37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 698776 |
Time | |
Date | 200606 |
Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : lax.airport |
State Reference | CA |
Altitude | msl single value : 38000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | A320 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Flight Phase | cruise : level |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000 |
ASRS Report | 698776 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Events | |
Anomaly | other anomaly other |
Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Company Flight Crew Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
I woke up to get ready for my trip which began with a show time 2 hours later. I tried to plan ahead for this very 'unusual' trip by going to sleep late enough the day before that I got some (4 & 1/2 hours) sleep; but not so much that I would not be able to nap on my first layover. Our first flight went uneventfully except for the electrical burning smell associated with the loss of the #2 mcdu on approach. On my layover I had a solid nap of 3 hours. I felt that I would be well rested for my (body clock) red eye that evening. Upon arrival at lax we found out that our inbound aircraft would arrive an hour late; so of course our outbound was delayed. During cruise; during the low workload period; I felt the FLIP flop of schedule catching up with me. Despite all attempts to be rested (including the prudent and planned consumption of caffeine) I was not operating at 100%. I am grateful that we did not have any kind of serious weather or mechanical issue. This type of identification; being built as a regular dsl; is totally unacceptable. I think that although it is 'legal' on paper; it is blatantly obvious that it is a set-up for an unsafe situation. I also believe that it is reasonable that I took all possible measures to be 'well rested' for this day and yet still was not. Luckily it was my leg as the captain reported that despite his attempt to sleep several times throughout the day he did not feel he got any additional quality rest. Upon checking in at the hotel; it occurred to me that other than a 3 hour nap I had been awake for 21 hours. I would certainly not want my family in the back of an airplane with such a pilot
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 PLT IS CONCERNED WITH FATIGUE RELATED TO THE COMPANY ASSIGNED MULTI-DAY TRIP.
Narrative: I WOKE UP TO GET READY FOR MY TRIP WHICH BEGAN WITH A SHOW TIME 2 HRS LATER. I TRIED TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THIS VERY 'UNUSUAL' TRIP BY GOING TO SLEEP LATE ENOUGH THE DAY BEFORE THAT I GOT SOME (4 & 1/2 HOURS) SLEEP; BUT NOT SO MUCH THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO NAP ON MY FIRST LAYOVER. OUR FIRST FLIGHT WENT UNEVENTFULLY EXCEPT FOR THE ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOSS OF THE #2 MCDU ON APPROACH. ON MY LAYOVER I HAD A SOLID NAP OF 3 HOURS. I FELT THAT I WOULD BE WELL RESTED FOR MY (BODY CLOCK) RED EYE THAT EVENING. UPON ARRIVAL AT LAX WE FOUND OUT THAT OUR INBOUND AIRCRAFT WOULD ARRIVE AN HOUR LATE; SO OF COURSE OUR OUTBOUND WAS DELAYED. DURING CRUISE; DURING THE LOW WORKLOAD PERIOD; I FELT THE FLIP FLOP OF SCHEDULE CATCHING UP WITH ME. DESPITE ALL ATTEMPTS TO BE RESTED (INCLUDING THE PRUDENT AND PLANNED CONSUMPTION OF CAFFEINE) I WAS NOT OPERATING AT 100%. I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF SERIOUS WEATHER OR MECHANICAL ISSUE. THIS TYPE OF ID; BEING BUILT AS A REGULAR DSL; IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I THINK THAT ALTHOUGH IT IS 'LEGAL' ON PAPER; IT IS BLATANTLY OBVIOUS THAT IT IS A SET-UP FOR AN UNSAFE SITUATION. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT IS REASONABLE THAT I TOOK ALL POSSIBLE MEASURES TO BE 'WELL RESTED' FOR THIS DAY AND YET STILL WAS NOT. LUCKILY IT WAS MY LEG AS THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT DESPITE HIS ATTEMPT TO SLEEP SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY HE DID NOT FEEL HE GOT ANY ADDITIONAL QUALITY REST. UPON CHECKING IN AT THE HOTEL; IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT OTHER THAN A 3 HOUR NAP I HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR 21 HOURS. I WOULD CERTAINLY NOT WANT MY FAMILY IN THE BACK OF AN AIRPLANE WITH SUCH A PILOT
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.