Narrative:

Took off from lax on a laxx 3 departure daggett transition runway 25L. On a southerly vector we were cleared direct seal beach, direct daggett and given a frequency change. Checked in with new controller just prior to sli VOR. Overhead sli, we turned direct to daggett and the controller asked our heading. I told him we were in a turn to 030 degrees. He asked if we were on a laxx 3, daggett transition. I said yes. He did not realize our previous clearance of direct dag. Finally, we were given a northerly vector and transitioned back to the daggett transition. Subsequently, we were cleared direct daggett. Problems: 1) had previously flown this departure many times, but never the daggett transition. I was used to being on the southerly heading over the ocean and being vectored eastbound. 2) fatigue: on the previous day I had flown an mem-ewr-mem trip with a daytime layover in ewr. An XA42 local departure from mem and an XT59 arrival in mem that night. This trip left mem at XA30 the following day. I felt fine until we preflted for our return lax-mem. During the preflight, all 3 of us commented on how tired we were from the switched flight schedule -- night, day, night. 3) confusion on the radios, with multiple frequency changes, one controller giving us one set of instructions and the next another, thus we were confused, too. 4) finally, on the laxx 3 departure SID plate, there is no transitions verbiage or written instructions as all other departures have, and from previous experience, I have always received vectors on the laxx 3. The laxx 3 departure page is very lacking in describing the daggett transition. This page is listed as a vector departure, not a pilot navigation. Supplemental information from acn 505350: captain had been on a day/night scheduling where you fly all night, sleep during the day, come back that night/morning and go home at XA40. On occasion, you may have to delay your outbound segment to be legal. This is the new scheduling at our company (unsafe). Sleep patterns disrupted continually on this type of scheduling.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10-10 FLC ATTRIBUTE SID RTE CONFUSION TO FATIGUE AND EXPECTED ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM LAX ON A LAXX 3 DEP DAGGETT TRANSITION RWY 25L. ON A SOUTHERLY VECTOR WE WERE CLRED DIRECT SEAL BEACH, DIRECT DAGGETT AND GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE. CHKED IN WITH NEW CTLR JUST PRIOR TO SLI VOR. OVERHEAD SLI, WE TURNED DIRECT TO DAGGETT AND THE CTLR ASKED OUR HDG. I TOLD HIM WE WERE IN A TURN TO 030 DEGS. HE ASKED IF WE WERE ON A LAXX 3, DAGGETT TRANSITION. I SAID YES. HE DID NOT REALIZE OUR PREVIOUS CLRNC OF DIRECT DAG. FINALLY, WE WERE GIVEN A NORTHERLY VECTOR AND TRANSITIONED BACK TO THE DAGGETT TRANSITION. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT DAGGETT. PROBS: 1) HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN THIS DEP MANY TIMES, BUT NEVER THE DAGGETT TRANSITION. I WAS USED TO BEING ON THE SOUTHERLY HDG OVER THE OCEAN AND BEING VECTORED EBOUND. 2) FATIGUE: ON THE PREVIOUS DAY I HAD FLOWN AN MEM-EWR-MEM TRIP WITH A DAYTIME LAYOVER IN EWR. AN XA42 LCL DEP FROM MEM AND AN XT59 ARR IN MEM THAT NIGHT. THIS TRIP LEFT MEM AT XA30 THE FOLLOWING DAY. I FELT FINE UNTIL WE PREFLTED FOR OUR RETURN LAX-MEM. DURING THE PREFLT, ALL 3 OF US COMMENTED ON HOW TIRED WE WERE FROM THE SWITCHED FLT SCHEDULE -- NIGHT, DAY, NIGHT. 3) CONFUSION ON THE RADIOS, WITH MULTIPLE FREQ CHANGES, ONE CTLR GIVING US ONE SET OF INSTRUCTIONS AND THE NEXT ANOTHER, THUS WE WERE CONFUSED, TOO. 4) FINALLY, ON THE LAXX 3 DEP SID PLATE, THERE IS NO TRANSITIONS VERBIAGE OR WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS AS ALL OTHER DEPS HAVE, AND FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, I HAVE ALWAYS RECEIVED VECTORS ON THE LAXX 3. THE LAXX 3 DEP PAGE IS VERY LACKING IN DESCRIBING THE DAGGETT TRANSITION. THIS PAGE IS LISTED AS A VECTOR DEP, NOT A PLT NAV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 505350: CAPT HAD BEEN ON A DAY/NIGHT SCHEDULING WHERE YOU FLY ALL NIGHT, SLEEP DURING THE DAY, COME BACK THAT NIGHT/MORNING AND GO HOME AT XA40. ON OCCASION, YOU MAY HAVE TO DELAY YOUR OUTBOUND SEGMENT TO BE LEGAL. THIS IS THE NEW SCHEDULING AT OUR COMPANY (UNSAFE). SLEEP PATTERNS DISRUPTED CONTINUALLY ON THIS TYPE OF SCHEDULING.

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.