A B767 first officer is concerned with lack of rest and fatigue due to an inadequate crew rest seat.

Attributes
ACN	578513
Time
Date	200304
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	578513
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance FAA Environmental Factor Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

The pilot crew rest seat in the newly configured business class cabin offers inadequate crew rest during pilot rest breaks for the following reasons: the seat, while designed to recline, is not designed to recline to a position conducive to sleep. A bed-type seat or crew bunk is effective. A reclining seat is uncomfortable and is not effective. The location of the crew rest seat at the rear of the business class cabin is undesirable. The seat is difficult to reach from the cockpit during the meal service. It took me several mins to reach the seat. At least once during the break, the empty seat next to me was temporarily utilized by a passenger trying to reach the forward lavatory, but who was unable to proceed, because of meal carts obstructing the aisle. On another occasion, a passenger bumped into me as I lay in the seat. The level of noise and activity in the rear row of business class is excessive, due to the large number of passenger seated in the immediate area -- as well as the passenger coming forward from the coach section to use the forward lavatories, to talk, etc. Despite my use of noise-attenuating headsets, the noise levels were high throughout my break. The obstacles, distrs, and discomfort at this seat resulted in crew fatigue/lack of rest.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 FO IS CONCERNED WITH LACK OF REST AND FATIGUE DUE TO AN INADEQUATE CREW REST SEAT.

Narrative: THE PLT CREW REST SEAT IN THE NEWLY CONFIGURED BUSINESS CLASS CABIN OFFERS INADEQUATE CREW REST DURING PLT REST BREAKS FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: THE SEAT, WHILE DESIGNED TO RECLINE, IS NOT DESIGNED TO RECLINE TO A POS CONDUCIVE TO SLEEP. A BED-TYPE SEAT OR CREW BUNK IS EFFECTIVE. A RECLINING SEAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND IS NOT EFFECTIVE. THE LOCATION OF THE CREW REST SEAT AT THE REAR OF THE BUSINESS CLASS CABIN IS UNDESIRABLE. THE SEAT IS DIFFICULT TO REACH FROM THE COCKPIT DURING THE MEAL SVC. IT TOOK ME SEVERAL MINS TO REACH THE SEAT. AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE BREAK, THE EMPTY SEAT NEXT TO ME WAS TEMPORARILY UTILIZED BY A PAX TRYING TO REACH THE FORWARD LAVATORY, BUT WHO WAS UNABLE TO PROCEED, BECAUSE OF MEAL CARTS OBSTRUCTING THE AISLE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, A PAX BUMPED INTO ME AS I LAY IN THE SEAT. THE LEVEL OF NOISE AND ACTIVITY IN THE REAR ROW OF BUSINESS CLASS IS EXCESSIVE, DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF PAX SEATED IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA -- AS WELL AS THE PAX COMING FORWARD FROM THE COACH SECTION TO USE THE FORWARD LAVATORIES, TO TALK, ETC. DESPITE MY USE OF NOISE-ATTENUATING HEADSETS, THE NOISE LEVELS WERE HIGH THROUGHOUT MY BREAK. THE OBSTACLES, DISTRS, AND DISCOMFORT AT THIS SEAT RESULTED IN CREW FATIGUE/LACK OF REST.

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.