Narrative:

I just received a call from the PNF first officer jogging my memory that we had discussed filing a report. The report addresses the issue of the current B777 egll pairing wherein the layover time does not allow adequate recovery time for the back-side-of-the-clock flying this trip does. Upon arrival in egll, one is faced with a choice to either eat or sleep. If you choose to sleep, the normal circadian wake-up does not allow you to eat as everything is closed. If one chooses to eat, sleeping is fitful at best. Upon arrival in flight operations the next morning, the entire crew expressed concerns that their sleep pattern was not the best. After discussion, we felt that extra vigilance would allow for a safe and uneventful flight. Once airborne, I found small mental errors were made by both myself and the rest of the crew. In the past, the extra 6 hours that was scheduled with this layover made a difference in both sleeping and eating patterns. As it stands now, moving this layover to the field would not resolve the underlying recovery/fatigue issues as there just is not enough time to both eat and sleep. On a one time basis, this pairing, while onerous, is not necessarily unsafe. On a steady diet, however, I can envision this trip and the fatigue issue inherent, becoming a cumulative problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 CAPT IS CONCERNED WITH A REDUCED REST PRIOR ON AN INTL FLT. THE FLT CREW MUST DECIDE WHETHER TO EAT OR SLEEP.

Narrative: I JUST RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PNF FO JOGGING MY MEMORY THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED FILING A RPT. THE RPT ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF THE CURRENT B777 EGLL PAIRING WHEREIN THE LAYOVER TIME DOES NOT ALLOW ADEQUATE RECOVERY TIME FOR THE BACK-SIDE-OF-THE-CLOCK FLYING THIS TRIP DOES. UPON ARR IN EGLL, ONE IS FACED WITH A CHOICE TO EITHER EAT OR SLEEP. IF YOU CHOOSE TO SLEEP, THE NORMAL CIRCADIAN WAKE-UP DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO EAT AS EVERYTHING IS CLOSED. IF ONE CHOOSES TO EAT, SLEEPING IS FITFUL AT BEST. UPON ARR IN FLT OPS THE NEXT MORNING, THE ENTIRE CREW EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT THEIR SLEEP PATTERN WAS NOT THE BEST. AFTER DISCUSSION, WE FELT THAT EXTRA VIGILANCE WOULD ALLOW FOR A SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL FLT. ONCE AIRBORNE, I FOUND SMALL MENTAL ERRORS WERE MADE BY BOTH MYSELF AND THE REST OF THE CREW. IN THE PAST, THE EXTRA 6 HRS THAT WAS SCHEDULED WITH THIS LAYOVER MADE A DIFFERENCE IN BOTH SLEEPING AND EATING PATTERNS. AS IT STANDS NOW, MOVING THIS LAYOVER TO THE FIELD WOULD NOT RESOLVE THE UNDERLYING RECOVERY/FATIGUE ISSUES AS THERE JUST IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO BOTH EAT AND SLEEP. ON A ONE TIME BASIS, THIS PAIRING, WHILE ONEROUS, IS NOT NECESSARILY UNSAFE. ON A STEADY DIET, HOWEVER, I CAN ENVISION THIS TRIP AND THE FATIGUE ISSUE INHERENT, BECOMING A CUMULATIVE PROB.

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.