Narrative:

This NASA report is to highlight a potential pilot fatigue incident or accident caused by the trip construction of a red-eye flight preceded by a coast-to-coast leg. The trip is an early evening EDT departure from east to west. Then departing 1 hour later and arriving east at very early am EDT. Duty time is 9 hours 52 mins with flight time of 7 hours 29 mins. At one time our company had a 'gentlemen's' agreement that red-eye flts would be only one leg because of the obvious degradation of human performance on the 'back side of the clock.' incredibly; now we schedule these intentionally. At first it was just departure-arrive-arrive; a short leg after the long red-eye; but now we are going coast-to-coast and then the red-eye leg of nearly 4 hours. Woe to the crew who has to handle thunderstorms or wind-driven icy-slushy runways during that approach and landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL FATIGUE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHEDULE PAIRING OF 'RED-EYE' FLTS AFTER A TRANSCONTINENTAL FLT IS POINTED OUT BY AN ACR PLT.

Narrative: THIS NASA RPT IS TO HIGHLIGHT A POTENTIAL PLT FATIGUE INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THE TRIP CONSTRUCTION OF A RED-EYE FLT PRECEDED BY A COAST-TO-COAST LEG. THE TRIP IS AN EARLY EVENING EDT DEP FROM EAST TO WEST. THEN DEPARTING 1 HR LATER AND ARRIVING EAST AT VERY EARLY AM EDT. DUTY TIME IS 9 HRS 52 MINS WITH FLT TIME OF 7 HRS 29 MINS. AT ONE TIME OUR COMPANY HAD A 'GENTLEMEN'S' AGREEMENT THAT RED-EYE FLTS WOULD BE ONLY ONE LEG BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS DEGRADATION OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE ON THE 'BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK.' INCREDIBLY; NOW WE SCHEDULE THESE INTENTIONALLY. AT FIRST IT WAS JUST DEP-ARRIVE-ARRIVE; A SHORT LEG AFTER THE LONG RED-EYE; BUT NOW WE ARE GOING COAST-TO-COAST AND THEN THE RED-EYE LEG OF NEARLY 4 HRS. WOE TO THE CREW WHO HAS TO HANDLE TSTMS OR WIND-DRIVEN ICY-SLUSHY RWYS DURING THAT APCH AND LNDG.

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.