Narrative:

I was the purser and after reaching the gate I announced for the flight attendants to disarm their doors and simultaneously turned on the cabin lights. I stared at my door. I think I looked at it 3 times and just as customer service approached to knock on the window; I realized the door was still armed! I quickly disarmed it and stood there shaking as I realized what could have happened! I had taken first break; which I normally don't do. By the end of third break I didn't feel very alert at all. In fact I could barely keep my eyes open. This amount of fatigue is scary and this was a real eye opener.supplemental information from acn 763298: air carrier's directive of requiring 3 crew rest breaks on an all night non stop flight of such long duration is creating an unsafe work environment for both working crews and our passenger. Our entire crew was exhausted on arrival in ZZZZ and in the event of an emergency I dare say would not and could not have responded as quickly as we have been trained to do due to extreme fatigue. I personally was so overtired due to a short crew rest break and having been in first break that I felt dizzy and almost delirious. I had to check; double check; and triple check that my door was disarmed and that my flying partner's door was disarmed. Two of us had to perform post flight safety to be certain all doors were disarmed; lavs unoccupied and opened and that all passenger were off the aircraft. Upon arrival at the hotel I was also so overtired I was unable to sleep; even though that's all I wanted and needed to do. I have flown this trip for years and I have never felt this physically exhausted. I had napped during the day of the trip and felt fine at briefing. Furthermore; in our faom the paragraph following the break directive is a flight attendant coverage ratio. Doing two breaks from ZZZ to ZZZZ exceeds that coverage ratio. We do our best to make our passenger have an enjoyable flight but more importantly we need to ensure a safe flight staffed by alert and ready for any situation flight attendants. Situational awareness is an important part of our jobs; these days one of the most important parts of our jobs.supplemental information from acn 763327: passenger reported to flight attendants upon deplaning that a female passenger had fallen and needed assistance. Flight attendants quickly provided oxygen; emotional support and a ready aed. Ground staff called for emergency medical professionals from the front door as the cockpit crew had already left the cockpit. My question is: should air carrier discipline flight attendants for taking two rest breaks instead of three rest breaks given that we are first responders for all medical emergencys while on duty? Flight time is 14.5 hours.callback conversation with reporter 763298 revealed the following information: reporter stated that the current air carrier rest policy being enforced is 3 3.25 hours breaks. The flight attendants were scheduling their own breaks at a 2 4.5 hour break rotation but the air carrier is demanding the three shorter breaks for passenger service reasons. The flight is essentially all night so many people are asleep anyway. Fifteen flight attendants are now a normal crew complement for a 17.5 hour duty day that starts at night and ends at night. The cumulative fatigue leaves all crew members feeling ineffectual at the flight's termination. Adding a problem to the mix; such as a passenger medical emergency in this case; makes the situation even worse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANTS QUESTION AN ACR'S INFLT REST POLICY REQUIRING 3 SHORT BREAKS VS 2 LONGER BREAKS ON LONG FLTS. THE CREW FEELS MORE RESTED AND SAFE WITH 2 BREAKS.

