Narrative:

There is no service monday-tuesday for the second flight. Therefore; a deadhead is required on tuesday night to 'position' the crew. That is the once a week sequence that I'm talking about. There is no way to get full night's sleep anywhere in a more than 2-DAY period. This sequence is 'scheduled' to deadhead down at XA15. It is 'scheduled' to arrive at approximately XJ10 in slru after a stop in XXXZ (elevation 13300 ft). The deadhead flight is almost always late and is almost always full. After deadheading under these onerous conditions our pilots are expected to fly as a 2-MAN crew throughout the next night over some of the most demanding conditions on earth. Although the hotel is excellent; it is a center of local business and social activity and not conducive to sleeping during the day. Also the layover is dangerously short. So what we have is a deadhead with 4-6 flight attendants (who consistently get the best seats for sleeping) on an all-nighter that is chronically late; has a stop in a horrible environment; and goes to a short layover in an environment not conducive to daytime sleeping; and then one is expected to fly an all-nighter over the amazon jungle. It is unsafe! I have had this sequence. I expressed my reservations about this sequence to the flight office. While our flight office was supportive (chief pilots); crew schedule was not. It was made clear to me that the flight department is subordinate to crew schedule and every other department; even when safety is concerned. (A serious safety problem within itself; but that's a bigger issue for another day.) the only thing that they could suggest was calling in fatigued if I had a problem on the other end. Fair enough; but it would seem to me that it would be easier just to make it right in the beginning of the trip and not cause a problem on the end. I took the trip as published. Our deadhead flight left on time (a very rare event). All of us also got business class (also very rare). Both of these things were in our favor and very rare. While some of the crew members slept well; I slept a total of 25 mins that night. I had expressed my concern to the company before about this as I've never been able to sleep on airplanes. They couldn't have cared less. We arrived in slru and I slept a solid 2 hours. I went to lunch and did my normal routine. Being that I know many people there; several were asking me if I would like to do this and that during the day and night. I explained to them that I couldn't as I only had a short time there and had to get some more sleep. That afternoon I went back to bed. Truth is; I slept very little; if any. I got up; showered and went to dinner. At this time I had to make an honest evaluation. I knew that I hadn't slept much; but I did feel fine. In no way was I fatigued. Therefore; I could not honestly call in fatigued. I accepted the flight with all confidence in my ability and mental state. We departed on time and the trip was uneventful. Later in the flight it hit me. The last few hours were a struggle to stay awake. I used every technique that I had been taught to stay alert. Caffeine; gum; conversation; etc. These techniques worked and we arrived uneventfully. In the end; I was able to do this flight to the best of my ability. But I am one of the younger capts that works out several hours every day and have been trained in sleep deprivation techniques. What about some of our older pilots who are not in shape? Granted sleep patterns are different for each individual. And some can sleep fine on airplanes and during all times of the day; but some (like me) cannot. And what would our passenger think if they knew that their pilots spent the previous night in chair! (And in our case; business class. What about the unlucky pilots that have to spend the night in a center seat in coach?) therefore; this sequence needs to change. About the only suggestions that I can come up with is that (at least) the pilots should deadhead down 2 nights before (monday) or simply make this a long layover from sunday until service resumes on wednesday. Yes; iknow that this would be more expensive; but probably less expensive 'when' our next accident happens! In my case; I volunteered to go early in the interest of safety and was immediately shot down. That's it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CAPTAIN LAMENTS THE LACK OF QUALITY SLEEP THAT IS AVAILABLE ON A TRIP TO SLRU THAT DEADHEADS DOWN AND LIVE BACK AFTER A 12 HOUR LAYOVER.

