Narrative:

I became extremely fatigued (to the point of feeling weak; dizzy; and disoriented) during this flight. This was the last of 5 legs totaling 9 hours 20 mins block time over a 13 hour duty period. All 5 flts were delayed to some extent and were all of generally equal length in flight time. Load factor for these 5 flts was at least 90%-95%. The problem arose from being scheduled only 10 hours of rest preceding a 13 hour duty period (which ended up being 14 hours 20 mins). Actual sleep the night before was approximately 6 hours; insufficient sleep for standing/flying for 14 hours straight. Contributing factors were the delays and the inability to take a long enough break to eat a nutritious/energizing meal. The only meal eaten was at the hotel. I did not have a chance to eat a full meal again until completing the 5 legs (16 hours later). My performance became severely degraded in a short period of time. I did not consider calling out fatigued because our company disciplines flight attendants who do so; and because backing by the FAA seems reluctant at best (this is based on how the congressionally mandated fatigue study has been handled). Had an emergency occurred; I have serious doubts that my performance would have been comparable at all to regulatory standards. I could not even recall beverage requests within seconds of the request. Our company routinely disregards sensible scheduling practices (ie; long layovers preceding/following high block/duty days) in favor of low-cost efficiency. I believe this to be a threat to safe operations. Another example is the lack of ground time provided on longer days that would facilitate a healthy/nutritious/nutritionally sustaining meal. In other words; current practices at our company are also a contributing factor to flight attendant fatigue/exhaustion/sleep deprivation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CABIN CREW IS FATIGUED DURING FLT.

Narrative: I BECAME EXTREMELY FATIGUED (TO THE POINT OF FEELING WEAK; DIZZY; AND DISORIENTED) DURING THIS FLT. THIS WAS THE LAST OF 5 LEGS TOTALING 9 HRS 20 MINS BLOCK TIME OVER A 13 HR DUTY PERIOD. ALL 5 FLTS WERE DELAYED TO SOME EXTENT AND WERE ALL OF GENERALLY EQUAL LENGTH IN FLT TIME. LOAD FACTOR FOR THESE 5 FLTS WAS AT LEAST 90%-95%. THE PROB AROSE FROM BEING SCHEDULED ONLY 10 HRS OF REST PRECEDING A 13 HR DUTY PERIOD (WHICH ENDED UP BEING 14 HRS 20 MINS). ACTUAL SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS APPROX 6 HRS; INSUFFICIENT SLEEP FOR STANDING/FLYING FOR 14 HRS STRAIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE DELAYS AND THE INABILITY TO TAKE A LONG ENOUGH BREAK TO EAT A NUTRITIOUS/ENERGIZING MEAL. THE ONLY MEAL EATEN WAS AT THE HOTEL. I DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO EAT A FULL MEAL AGAIN UNTIL COMPLETING THE 5 LEGS (16 HRS LATER). MY PERFORMANCE BECAME SEVERELY DEGRADED IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I DID NOT CONSIDER CALLING OUT FATIGUED BECAUSE OUR COMPANY DISCIPLINES FLT ATTENDANTS WHO DO SO; AND BECAUSE BACKING BY THE FAA SEEMS RELUCTANT AT BEST (THIS IS BASED ON HOW THE CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED FATIGUE STUDY HAS BEEN HANDLED). HAD AN EMER OCCURRED; I HAVE SERIOUS DOUBTS THAT MY PERFORMANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPARABLE AT ALL TO REGULATORY STANDARDS. I COULD NOT EVEN RECALL BEVERAGE REQUESTS WITHIN SECONDS OF THE REQUEST. OUR COMPANY ROUTINELY DISREGARDS SENSIBLE SCHEDULING PRACTICES (IE; LONG LAYOVERS PRECEDING/FOLLOWING HIGH BLOCK/DUTY DAYS) IN FAVOR OF LOW-COST EFFICIENCY. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A THREAT TO SAFE OPS. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE LACK OF GND TIME PROVIDED ON LONGER DAYS THAT WOULD FACILITATE A HEALTHY/NUTRITIOUS/NUTRITIONALLY SUSTAINING MEAL. IN OTHER WORDS; CURRENT PRACTICES AT OUR COMPANY ARE ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO FLT ATTENDANT FATIGUE/EXHAUSTION/SLEEP DEPRIVATION.

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.