Narrative:

After flying 2 7-DAY trips in 16 days, gru and scl, 75 hours 57 mins actual flight time, I returned home on the morning of oct/xx/99. After being unable to take a nap that afternoon, I was, to say the least, very tired. I got a call from crew scheduling at about XA30 that night, saying that I was the only man to take a trip that deadheaded the next day to jfk and went on to cdg. As this was an first officer trip, and I was in need of lndgs and currency, it would have helped me out greatly. But, I told her that I was very tired and felt that I would be unable to accept any trips for the following day due to fatigue. She was very polite and asked when I felt I would be rested enough to fly again. I told her that 1 night to try to get back on a normal schedule, followed by a nap on the oct/xa/99, and then another night's rest, would be sufficient. She said ok, thanks, and hung up. She then called back and said she needed a time on the oct/xb/99, and after I said I didn't know, she suggested AB00 hours, as that was when her shift started. I said ok and that if I felt good to go before then, I would call scheduling and let them know. I went to bed at about CD00 and got a call from one of the dfw chief pilots at about CD30. He then proceeded to tell me that I was abusing the fatigue policy and would spoil it for everyone else. And, that if I couldn't get rested in 24 hours, there was something wrong with me. When I tried to explain that I had a young daughter that was sick and a wife that was pregnant, making it tough to get a nap at times, he said that some flying doesn't go well with certain family sits and that I should bid off of this equipment. The chief pilot then said that scheduling would call back with a trip and to 'work it out.' well, after that conversation, I felt some pressure to accept a trip even though I felt unfit to fly. When scheduling called back, I reluctantly accepted a later sign in for a deadhead to ord for a trip to mxp. The fact that the chief pilot did not accept my explanation and back me up, upset me to such a point that I didn't sleep well that night and only exacerbated my fatigue. Hence, I flew a trip when I felt unrested and unfit to fly. I was truly exhausted and felt that I wasn't fit to fly. No one takes time to consider what these 7 day trips do to people. They are exhausting and take time to recuperate from.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BOEING 767 FLC MEMBER DECLINED AN ASSIGNMENT DUE TO FATIGUE. THE COMPANY CHIEF PLT, AFTER DISCUSSING THE MATTER, EXTENDED THE MINIMUM REST PERIOD BEFORE THE NEXT ASSIGNMENT.

Narrative: AFTER FLYING 2 7-DAY TRIPS IN 16 DAYS, GRU AND SCL, 75 HRS 57 MINS ACTUAL FLT TIME, I RETURNED HOME ON THE MORNING OF OCT/XX/99. AFTER BEING UNABLE TO TAKE A NAP THAT AFTERNOON, I WAS, TO SAY THE LEAST, VERY TIRED. I GOT A CALL FROM CREW SCHEDULING AT ABOUT XA30 THAT NIGHT, SAYING THAT I WAS THE ONLY MAN TO TAKE A TRIP THAT DEADHEADED THE NEXT DAY TO JFK AND WENT ON TO CDG. AS THIS WAS AN FO TRIP, AND I WAS IN NEED OF LNDGS AND CURRENCY, IT WOULD HAVE HELPED ME OUT GREATLY. BUT, I TOLD HER THAT I WAS VERY TIRED AND FELT THAT I WOULD BE UNABLE TO ACCEPT ANY TRIPS FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY DUE TO FATIGUE. SHE WAS VERY POLITE AND ASKED WHEN I FELT I WOULD BE RESTED ENOUGH TO FLY AGAIN. I TOLD HER THAT 1 NIGHT TO TRY TO GET BACK ON A NORMAL SCHEDULE, FOLLOWED BY A NAP ON THE OCT/XA/99, AND THEN ANOTHER NIGHT'S REST, WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. SHE SAID OK, THANKS, AND HUNG UP. SHE THEN CALLED BACK AND SAID SHE NEEDED A TIME ON THE OCT/XB/99, AND AFTER I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW, SHE SUGGESTED AB00 HRS, AS THAT WAS WHEN HER SHIFT STARTED. I SAID OK AND THAT IF I FELT GOOD TO GO BEFORE THEN, I WOULD CALL SCHEDULING AND LET THEM KNOW. I WENT TO BED AT ABOUT CD00 AND GOT A CALL FROM ONE OF THE DFW CHIEF PLTS AT ABOUT CD30. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT I WAS ABUSING THE FATIGUE POLICY AND WOULD SPOIL IT FOR EVERYONE ELSE. AND, THAT IF I COULDN'T GET RESTED IN 24 HRS, THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME. WHEN I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT I HAD A YOUNG DAUGHTER THAT WAS SICK AND A WIFE THAT WAS PREGNANT, MAKING IT TOUGH TO GET A NAP AT TIMES, HE SAID THAT SOME FLYING DOESN'T GO WELL WITH CERTAIN FAMILY SITS AND THAT I SHOULD BID OFF OF THIS EQUIP. THE CHIEF PLT THEN SAID THAT SCHEDULING WOULD CALL BACK WITH A TRIP AND TO 'WORK IT OUT.' WELL, AFTER THAT CONVERSATION, I FELT SOME PRESSURE TO ACCEPT A TRIP EVEN THOUGH I FELT UNFIT TO FLY. WHEN SCHEDULING CALLED BACK, I RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED A LATER SIGN IN FOR A DEADHEAD TO ORD FOR A TRIP TO MXP. THE FACT THAT THE CHIEF PLT DID NOT ACCEPT MY EXPLANATION AND BACK ME UP, UPSET ME TO SUCH A POINT THAT I DIDN'T SLEEP WELL THAT NIGHT AND ONLY EXACERBATED MY FATIGUE. HENCE, I FLEW A TRIP WHEN I FELT UNRESTED AND UNFIT TO FLY. I WAS TRULY EXHAUSTED AND FELT THAT I WASN'T FIT TO FLY. NO ONE TAKES TIME TO CONSIDER WHAT THESE 7 DAY TRIPS DO TO PEOPLE. THEY ARE EXHAUSTING AND TAKE TIME TO RECUPERATE FROM.

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.