Narrative: THERE IS NO SVC MONDAY-TUESDAY FOR THE SECOND FLT. THEREFORE; A DEADHEAD IS REQUIRED ON TUESDAY NIGHT TO 'POS' THE CREW. THAT IS THE ONCE A WK SEQUENCE THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THERE IS NO WAY TO GET FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP ANYWHERE IN A MORE THAN 2-DAY PERIOD. THIS SEQUENCE IS 'SCHEDULED' TO DEADHEAD DOWN AT XA15. IT IS 'SCHEDULED' TO ARRIVE AT APPROX XJ10 IN SLRU AFTER A STOP IN XXXZ (ELEVATION 13300 FT). THE DEADHEAD FLT IS ALMOST ALWAYS LATE AND IS ALMOST ALWAYS FULL. AFTER DEADHEADING UNDER THESE ONEROUS CONDITIONS OUR PLTS ARE EXPECTED TO FLY AS A 2-MAN CREW THROUGHOUT THE NEXT NIGHT OVER SOME OF THE MOST DEMANDING CONDITIONS ON EARTH. ALTHOUGH THE HOTEL IS EXCELLENT; IT IS A CENTER OF LCL BUSINESS AND SOCIAL ACTIVITY AND NOT CONDUCIVE TO SLEEPING DURING THE DAY. ALSO THE LAYOVER IS DANGEROUSLY SHORT. SO WHAT WE HAVE IS A DEADHEAD WITH 4-6 FLT ATTENDANTS (WHO CONSISTENTLY GET THE BEST SEATS FOR SLEEPING) ON AN ALL-NIGHTER THAT IS CHRONICALLY LATE; HAS A STOP IN A HORRIBLE ENVIRONMENT; AND GOES TO A SHORT LAYOVER IN AN ENVIRONMENT NOT CONDUCIVE TO DAYTIME SLEEPING; AND THEN ONE IS EXPECTED TO FLY AN ALL-NIGHTER OVER THE AMAZON JUNGLE. IT IS UNSAFE! I HAVE HAD THIS SEQUENCE. I EXPRESSED MY RESERVATIONS ABOUT THIS SEQUENCE TO THE FLT OFFICE. WHILE OUR FLT OFFICE WAS SUPPORTIVE (CHIEF PLTS); CREW SCHEDULE WAS NOT. IT WAS MADE CLR TO ME THAT THE FLT DEPT IS SUBORDINATE TO CREW SCHEDULE AND EVERY OTHER DEPT; EVEN WHEN SAFETY IS CONCERNED. (A SERIOUS SAFETY PROB WITHIN ITSELF; BUT THAT'S A BIGGER ISSUE FOR ANOTHER DAY.) THE ONLY THING THAT THEY COULD SUGGEST WAS CALLING IN FATIGUED IF I HAD A PROB ON THE OTHER END. FAIR ENOUGH; BUT IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER JUST TO MAKE IT RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP AND NOT CAUSE A PROB ON THE END. I TOOK THE TRIP AS PUBLISHED. OUR DEADHEAD FLT LEFT ON TIME (A VERY RARE EVENT). ALL OF US ALSO GOT BUSINESS CLASS (ALSO VERY RARE). BOTH OF THESE THINGS WERE IN OUR FAVOR AND VERY RARE. WHILE SOME OF THE CREW MEMBERS SLEPT WELL; I SLEPT A TOTAL OF 25 MINS THAT NIGHT. I HAD EXPRESSED MY CONCERN TO THE COMPANY BEFORE ABOUT THIS AS I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP ON AIRPLANES. THEY COULDN'T HAVE CARED LESS. WE ARRIVED IN SLRU AND I SLEPT A SOLID 2 HRS. I WENT TO LUNCH AND DID MY NORMAL ROUTINE. BEING THAT I KNOW MANY PEOPLE THERE; SEVERAL WERE ASKING ME IF I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS AND THAT DURING THE DAY AND NIGHT. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I COULDN'T AS I ONLY HAD A SHORT TIME THERE AND HAD TO GET SOME MORE SLEEP. THAT AFTERNOON I WENT BACK TO BED. TRUTH IS; I SLEPT VERY LITTLE; IF ANY. I GOT UP; SHOWERED AND WENT TO DINNER. AT THIS TIME I HAD TO MAKE AN HONEST EVALUATION. I KNEW THAT I HADN'T SLEPT MUCH; BUT I DID FEEL FINE. IN NO WAY WAS I FATIGUED. THEREFORE; I COULD NOT HONESTLY CALL IN FATIGUED. I ACCEPTED THE FLT WITH ALL CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITY AND MENTAL STATE. WE DEPARTED ON TIME AND THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. LATER IN THE FLT IT HIT ME. THE LAST FEW HRS WERE A STRUGGLE TO STAY AWAKE. I USED EVERY TECHNIQUE THAT I HAD BEEN TAUGHT TO STAY ALERT. CAFFEINE; GUM; CONVERSATION; ETC. THESE TECHNIQUES WORKED AND WE ARRIVED UNEVENTFULLY. IN THE END; I WAS ABLE TO DO THIS FLT TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. BUT I AM ONE OF THE YOUNGER CAPTS THAT WORKS OUT SEVERAL HRS EVERY DAY AND HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN SLEEP DEPRIVATION TECHNIQUES. WHAT ABOUT SOME OF OUR OLDER PLTS WHO ARE NOT IN SHAPE? GRANTED SLEEP PATTERNS ARE DIFFERENT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL. AND SOME CAN SLEEP FINE ON AIRPLANES AND DURING ALL TIMES OF THE DAY; BUT SOME (LIKE ME) CANNOT. AND WHAT WOULD OUR PAX THINK IF THEY KNEW THAT THEIR PLTS SPENT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT IN CHAIR! (AND IN OUR CASE; BUSINESS CLASS. WHAT ABOUT THE UNLUCKY PLTS THAT HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN A CTR SEAT IN COACH?) THEREFORE; THIS SEQUENCE NEEDS TO CHANGE. ABOUT THE ONLY SUGGESTIONS THAT I CAN COME UP WITH IS THAT (AT LEAST) THE PLTS SHOULD DEADHEAD DOWN 2 NIGHTS BEFORE (MONDAY) OR SIMPLY MAKE THIS A LONG LAYOVER FROM SUNDAY UNTIL SVC RESUMES ON WEDNESDAY. YES; IKNOW THAT THIS WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE; BUT PROBABLY LESS EXPENSIVE 'WHEN' OUR NEXT ACCIDENT HAPPENS! IN MY CASE; I VOLUNTEERED TO GO EARLY IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY AND WAS IMMEDIATELY SHOT DOWN. THAT'S IT.

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.