Narrative:

I suspect we took off at a flaps +1 degree setting when flaps 2 degrees was planned and briefed. Fortunately, no problems occurred and we proceeded uneventfully to destination. Fatigue played a major factor in the incident. This was the final leg of a 3 day, 8 leg identify. It was my 6TH consecutive day on duty. The 3 days prior to the identify I had taken a pc starting the final day at XA30 body time, and returning home approximately XL00. The identify reported at XF55 on the following day. During the identify, we both admitted we felt tired and not at our best and continually briefed to be alert for oversights and mistakes. After the 'pc' I felt very tired and spent. The 'pc' was an excellent refresher and evaluation and very professionally conducted in every way. However, by the third day, I felt mentally and physically exhausted. I had anticipated that and for the 2 weeks prior had been requesting a vacation drop for the 3-DAY identify I had the following day. Crew scheduling did not grant the request. After continuously asking to drop the trip and then being refused, I frankly was reluctant to declare myself fatigued or to call in sick because I did not want to be categorized as an abuser of the system. I was also made aware by the crew desk that they had no reserves and I didn't want to be idented as the cause of a flight cancellation. During the identify, I felt consistently tired and not particularly sharp (missed radio calls, wrong frequencys, etc). I feel that the company's policy of intimidation by highlighting sick list and counseling pilots is causing similar lapses in judgement among the pilot group. The very high number of flying hours per pilot, the resulting fatigue, and this intimidation policy was repeatedly highlighted during my 3 days on the trip. It is widely believed that it will ultimately result in a costly and tragic incident on the line. I will not allow this to occur to me again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO FOR MAJOR ACR SUSPECTS HIS A320 CREW TOOK OFF WITH A LESSER FLAP SETTING THAN BRIEFED AND FOR WHICH THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED. RPTR BELIEVES FATIGUE AND COMPANY INTIMIDATION REGARDING DUTY TIME AND REST LIMITATIONS CONTRIBUTED TO THE MISTAKE.

Narrative: I SUSPECT WE TOOK OFF AT A FLAPS +1 DEG SETTING WHEN FLAPS 2 DEGS WAS PLANNED AND BRIEFED. FORTUNATELY, NO PROBS OCCURRED AND WE PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO DEST. FATIGUE PLAYED A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT. THIS WAS THE FINAL LEG OF A 3 DAY, 8 LEG IDENT. IT WAS MY 6TH CONSECUTIVE DAY ON DUTY. THE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE IDENT I HAD TAKEN A PC STARTING THE FINAL DAY AT XA30 BODY TIME, AND RETURNING HOME APPROX XL00. THE IDENT RPTED AT XF55 ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. DURING THE IDENT, WE BOTH ADMITTED WE FELT TIRED AND NOT AT OUR BEST AND CONTINUALLY BRIEFED TO BE ALERT FOR OVERSIGHTS AND MISTAKES. AFTER THE 'PC' I FELT VERY TIRED AND SPENT. THE 'PC' WAS AN EXCELLENT REFRESHER AND EVALUATION AND VERY PROFESSIONALLY CONDUCTED IN EVERY WAY. HOWEVER, BY THE THIRD DAY, I FELT MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED. I HAD ANTICIPATED THAT AND FOR THE 2 WKS PRIOR HAD BEEN REQUESTING A VACATION DROP FOR THE 3-DAY IDENT I HAD THE FOLLOWING DAY. CREW SCHEDULING DID NOT GRANT THE REQUEST. AFTER CONTINUOUSLY ASKING TO DROP THE TRIP AND THEN BEING REFUSED, I FRANKLY WAS RELUCTANT TO DECLARE MYSELF FATIGUED OR TO CALL IN SICK BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO BE CATEGORIZED AS AN ABUSER OF THE SYS. I WAS ALSO MADE AWARE BY THE CREW DESK THAT THEY HAD NO RESERVES AND I DIDN'T WANT TO BE IDENTED AS THE CAUSE OF A FLT CANCELLATION. DURING THE IDENT, I FELT CONSISTENTLY TIRED AND NOT PARTICULARLY SHARP (MISSED RADIO CALLS, WRONG FREQS, ETC). I FEEL THAT THE COMPANY'S POLICY OF INTIMIDATION BY HIGHLIGHTING SICK LIST AND COUNSELING PLTS IS CAUSING SIMILAR LAPSES IN JUDGEMENT AMONG THE PLT GROUP. THE VERY HIGH NUMBER OF FLYING HRS PER PLT, THE RESULTING FATIGUE, AND THIS INTIMIDATION POLICY WAS REPEATEDLY HIGHLIGHTED DURING MY 3 DAYS ON THE TRIP. IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT IT WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN A COSTLY AND TRAGIC INCIDENT ON THE LINE. I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS TO OCCUR TO ME AGAIN.

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.