Narrative:

Backgnd: this was the third continuous duty overnight or 'nap trip' of 3 that week. The first 2 were the same trip allowing for only 3 hours in bed at best. This trip to evv allows about 4 hours in bed. We must 'nap' at home during the day to make up for the lost rest. The evv trip is scheduled for 10 hours 45 mins of continuous duty beginning at XA05Z. The return flight is scheduled from XJ01Z to XX35Z. Upon our arrival at the airport to duty in, we found there was a ground stop due to dense fog for departures to atl. The update time of XL00Z was extended to XN30Z. At approximately XN30Z we departed evv for atl. My own and my crew's performance showed we were 'fatigue soaked.' I briefed my first officer, who was the PF, that we were tired and we needed to be extra vigilant. The flight was uneventful until approximately 100 NM from atl. Incident: I told my first officer I would be on #2 radio for the ATIS. He said he had #1. I usually attempt to get this information early for planning purposes. I always leave my #1 radio volume up and attempt to monitor that frequency also. When I got back on #1 radio (the center frequency), I switched #2 radio back to the company frequency. Another captain called me on the company frequency and said center is trying to get me on 132.05. I reached for the #1 radio to set that frequency and found the standby function was already set to 132.05. As I flipped it up to the active slot, I asked my first officer if he had set that frequency but not checked on. He said he had not. We had been in level cruise at 11000 ft. Center issued a descent to 9000 ft. 3 mins later he did slow us to 180 KIAS, but nothing was ever said about our 'possibly late' check-in. Due to the extended ground stop, ATC was very busy and very rushed but the rest of our flight was uneventful. At the gate I discussed the event with my first officer. He may have heard the call and set the frequency just as I was checking back on #1. He may have forgotten to FLIP the standby switch expecting me to do that and check onto the new frequency. It is just as likely that I took that call just as I was dialing up the ATIS frequency in #2 and distraction by that and being very tired forgot to check in. I have no memory of selecting that frequency nor did my first officer. The only sure thing is that one of us did set it into the standby slot on #1. The extra time in evv was a factor in our level of fatigue. It allowed us time to eat a normal breakfast with lots of time for coffee but we were still very tired. My first officer doesn't drink coffee. Maybe periodic verbal reminders for extra vigilance during the flight will prevent future lapses. It really bothers me that neither one of us could remember putting that frequency in the #1 radio.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 CREW HAD ONLY 3-4 HRS OF SLEEP FOR 3 DAYS WHILE IN COMPANY SCHEDULED OP.

Narrative: BACKGND: THIS WAS THE THIRD CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT OR 'NAP TRIP' OF 3 THAT WK. THE FIRST 2 WERE THE SAME TRIP ALLOWING FOR ONLY 3 HRS IN BED AT BEST. THIS TRIP TO EVV ALLOWS ABOUT 4 HRS IN BED. WE MUST 'NAP' AT HOME DURING THE DAY TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOST REST. THE EVV TRIP IS SCHEDULED FOR 10 HRS 45 MINS OF CONTINUOUS DUTY BEGINNING AT XA05Z. THE RETURN FLT IS SCHEDULED FROM XJ01Z TO XX35Z. UPON OUR ARR AT THE ARPT TO DUTY IN, WE FOUND THERE WAS A GND STOP DUE TO DENSE FOG FOR DEPS TO ATL. THE UPDATE TIME OF XL00Z WAS EXTENDED TO XN30Z. AT APPROX XN30Z WE DEPARTED EVV FOR ATL. MY OWN AND MY CREW'S PERFORMANCE SHOWED WE WERE 'FATIGUE SOAKED.' I BRIEFED MY FO, WHO WAS THE PF, THAT WE WERE TIRED AND WE NEEDED TO BE EXTRA VIGILANT. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL APPROX 100 NM FROM ATL. INCIDENT: I TOLD MY FO I WOULD BE ON #2 RADIO FOR THE ATIS. HE SAID HE HAD #1. I USUALLY ATTEMPT TO GET THIS INFO EARLY FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. I ALWAYS LEAVE MY #1 RADIO VOLUME UP AND ATTEMPT TO MONITOR THAT FREQ ALSO. WHEN I GOT BACK ON #1 RADIO (THE CTR FREQ), I SWITCHED #2 RADIO BACK TO THE COMPANY FREQ. ANOTHER CAPT CALLED ME ON THE COMPANY FREQ AND SAID CTR IS TRYING TO GET ME ON 132.05. I REACHED FOR THE #1 RADIO TO SET THAT FREQ AND FOUND THE STANDBY FUNCTION WAS ALREADY SET TO 132.05. AS I FLIPPED IT UP TO THE ACTIVE SLOT, I ASKED MY FO IF HE HAD SET THAT FREQ BUT NOT CHKED ON. HE SAID HE HAD NOT. WE HAD BEEN IN LEVEL CRUISE AT 11000 FT. CTR ISSUED A DSCNT TO 9000 FT. 3 MINS LATER HE DID SLOW US TO 180 KIAS, BUT NOTHING WAS EVER SAID ABOUT OUR 'POSSIBLY LATE' CHK-IN. DUE TO THE EXTENDED GND STOP, ATC WAS VERY BUSY AND VERY RUSHED BUT THE REST OF OUR FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AT THE GATE I DISCUSSED THE EVENT WITH MY FO. HE MAY HAVE HEARD THE CALL AND SET THE FREQ JUST AS I WAS CHKING BACK ON #1. HE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN TO FLIP THE STANDBY SWITCH EXPECTING ME TO DO THAT AND CHK ONTO THE NEW FREQ. IT IS JUST AS LIKELY THAT I TOOK THAT CALL JUST AS I WAS DIALING UP THE ATIS FREQ IN #2 AND DISTR BY THAT AND BEING VERY TIRED FORGOT TO CHK IN. I HAVE NO MEMORY OF SELECTING THAT FREQ NOR DID MY FO. THE ONLY SURE THING IS THAT ONE OF US DID SET IT INTO THE STANDBY SLOT ON #1. THE EXTRA TIME IN EVV WAS A FACTOR IN OUR LEVEL OF FATIGUE. IT ALLOWED US TIME TO EAT A NORMAL BREAKFAST WITH LOTS OF TIME FOR COFFEE BUT WE WERE STILL VERY TIRED. MY FO DOESN'T DRINK COFFEE. MAYBE PERIODIC VERBAL REMINDERS FOR EXTRA VIGILANCE DURING THE FLT WILL PREVENT FUTURE LAPSES. IT REALLY BOTHERS ME THAT NEITHER ONE OF US COULD REMEMBER PUTTING THAT FREQ IN THE #1 RADIO.

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.