Narrative:

I flew a ZZZ all-nighter turn which made me so exhausted that during the last hour and a half of the trip I became marginally delirious. This work assignment combines factors which conspire against the human capacity for endurance: 1) extremely long duty time (14 hours). 2) high flight time (over 10 hours). 3) no crew meal (and no place to buy one in ZZZ). 4) no rest break (and no crew lounge in ZZZ). 5) all-nighter component (extended duty period straddles 2 calendar days; and effectively wipes out an entire night's sleep). I received the assignment on reserve and reported for work at XA40. Everything was fine during the first half of the assignment; up to and including the deplaning of passenger in ZZZ. Because there was no crew lounge; however; my crew spent the 2 hour 'situation' between 'blocking in' and 'pushing back' waiting on the aircraft. Of this 2 hours; about 1 hour and 30 mins were consumed by deplaning the inbound aircraft; cleaning and servicing the aircraft; changing the galleys; and re-boarding passenger for the return flight. All told; we had about 30 mins to relax in passenger seats in relative calm. With respect to the 3 hour time change; we did not leave ZZZ until XJ21. Nevertheless; most of the flight went smoothly for me until about an hour and a half prior to arrival in ZZZ1 (approximately XM40). I began to feel giddy and remarked to one of my flying partners that features of the aircraft cabin seemed fake; more like a 'mock up' than an actual aircraft interior. On one hand I was fully aware that we were at work; on a 'real' airplane and so forth; but my impression was that we could just as easily have been on an amusement park ride at that moment. My flying partner responded by joking with me that I needed to get some rest. We then dropped the subject. As far as I know; I continued to perform my duties as a flight attendant with proficiency throughout the remainder of the duty period. However; given my apparent state of exhaustion I cannot be entirely sure whether my effectiveness was significantly diminished due to fatigue; sleep deprivation and lack of food; and I could have been performing well below my own personal standards. After landing and 'blocking-in' from my reserve assignment I drove home and came closer to falling asleep at the wheel than I have since a particularly grueling series of reserve assignments in 1998. By the time I reached home I had been awake for nearly 24 hours; and could not function for the remainder of the day. I slept on and off and attempted to get myself prepared for my next work assignment. Looking back; I am sure that my ability to execute the many flight attendant responsibilities which are the hallmark of my profession; and which now include the additional role of 'cabin security professional;' were certainly challenged beyond reasonable limits by this particularly arduous work assignment. No single factor made this trip especially hazardous; not the 14-hour duty period; the all-nighter component; the 10+ flight hours or the lack of food or rest. Taken separately; any of these factors can be managed with grace. Indeed; I flew all-nighter transcontinental trips during the entire previous month; and experienced no ill effects whatsoever. Furthermore; I flew a regular ZZZ2 turn as purser -- arguably the most demanding work assignment; the week prior and was 'exhausted' by the end; but not 'delirious.' my professional opinion as a 10-yr veteran flight attendant is that the all-nighter ZZZ turn should be eliminated: it's a dangerous cocktail of fatigue-inducing stressors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLT ATTENDANT EXPLAINS THE MENTAL ALTERATIONS THAT OCCURRED ON AN ALL NIGHT ROUND TRIP WITH A 14 HR DUTY PERIOD AND 10 FLT HRS WITHOUT FOOD OR REST.