Narrative: I WAS THE PURSER AND AFTER REACHING THE GATE I ANNOUNCED FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DISARM THEIR DOORS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TURNED ON THE CABIN LIGHTS. I STARED AT MY DOOR. I THINK I LOOKED AT IT 3 TIMES AND JUST AS CUSTOMER SVC APCHED TO KNOCK ON THE WINDOW; I REALIZED THE DOOR WAS STILL ARMED! I QUICKLY DISARMED IT AND STOOD THERE SHAKING AS I REALIZED WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED! I HAD TAKEN FIRST BREAK; WHICH I NORMALLY DON'T DO. BY THE END OF THIRD BREAK I DIDN'T FEEL VERY ALERT AT ALL. IN FACT I COULD BARELY KEEP MY EYES OPEN. THIS AMOUNT OF FATIGUE IS SCARY AND THIS WAS A REAL EYE OPENER.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 763298: ACR'S DIRECTIVE OF REQUIRING 3 CREW REST BREAKS ON AN ALL NIGHT NON STOP FLT OF SUCH LONG DURATION IS CREATING AN UNSAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH WORKING CREWS AND OUR PAX. OUR ENTIRE CREW WAS EXHAUSTED ON ARR IN ZZZZ AND IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER I DARE SAY WOULD NOT AND COULD NOT HAVE RESPONDED AS QUICKLY AS WE HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO DO DUE TO EXTREME FATIGUE. I PERSONALLY WAS SO OVERTIRED DUE TO A SHORT CREW REST BREAK AND HAVING BEEN IN FIRST BREAK THAT I FELT DIZZY AND ALMOST DELIRIOUS. I HAD TO CHK; DOUBLE CHK; AND TRIPLE CHK THAT MY DOOR WAS DISARMED AND THAT MY FLYING PARTNER'S DOOR WAS DISARMED. TWO OF US HAD TO PERFORM POST FLT SAFETY TO BE CERTAIN ALL DOORS WERE DISARMED; LAVS UNOCCUPIED AND OPENED AND THAT ALL PAX WERE OFF THE ACFT. UPON ARR AT THE HOTEL I WAS ALSO SO OVERTIRED I WAS UNABLE TO SLEEP; EVEN THOUGH THAT'S ALL I WANTED AND NEEDED TO DO. I HAVE FLOWN THIS TRIP FOR YEARS AND I HAVE NEVER FELT THIS PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED. I HAD NAPPED DURING THE DAY OF THE TRIP AND FELT FINE AT BRIEFING. FURTHERMORE; IN OUR FAOM THE PARAGRAPH FOLLOWING THE BREAK DIRECTIVE IS A FLT ATTENDANT COVERAGE RATIO. DOING TWO BREAKS FROM ZZZ TO ZZZZ EXCEEDS THAT COVERAGE RATIO. WE DO OUR BEST TO MAKE OUR PAX HAVE AN ENJOYABLE FLT BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WE NEED TO ENSURE A SAFE FLT STAFFED BY ALERT AND READY FOR ANY SITUATION FLT ATTENDANTS. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR JOBS; THESE DAYS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR JOBS.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 763327: PAX REPORTED TO FLT ATTENDANTS UPON DEPLANING THAT A FEMALE PAX HAD FALLEN AND NEEDED ASSISTANCE. FLT ATTENDANTS QUICKLY PROVIDED OXYGEN; EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND A READY AED. GND STAFF CALLED FOR EMER MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM THE FRONT DOOR AS THE COCKPIT CREW HAD ALREADY LEFT THE COCKPIT. MY QUESTION IS: SHOULD ACR DISCIPLINE FLT ATTENDANTS FOR TAKING TWO REST BREAKS INSTEAD OF THREE REST BREAKS GIVEN THAT WE ARE FIRST RESPONDERS FOR ALL MEDICAL EMERS WHILE ON DUTY? FLT TIME IS 14.5 HOURS.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR 763298 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT THE CURRENT ACR REST POLICY BEING ENFORCED IS 3 3.25 HOURS BREAKS. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SCHEDULING THEIR OWN BREAKS AT A 2 4.5 HOUR BREAK ROTATION BUT THE ACR IS DEMANDING THE THREE SHORTER BREAKS FOR PASSENGER SVC REASONS. THE FLT IS ESSENTIALLY ALL NIGHT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ASLEEP ANYWAY. FIFTEEN FLT ATTENDANTS ARE NOW A NORMAL CREW COMPLEMENT FOR A 17.5 HOUR DUTY DAY THAT STARTS AT NIGHT AND ENDS AT NIGHT. THE CUMULATIVE FATIGUE LEAVES ALL CREW MEMBERS FEELING INEFFECTUAL AT THE FLT'S TERMINATION. ADDING A PROBLEM TO THE MIX; SUCH AS A PAX MEDICAL EMER IN THIS CASE; MAKES THE SITUATION EVEN WORSE.

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.