Narrative:

In discussion with my assigned reserve flight attendant, I discovered that she was scheduled for a 12.15 hour day and 6 legs, following a reduced rest overnight. My schedule terminates after the third leg. My concern is the safety of our passenger should there be a requirement for an emergency evacuate/evacuation and the effectiveness of a flight attendant who has had less than a full night's sleep. This is a lengthy schedule. Since flight attendants cannot call in fatigued, and both company policy and the fact she is on probation, makes it very unlikely she will call in sick. I am concerned for our airline's liability should any passenger be injured during an evacuate/evacuation when the sole person responsible is at the limit of their physical endurance. Many NASA, flight safety foundation, military, airline and university studies on sleep deprivation and fatigue have documented the adverse effects of working human beings in this manner. To protect both our passenger and our airline, I respectfully recommend that flight crews not be scheduled for a work day longer than the amount of sleep they were given the night before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMJ CAPT RPTED THAT HE IS CONCERNED WITH HIS COMPANY'S POLICY REGARDING FLT ATTENDANT REST REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: IN DISCUSSION WITH MY ASSIGNED RESERVE FLT ATTENDANT, I DISCOVERED THAT SHE WAS SCHEDULED FOR A 12.15 HR DAY AND 6 LEGS, FOLLOWING A REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT. MY SCHEDULE TERMINATES AFTER THE THIRD LEG. MY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF OUR PAX SHOULD THERE BE A REQUIREMENT FOR AN EMER EVAC AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A FLT ATTENDANT WHO HAS HAD LESS THAN A FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP. THIS IS A LENGTHY SCHEDULE. SINCE FLT ATTENDANTS CANNOT CALL IN FATIGUED, AND BOTH COMPANY POLICY AND THE FACT SHE IS ON PROBATION, MAKES IT VERY UNLIKELY SHE WILL CALL IN SICK. I AM CONCERNED FOR OUR AIRLINE'S LIABILITY SHOULD ANY PAX BE INJURED DURING AN EVAC WHEN THE SOLE PERSON RESPONSIBLE IS AT THE LIMIT OF THEIR PHYSICAL ENDURANCE. MANY NASA, FLT SAFETY FOUNDATION, MIL, AIRLINE AND UNIVERSITY STUDIES ON SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND FATIGUE HAVE DOCUMENTED THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF WORKING HUMAN BEINGS IN THIS MANNER. TO PROTECT BOTH OUR PAX AND OUR AIRLINE, I RESPECTFULLY RECOMMEND THAT FLT CREWS NOT BE SCHEDULED FOR A WORK DAY LONGER THAN THE AMOUNT OF SLEEP THEY WERE GIVEN THE NIGHT BEFORE.

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.