Narrative:

Chronic lack of rest. I was the relief pilot on the flight up from gru. I'd just gotten to sleep in spite of the noise of the dinner service when a flight attendant, as a short-cut from one aisle to the next, stepped over me in the rest seat and woke me up. Getting to sleep during the first break is enough of a challenge without having to deal with people stepping over you. This has simply got to stop. Instead of 2 1/2 hours of sleep, I got about 20 mins because I could not get back to sleep. I was, to put it mildly, pretty useless when I returned to the cockpit tired and angry at our constant battle to try to get sleep in the new confign. Please, please change our rest seat to 2A. As a relief pilot, my understanding is that I am actually more than a hunk of meat to fill the seat while the other crew members take their rest break. If something were to happen, I need to be a able to be reasonably alert and handle the situation. That simply would not have happened the other night. As an aside, we had very few people going to gru a few days before and 2A and the adjacent seat were empty. So, with the captain's and purser's agreement we changed our rest seat. I'm here to tell you that it made a big difference. Noise level was far lower from the flight attendants walking back and forth for their service and nobody stepped over me. I was a more rested, safer and happier pilot. The rest seat was changed on the B777 a few yrs ago from 4A to 1A -- surely doing so on the B767 would not be out of the question.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RELIEF PLT CLAIMS REST ENRTE IS IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE ASSIGNED PAX SEAT FOR REST PURPOSES AND ITS LOCATION IN THE CABIN AND RELATED CABIN SVC ACTIVITY.

Narrative: CHRONIC LACK OF REST. I WAS THE RELIEF PLT ON THE FLT UP FROM GRU. I'D JUST GOTTEN TO SLEEP IN SPITE OF THE NOISE OF THE DINNER SVC WHEN A FLT ATTENDANT, AS A SHORT-CUT FROM ONE AISLE TO THE NEXT, STEPPED OVER ME IN THE REST SEAT AND WOKE ME UP. GETTING TO SLEEP DURING THE FIRST BREAK IS ENOUGH OF A CHALLENGE WITHOUT HAVING TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE STEPPING OVER YOU. THIS HAS SIMPLY GOT TO STOP. INSTEAD OF 2 1/2 HRS OF SLEEP, I GOT ABOUT 20 MINS BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET BACK TO SLEEP. I WAS, TO PUT IT MILDLY, PRETTY USELESS WHEN I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TIRED AND ANGRY AT OUR CONSTANT BATTLE TO TRY TO GET SLEEP IN THE NEW CONFIGN. PLEASE, PLEASE CHANGE OUR REST SEAT TO 2A. AS A RELIEF PLT, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT I AM ACTUALLY MORE THAN A HUNK OF MEAT TO FILL THE SEAT WHILE THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS TAKE THEIR REST BREAK. IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN, I NEED TO BE A ABLE TO BE REASONABLY ALERT AND HANDLE THE SIT. THAT SIMPLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED THE OTHER NIGHT. AS AN ASIDE, WE HAD VERY FEW PEOPLE GOING TO GRU A FEW DAYS BEFORE AND 2A AND THE ADJACENT SEAT WERE EMPTY. SO, WITH THE CAPT'S AND PURSER'S AGREEMENT WE CHANGED OUR REST SEAT. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. NOISE LEVEL WAS FAR LOWER FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS WALKING BACK AND FORTH FOR THEIR SVC AND NOBODY STEPPED OVER ME. I WAS A MORE RESTED, SAFER AND HAPPIER PLT. THE REST SEAT WAS CHANGED ON THE B777 A FEW YRS AGO FROM 4A TO 1A -- SURELY DOING SO ON THE B767 WOULD NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION.

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.