Narrative: I FLEW A ZZZ ALL-NIGHTER TURN WHICH MADE ME SO EXHAUSTED THAT DURING THE LAST HR AND A HALF OF THE TRIP I BECAME MARGINALLY DELIRIOUS. THIS WORK ASSIGNMENT COMBINES FACTORS WHICH CONSPIRE AGAINST THE HUMAN CAPACITY FOR ENDURANCE: 1) EXTREMELY LONG DUTY TIME (14 HRS). 2) HIGH FLT TIME (OVER 10 HRS). 3) NO CREW MEAL (AND NO PLACE TO BUY ONE IN ZZZ). 4) NO REST BREAK (AND NO CREW LOUNGE IN ZZZ). 5) ALL-NIGHTER COMPONENT (EXTENDED DUTY PERIOD STRADDLES 2 CALENDAR DAYS; AND EFFECTIVELY WIPES OUT AN ENTIRE NIGHT'S SLEEP). I RECEIVED THE ASSIGNMENT ON RESERVE AND RPTED FOR WORK AT XA40. EVERYTHING WAS FINE DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE ASSIGNMENT; UP TO AND INCLUDING THE DEPLANING OF PAX IN ZZZ. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CREW LOUNGE; HOWEVER; MY CREW SPENT THE 2 HR 'SIT' BTWN 'BLOCKING IN' AND 'PUSHING BACK' WAITING ON THE ACFT. OF THIS 2 HRS; ABOUT 1 HR AND 30 MINS WERE CONSUMED BY DEPLANING THE INBOUND ACFT; CLEANING AND SVCING THE ACFT; CHANGING THE GALLEYS; AND RE-BOARDING PAX FOR THE RETURN FLT. ALL TOLD; WE HAD ABOUT 30 MINS TO RELAX IN PAX SEATS IN RELATIVE CALM. WITH RESPECT TO THE 3 HR TIME CHANGE; WE DID NOT LEAVE ZZZ UNTIL XJ21. NEVERTHELESS; MOST OF THE FLT WENT SMOOTHLY FOR ME UNTIL ABOUT AN HR AND A HALF PRIOR TO ARR IN ZZZ1 (APPROX XM40). I BEGAN TO FEEL GIDDY AND REMARKED TO ONE OF MY FLYING PARTNERS THAT FEATURES OF THE ACFT CABIN SEEMED FAKE; MORE LIKE A 'MOCK UP' THAN AN ACTUAL ACFT INTERIOR. ON ONE HAND I WAS FULLY AWARE THAT WE WERE AT WORK; ON A 'REAL' AIRPLANE AND SO FORTH; BUT MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT WE COULD JUST AS EASILY HAVE BEEN ON AN AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE AT THAT MOMENT. MY FLYING PARTNER RESPONDED BY JOKING WITH ME THAT I NEEDED TO GET SOME REST. WE THEN DROPPED THE SUBJECT. AS FAR AS I KNOW; I CONTINUED TO PERFORM MY DUTIES AS A FLT ATTENDANT WITH PROFICIENCY THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE DUTY PERIOD. HOWEVER; GIVEN MY APPARENT STATE OF EXHAUSTION I CANNOT BE ENTIRELY SURE WHETHER MY EFFECTIVENESS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHED DUE TO FATIGUE; SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND LACK OF FOOD; AND I COULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMING WELL BELOW MY OWN PERSONAL STANDARDS. AFTER LNDG AND 'BLOCKING-IN' FROM MY RESERVE ASSIGNMENT I DROVE HOME AND CAME CLOSER TO FALLING ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL THAN I HAVE SINCE A PARTICULARLY GRUELING SERIES OF RESERVE ASSIGNMENTS IN 1998. BY THE TIME I REACHED HOME I HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR NEARLY 24 HRS; AND COULD NOT FUNCTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. I SLEPT ON AND OFF AND ATTEMPTED TO GET MYSELF PREPARED FOR MY NEXT WORK ASSIGNMENT. LOOKING BACK; I AM SURE THAT MY ABILITY TO EXECUTE THE MANY FLT ATTENDANT RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH ARE THE HALLMARK OF MY PROFESSION; AND WHICH NOW INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL ROLE OF 'CABIN SECURITY PROFESSIONAL;' WERE CERTAINLY CHALLENGED BEYOND REASONABLE LIMITS BY THIS PARTICULARLY ARDUOUS WORK ASSIGNMENT. NO SINGLE FACTOR MADE THIS TRIP ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS; NOT THE 14-HR DUTY PERIOD; THE ALL-NIGHTER COMPONENT; THE 10+ FLT HRS OR THE LACK OF FOOD OR REST. TAKEN SEPARATELY; ANY OF THESE FACTORS CAN BE MANAGED WITH GRACE. INDEED; I FLEW ALL-NIGHTER TRANSCONTINENTAL TRIPS DURING THE ENTIRE PREVIOUS MONTH; AND EXPERIENCED NO ILL EFFECTS WHATSOEVER. FURTHERMORE; I FLEW A REGULAR ZZZ2 TURN AS PURSER -- ARGUABLY THE MOST DEMANDING WORK ASSIGNMENT; THE WEEK PRIOR AND WAS 'EXHAUSTED' BY THE END; BUT NOT 'DELIRIOUS.' MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION AS A 10-YR VETERAN FLT ATTENDANT IS THAT THE ALL-NIGHTER ZZZ TURN SHOULD BE ELIMINATED: IT'S A DANGEROUS COCKTAIL OF FATIGUE-INDUCING STRESSORS.

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.