Narrative:

It was day #3 of a 5-DAY trip; which had us flying between ind and fnt. The morning prior instead of our scheduled 1 leg from ind to fnt (departure at XA40) the company revised our trip to fly ind-fnt-ind. Arriving at the hotel later the next evening; we were rescheduled to go ind-fnt-ind with a 5 hour turn and back to fnt. This sequence had a local show time of XY00. Having been disrupted from our normal routine for the week; none of us slept well during the day. I personally got only 3 1/2 hours of sleep. En route to fnt from ind; this flight routinely receives multiple intermediate leveloffs and rarely attains planned cruise altitude followed by many leveloffs during descent. This night was no exception. During our descent; ZOB had given us a couple of descent altitudes and then a rerte clearance followed by another descent clearance and a local altimeter setting. As we were descending through 14500 ft MSL; ZOB asked why we had not leveled at 16000 ft. Then issued us a turn and cleared us to 12000 ft; which is what I had set in the altitude select window. We all were pretty sure we had been cleared to 12000 ft as that is what was set in the altitude alerter and what I had read back. If this was an altitude deviation; fatigue would seem to be the largest contributor. As hard as I try to get adequate rest prior to flying; when the company keeps changing trip sequences and disrupts my sleep routine; it is hard. We really need more regulation to protect those of us who fly the back side of the clock. Another concern I have that may have been a contributor is the requirement of ATC to verify the readback of clrncs no longer required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLT CREW FAILS TO LEVEL AT 16000 FT MSL AS CLRED. CITES FATIGUE FROM BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK SCHEDULES AND REST DISRUPTION BY ACR.

Narrative: IT WAS DAY #3 OF A 5-DAY TRIP; WHICH HAD US FLYING BTWN IND AND FNT. THE MORNING PRIOR INSTEAD OF OUR SCHEDULED 1 LEG FROM IND TO FNT (DEP AT XA40) THE COMPANY REVISED OUR TRIP TO FLY IND-FNT-IND. ARRIVING AT THE HOTEL LATER THE NEXT EVENING; WE WERE RESCHEDULED TO GO IND-FNT-IND WITH A 5 HR TURN AND BACK TO FNT. THIS SEQUENCE HAD A LCL SHOW TIME OF XY00. HAVING BEEN DISRUPTED FROM OUR NORMAL ROUTINE FOR THE WK; NONE OF US SLEPT WELL DURING THE DAY. I PERSONALLY GOT ONLY 3 1/2 HRS OF SLEEP. ENRTE TO FNT FROM IND; THIS FLT ROUTINELY RECEIVES MULTIPLE INTERMEDIATE LEVELOFFS AND RARELY ATTAINS PLANNED CRUISE ALT FOLLOWED BY MANY LEVELOFFS DURING DSCNT. THIS NIGHT WAS NO EXCEPTION. DURING OUR DSCNT; ZOB HAD GIVEN US A COUPLE OF DSCNT ALTS AND THEN A RERTE CLRNC FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER DSCNT CLRNC AND A LCL ALTIMETER SETTING. AS WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 14500 FT MSL; ZOB ASKED WHY WE HAD NOT LEVELED AT 16000 FT. THEN ISSUED US A TURN AND CLRED US TO 12000 FT; WHICH IS WHAT I HAD SET IN THE ALT SELECT WINDOW. WE ALL WERE PRETTY SURE WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 12000 FT AS THAT IS WHAT WAS SET IN THE ALT ALERTER AND WHAT I HAD READ BACK. IF THIS WAS AN ALTDEV; FATIGUE WOULD SEEM TO BE THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR. AS HARD AS I TRY TO GET ADEQUATE REST PRIOR TO FLYING; WHEN THE COMPANY KEEPS CHANGING TRIP SEQUENCES AND DISRUPTS MY SLEEP ROUTINE; IT IS HARD. WE REALLY NEED MORE REGULATION TO PROTECT THOSE OF US WHO FLY THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK. ANOTHER CONCERN I HAVE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTOR IS THE REQUIREMENT OF ATC TO VERIFY THE READBACK OF CLRNCS NO LONGER REQUIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.