Narrative:

Pilots announced 'prepare for landing' on descent. The 'fasten seat belt sign' was not on. It took about 5 mins of confusion in my head before I could figure out whether or not to call the cockpit and ask them to turn the sign on. Nothing was making sense to me. Do I break sterile cockpit? Is this an emergency? Should I just prepare the cabin anyway? What should I do? Why are we still so high? This was very simple but it took forever for me to figure out what to do as I was tired and confused. If it had been an emergency prep type situation; I donT believe I would have been able to react any better. I am a line-holder and I knowingly picked this trip up by choice ensuring to get plenty of sleep and rest before the duty period began. I also consider myself to be a 'night person' and I performed very poorly on the flight home. Our load was not full in either direction but I also observed the rest of the crew to be sluggish and not sharp. I thought it was only me. This is a concern as the safety on board was compromised due to everyone's dull witted and slow demeanor on the return leg home. I fly all-nighters routinely but never with a long continuous duty day with no rest in between legs or at some point during the duty period such as in-flight. This trip sequence is dangerous to the company; the passenger it carries and to the safety of its operation for the following reasons: less reaction time to spot fires or other onboard emergencys such as heart attacks; less vigilance and awareness for potential terrorist type behavior or actions; less ability to adequately handle an evacuate/evacuation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPTS BEING EXCESSIVELY TIRED ON ROUND TRIP FROM WEST COAST TO HAWAII.

Narrative: PLTS ANNOUNCED 'PREPARE FOR LNDG' ON DSCNT. THE 'FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN' WAS NOT ON. IT TOOK ABOUT 5 MINS OF CONFUSION IN MY HEAD BEFORE I COULD FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT TO CALL THE COCKPIT AND ASK THEM TO TURN THE SIGN ON. NOTHING WAS MAKING SENSE TO ME. DO I BREAK STERILE COCKPIT? IS THIS AN EMER? SHOULD I JUST PREPARE THE CABIN ANYWAY? WHAT SHOULD I DO? WHY ARE WE STILL SO HIGH? THIS WAS VERY SIMPLE BUT IT TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO AS I WAS TIRED AND CONFUSED. IF IT HAD BEEN AN EMER PREP TYPE SITUATION; I DONT BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACT ANY BETTER. I AM A LINE-HOLDER AND I KNOWINGLY PICKED THIS TRIP UP BY CHOICE ENSURING TO GET PLENTY OF SLEEP AND REST BEFORE THE DUTY PERIOD BEGAN. I ALSO CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A 'NIGHT PERSON' AND I PERFORMED VERY POORLY ON THE FLT HOME. OUR LOAD WAS NOT FULL IN EITHER DIRECTION BUT I ALSO OBSERVED THE REST OF THE CREW TO BE SLUGGISH AND NOT SHARP. I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY ME. THIS IS A CONCERN AS THE SAFETY ON BOARD WAS COMPROMISED DUE TO EVERYONE'S DULL WITTED AND SLOW DEMEANOR ON THE RETURN LEG HOME. I FLY ALL-NIGHTERS ROUTINELY BUT NEVER WITH A LONG CONTINUOUS DUTY DAY WITH NO REST IN BETWEEN LEGS OR AT SOME POINT DURING THE DUTY PERIOD SUCH AS INFLT. THIS TRIP SEQUENCE IS DANGEROUS TO THE COMPANY; THE PAX IT CARRIES AND TO THE SAFETY OF ITS OP FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: LESS REACTION TIME TO SPOT FIRES OR OTHER ONBOARD EMERS SUCH AS HEART ATTACKS; LESS VIGILANCE AND AWARENESS FOR POTENTIAL TERRORIST TYPE BEHAVIOR OR ACTIONS; LESS ABILITY TO ADEQUATELY HANDLE AN EVAC.

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.