Narrative:

I'm filing this report to bring a dangerous situation that is commonplace at air carrier to light. I am a qualified line pilot for air carrier and have been employed by them for 4 yrs. I have no ill feelings towards my employer; but I am genuinely concerned for myself; my crew members; and our passenger. We are routinely scheduled on shifts that are legal but not safe. For example; I recently flew a 4-DAY trip in which the first 3 days had am show times. The 4TH day had an XA00 pm show time and ended the following day at XA30 am; requiring the crew to be awake throughout the night. The 4TH day included a 3-HR layover in ZZZ with no hotel or sleeping provisions. This forced the crew members to try to sleep on the aircraft. These types of shifts are included in almost every line each bidding period. Situations like the example I've listed above are causing unnecessary fatigue to the pilots and consequently; creating a very unsafe environment. It is my belief that air carrier creates the schedules like this to save the company money (paying the crew members per diem instead of providing hotel rooms during these short layovers). Even though these shifts are legal by FAA 121 rules; they are definitely not safe. My request is that the FAA addresses this situation immediately to prevent a fatal accident from occurring. My suggestion is that an FAA investigator should accompany a crew on a similar trip to witness first hand the dangerous schedules that we deal with every day. Unfortunately; the public is unaware of this dangerous practice otherwise it would be exposed and not tolerated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FOR A COMMUTER ACR REPORTS COMPANY IS SUBJECTING FLT CREWS TO TECHNICALLY LEGAL BUT UNSAFE FLT SCHEDULES.

Narrative: I'M FILING THIS RPT TO BRING A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT IS COMMONPLACE AT ACR TO LIGHT. I AM A QUALIFIED LINE PLT FOR ACR AND HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED BY THEM FOR 4 YRS. I HAVE NO ILL FEELINGS TOWARDS MY EMPLOYER; BUT I AM GENUINELY CONCERNED FOR MYSELF; MY CREW MEMBERS; AND OUR PAX. WE ARE ROUTINELY SCHEDULED ON SHIFTS THAT ARE LEGAL BUT NOT SAFE. FOR EXAMPLE; I RECENTLY FLEW A 4-DAY TRIP IN WHICH THE FIRST 3 DAYS HAD AM SHOW TIMES. THE 4TH DAY HAD AN XA00 PM SHOW TIME AND ENDED THE FOLLOWING DAY AT XA30 AM; REQUIRING THE CREW TO BE AWAKE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. THE 4TH DAY INCLUDED A 3-HR LAYOVER IN ZZZ WITH NO HOTEL OR SLEEPING PROVISIONS. THIS FORCED THE CREW MEMBERS TO TRY TO SLEEP ON THE ACFT. THESE TYPES OF SHIFTS ARE INCLUDED IN ALMOST EVERY LINE EACH BIDDING PERIOD. SITUATIONS LIKE THE EXAMPLE I'VE LISTED ABOVE ARE CAUSING UNNECESSARY FATIGUE TO THE PLTS AND CONSEQUENTLY; CREATING A VERY UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT ACR CREATES THE SCHEDULES LIKE THIS TO SAVE THE COMPANY MONEY (PAYING THE CREW MEMBERS PER DIEM INSTEAD OF PROVIDING HOTEL ROOMS DURING THESE SHORT LAYOVERS). EVEN THOUGH THESE SHIFTS ARE LEGAL BY FAA 121 RULES; THEY ARE DEFINITELY NOT SAFE. MY REQUEST IS THAT THE FAA ADDRESSES THIS SITUATION IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT A FATAL ACCIDENT FROM OCCURRING. MY SUGGESTION IS THAT AN FAA INVESTIGATOR SHOULD ACCOMPANY A CREW ON A SIMILAR TRIP TO WITNESS FIRST HAND THE DANGEROUS SCHEDULES THAT WE DEAL WITH EVERY DAY. UNFORTUNATELY; THE PUBLIC IS UNAWARE OF THIS DANGEROUS PRACTICE OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE EXPOSED AND NOT TOLERATED.

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.