Interruption of an air carrier reserve pilot's designated rest period interrupts a normal sleep cycl...

Narrative:

Normal sleep interruption. On the first day of my reserve schedule, I was called at XA04 and assigned a trip that was scheduled to depart after XP00 -- some 15 hours later. The crew scheduler was perfectly legal to call at that time, but it was totally unnecessary! Earlier in the yr, I was called at XA04 and assigned a trip that departed after XT00 -- over 19 hours later. I've asked 2 different schedulers 'why was I called in the middle of the night for a late departure?' and I was given the same answer, 'it is in your contract, and we are legal to call at that time.' I know they were legal to call when they called. However, it was unnecessary to interrupt my normal sleep pattern for the late departures. Reserve pilots are required to be phone available when not on an FAA mandated rest period. At any other time, it is required that reserve pilots be phone available. Miami reserve pilots are not given a choice of rest periods. Miami reserve pilots are given either 'X' or 'Y' rest periods. The 'X' rest period goes from XA00 pm until XI00 am, and the 'Y' rest period is from XA00 pm until XA00 am. Miami reserve pilots do not go to bed at XA00 or XB00 pm and wake to start the day at XI00 or XJ00 am. The crew schedulers, however, are calling and waking pilots in the morning to assign trips that depart in the evening. I understand this is totally legal, but this is neither smart nor safe. It is needlessly interrupting a normal sleep pattern. It is understandable and necessary to call a pilot early if the trip to be assigned is a morning departure. However, it is unnecessary and unsafe to call a reserve pilot in the middle of a normal sleep cycle for a trip that departs later in the evening. I was told it is company policy to assign an international trip as early as possible. If this is the case, the policy must be changed. This must stop!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INTERRUPTION OF AN ACR RESERVE PLT'S DESIGNATED REST PERIOD INTERRUPTS A NORMAL SLEEP CYCLE AND IS WITHIN CONTRACTUAL RULES, BUT DOES NOT ALLOW THE REQUIRED REST.

Narrative: NORMAL SLEEP INTERRUPTION. ON THE FIRST DAY OF MY RESERVE SCHEDULE, I WAS CALLED AT XA04 AND ASSIGNED A TRIP THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART AFTER XP00 -- SOME 15 HRS LATER. THE CREW SCHEDULER WAS PERFECTLY LEGAL TO CALL AT THAT TIME, BUT IT WAS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY! EARLIER IN THE YR, I WAS CALLED AT XA04 AND ASSIGNED A TRIP THAT DEPARTED AFTER XT00 -- OVER 19 HRS LATER. I'VE ASKED 2 DIFFERENT SCHEDULERS 'WHY WAS I CALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR A LATE DEP?' AND I WAS GIVEN THE SAME ANSWER, 'IT IS IN YOUR CONTRACT, AND WE ARE LEGAL TO CALL AT THAT TIME.' I KNOW THEY WERE LEGAL TO CALL WHEN THEY CALLED. HOWEVER, IT WAS UNNECESSARY TO INTERRUPT MY NORMAL SLEEP PATTERN FOR THE LATE DEPS. RESERVE PLTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE PHONE AVAILABLE WHEN NOT ON AN FAA MANDATED REST PERIOD. AT ANY OTHER TIME, IT IS REQUIRED THAT RESERVE PLTS BE PHONE AVAILABLE. MIAMI RESERVE PLTS ARE NOT GIVEN A CHOICE OF REST PERIODS. MIAMI RESERVE PLTS ARE GIVEN EITHER 'X' OR 'Y' REST PERIODS. THE 'X' REST PERIOD GOES FROM XA00 PM UNTIL XI00 AM, AND THE 'Y' REST PERIOD IS FROM XA00 PM UNTIL XA00 AM. MIAMI RESERVE PLTS DO NOT GO TO BED AT XA00 OR XB00 PM AND WAKE TO START THE DAY AT XI00 OR XJ00 AM. THE CREW SCHEDULERS, HOWEVER, ARE CALLING AND WAKING PLTS IN THE MORNING TO ASSIGN TRIPS THAT DEPART IN THE EVENING. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS TOTALLY LEGAL, BUT THIS IS NEITHER SMART NOR SAFE. IT IS NEEDLESSLY INTERRUPTING A NORMAL SLEEP PATTERN. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE AND NECESSARY TO CALL A PLT EARLY IF THE TRIP TO BE ASSIGNED IS A MORNING DEP. HOWEVER, IT IS UNNECESSARY AND UNSAFE TO CALL A RESERVE PLT IN THE MIDDLE OF A NORMAL SLEEP CYCLE FOR A TRIP THAT DEPARTS LATER IN THE EVENING. I WAS TOLD IT IS COMPANY POLICY TO ASSIGN AN INTL TRIP AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. IF THIS IS THE CASE, THE POLICY MUST BE CHANGED. THIS MUST STOP!

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.

Attributes
ACN	605188
Time
Date	200310
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	605188
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Interruption of an air carrier reserve pilot's designated rest period interrupts a normal sleep cycle and is within contractual rules, but does not allow the required rest.