. I BELIEVE SANTA WAS APPROX 210 MI AHEAD AT APPROX THE TIME WE SAID WE WOULD BE ABLE FL370. WE ACCEPTED THE CLRNC AND I CLBED IMMEDIATELY TO FL360 TO TOP OUT OVER THE CLOUD COVER. THIS PUT US ABOVE OUR OPTIMUM ALT BY 500-1000 FT. NOW SINCE I WAS STEP-CLBING BASED ON OPTIMUM, I SIMPLY FORGOT ABOUT THE XING RESTR TO BE AT FL370 BY SANTA. WE CROSSED SANTA AT XY36Z AT FL360. AT XY49Z RECEIVED DATALINK MESSAGE TO CONFIRM ALT. WE REALIZED OUR MISTAKE AND CLBED IMMEDIATELY TO FL370. AT XY51Z SENT MESSAGE 'LEVEL FL370.' SO WE WERE 14-15 MINS LATE REACHING OUR ASSIGNED ALT. NEVER RECEIVED ANY MORE MESSAGES FROM OAKLAND RELATED TO THIS AND THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT THAT I AM AWARE OF. WHEN THE CAPT RETURNED FROM BREAK, I INFORMED HIM OF MY ERROR AND THAT I MIGHT SEND IN A NASA RPT. IF I HAD TO PICK THE CHIEF CAUSE OF THIS ERROR, IT WOULD BE CREW FATIGUE. DUE TO OUR IRREGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULES, WE ARE NIGHT FLYING ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK, FOLLOWED BY 24 HR LAYOVERS WHERE YOU ARE NOW REQUIRED TO FLIP-FLOP YOUR WORK SCHEDULE. ON THIS PARTICULAR TRIP, WHICH DEPARTS LAX AT XY40, THE RELIEF PLTS GO ON BREAK AT XZ30 PM, BUT THE PF'S DON'T GO ON BREAK UNTIL APPROX AB30 AM. THEN AFTER A 28 1/2 HR LAYOVER (25 HRS AT THE HOTEL) THE RELIEF PLTS GO ON BREAK AND CLB INTO THE SEAT 6 HRS LATER. ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT I HAVE RPTED, I HAD BEEN AWAKE SINCE AC45 AND THE OTHER RELIEF PLT SINCE AA00, WHEN OUR SHIFT BEGAN. NEITHER OF US BEING ABLE TO GET ANY SLEEP DURING OUR BREAK. THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR TRIPS HAVE 24 HR LAYOVERS. WITH THIS YOU BEGIN WORK AT APPROX THE SAME TIME YOU FINISHED WORK THE DAY BEFORE. PROBABLY THE WORST SCHEDULE YOU COULD DESIGN FOR THE HUMAN BODY.

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.