Narrative:

The relationship between aircrew fatigue and performance is well documented. I have spoken to mr X about my concerns in the past, and he made it very clear that he takes this issue seriously as well. There seems to be a disconnect between his level and the level at which fatigue countermeasures are implemented. The cockpit crew rest seat on the B767 is inadequate for several reasons, many of which can be addressed by disciplined application of common sense measures: 1) the seat next to the cockpit crew rest seat must remain empty. For the second consecutive flight in a row I have been unable to sleep due to the passenger in the seat next to me. Both of these gentlemen knew that they had a resting pilot next to them, but were either ignorant or unconcerned about my need for rest. Their guffaws as they watched their movie were loud enough to penetrate the earplugs and noise canceling headphones I was wearing and startled me. Flight attendants and gate agents look upon this proscription against occupying this seat as a convenience item, and it is left to the pilots to address the issue. On the flight today, there was a broken seat in first class, which could not be occupied. When I asked if we could move the passenger in the seat next to the broken seat over into 2J so that the pilots could rest in a seat with no one next to them, I was told that it was too hard. The only way this problem is going to be fixed is if the seat next to the crew rest seat is considered OTS, closed, and unavailable. 2) having the crew rest seat in the front row means that all of the galley noise is another deterrent to pilots trying to sleep. Every time the plates crash into the bin it wakes up anyone trying to sleep in the front row. This is annoying to everyone, but it once again impacts aircrew cognitive function and performance. Another reason to move the seat to the back of the business class cabin is that the person behind the crew rest seat often uses the seat in front of them to get up out of their seat and shakes the pilot who is sleeping. Finally, relocating the rest seat to the last row will reduce the impact of the flight attendants as they shout questions to the passenger (service options: red wine or white wine, nuts, etc). They have to shout in order to be heard through the noise canceling headsets that are issued with the dvd players.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW WAS UNABLE TO GET PROPER CREW REST IN A FLT OVER 8 HRS, WITH AN AUGMENTED CREW, AFTER THE COMPANY HAD A PAX SIT IN THE SEAT NEXT TO THE CREW REST SEAT.

Narrative: THE RELATIONSHIP BTWN AIRCREW FATIGUE AND PERFORMANCE IS WELL DOCUMENTED. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MR X ABOUT MY CONCERNS IN THE PAST, AND HE MADE IT VERY CLR THAT HE TAKES THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY AS WELL. THERE SEEMS TO BE A DISCONNECT BTWN HIS LEVEL AND THE LEVEL AT WHICH FATIGUE COUNTERMEASURES ARE IMPLEMENTED. THE COCKPIT CREW REST SEAT ON THE B767 IS INADEQUATE FOR SEVERAL REASONS, MANY OF WHICH CAN BE ADDRESSED BY DISCIPLINED APPLICATION OF COMMON SENSE MEASURES: 1) THE SEAT NEXT TO THE COCKPIT CREW REST SEAT MUST REMAIN EMPTY. FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE FLT IN A ROW I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO SLEEP DUE TO THE PAX IN THE SEAT NEXT TO ME. BOTH OF THESE GENTLEMEN KNEW THAT THEY HAD A RESTING PLT NEXT TO THEM, BUT WERE EITHER IGNORANT OR UNCONCERNED ABOUT MY NEED FOR REST. THEIR GUFFAWS AS THEY WATCHED THEIR MOVIE WERE LOUD ENOUGH TO PENETRATE THE EARPLUGS AND NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES I WAS WEARING AND STARTLED ME. FLT ATTENDANTS AND GATE AGENTS LOOK UPON THIS PROSCRIPTION AGAINST OCCUPYING THIS SEAT AS A CONVENIENCE ITEM, AND IT IS LEFT TO THE PLTS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. ON THE FLT TODAY, THERE WAS A BROKEN SEAT IN FIRST CLASS, WHICH COULD NOT BE OCCUPIED. WHEN I ASKED IF WE COULD MOVE THE PAX IN THE SEAT NEXT TO THE BROKEN SEAT OVER INTO 2J SO THAT THE PLTS COULD REST IN A SEAT WITH NO ONE NEXT TO THEM, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS TOO HARD. THE ONLY WAY THIS PROB IS GOING TO BE FIXED IS IF THE SEAT NEXT TO THE CREW REST SEAT IS CONSIDERED OTS, CLOSED, AND UNAVAILABLE. 2) HAVING THE CREW REST SEAT IN THE FRONT ROW MEANS THAT ALL OF THE GALLEY NOISE IS ANOTHER DETERRENT TO PLTS TRYING TO SLEEP. EVERY TIME THE PLATES CRASH INTO THE BIN IT WAKES UP ANYONE TRYING TO SLEEP IN THE FRONT ROW. THIS IS ANNOYING TO EVERYONE, BUT IT ONCE AGAIN IMPACTS AIRCREW COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND PERFORMANCE. ANOTHER REASON TO MOVE THE SEAT TO THE BACK OF THE BUSINESS CLASS CABIN IS THAT THE PERSON BEHIND THE CREW REST SEAT OFTEN USES THE SEAT IN FRONT OF THEM TO GET UP OUT OF THEIR SEAT AND SHAKES THE PLT WHO IS SLEEPING. FINALLY, RELOCATING THE REST SEAT TO THE LAST ROW WILL REDUCE THE IMPACT OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AS THEY SHOUT QUESTIONS TO THE PAX (SVC OPTIONS: RED WINE OR WHITE WINE, NUTS, ETC). THEY HAVE TO SHOUT IN ORDER TO BE HEARD THROUGH THE NOISE CANCELING HEADSETS THAT ARE ISSUED WITH THE DVD PLAYERS.

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.