Narrative:

I was assigned a duty period of 'XC00 hot reserve' by crew scheduling for the following day. 'Hot reserve' requires the pilot to be at the airport during his reserve duty period. I awoke at XA30 to prepare for and drive to work. After arriving at the airport I had a cup of coffee and closed my eyes while the caffeine went to work. At XC32 crew scheduler called to inform me that I was to go back home so that I could receive a legal rest period; and then report back to the airport at XM30 for a duty period which was scheduled to end at approximately XV15. I left the airport as directed and returned home; wide awake. At home; I had breakfast and tried to go back to sleep; but the coffee I had earlier would not allow it; so I read; hoping to eventually become drowsy. No luck. Lunchtime came and went; but still; I could not sleep. Finally; as I was reading; I began to nod off. This was around XL30 though; and in 15 mins I had to leave the house to return to work. I have now been awake for 11 hours; since XA30. My workday was uneventful. At around XS00; however; while waiting for my last flight; I realized that I could hardly remain awake while seated. I got up to check the status of my flight; and learned that the aircraft I was to take was delayed for maintenance in ZZZ and although the departure monitors indicated that our flight was to be delayed only 20 mins; I saw that the aircraft was still in ZZZ. A little basic math and yrs of experience made me realize that the departure time advertised for ZZZ1 was a bit optimistic. It was at this point that I realized how tired I was; and how much more time would elapse before I would be able to sleep. If I continued as scheduled; I would be commanding an aircraft carrying passenger; flying into an area with adverse WX; likely with a first officer who is very inexperienced; after having been awake for nearly 24 hours. Although FAA mandated duty and rest periods were within legal limits; physiological reality resulted in no rest during my 'rest' period. As I consciously considered all of this; and how it relates to my primary and most sacred responsibility; the safety of my passenger; my decision immediately became clear. I was morally and legally obligated not to accept that flight. At XS17; I called crew scheduling to advise them that I was fatigued and would not be able to fly any more that day. I asked for the next day's duty assignment; and was given a duty period beginning at XF00 (+24). At XS26; scheduling called to advise me that per vp of operations; I was to obtain a note from my doctor for the fatigue call. I called a chief pilot to confirm this because I thought that perhaps the directive had been intended for people abusing sick time; and misinterpreted by the scheduling staff. The chief pilot; however confirmed that the company was requiring a doctor's note for fatigue calls. I remarked that I would comply with his request; and that 'this will be an interesting conversation with the doctor;' as I would be requesting to see him for being tired; after working a long day on little sleep. This is a waste and abuse of the doctor's time; just because the company wishes to punish pilots whose legally and ethically required actions conflict with their desires. While some at the FAA may wish to avoid dealing with issues like this; calling them 'labor-relations issues;' I must point out the grave consequences faced by our innocent passenger; who are largely ignorant to many of the factors which affect their safety and well-being. This is a clear-cut case of management coercing pilots to fly passenger when it would be unsafe to do so. Practices like this will result in tragedy and innocent lives lost if not stopped. There is a 'perfect storm' brewing as our airline cockpits are flooded with inexperienced pilots fresh out of flight school. These pilots are 'soft targets' for management bullying. The threat of punitive action results in employees reporting for work sick; tired; and distraction. Combining minimally qualified pilots with management policies that coerce and harass them into flying when good judgement would dictate otherwise is reckless endangerment of the traveling public by our airline's mgrs. Keeping our trusting passenger safe is too critical to allow oppressive management practices to handicap the sound decisions we need to make as pilots. In management's zeal to penalize all employees for the perceived abuses of a few; the innocent mothers; grandmothers; businessmen; and newborns we fly everyday are being placed in very real danger. The FAA needs to act quickly and decisively to stop these despicable practices before a tragedy occurs as a result of them. For every pilot like me who takes the time to bring these concerns to light; there are many who remain silent despite similar concerns and observations. Considering the fact that precious lives are being endangered; I implore the FAA to act swiftly on this issue before we have to react to a tragedy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPTAIN FOR PART 121 ACR REPORTS COMPANY EFFORTS TO COERCE FLT CREWS TO FLY WHEN FATIGUED DUE TO COMPANY SCHEDULING PRACTICES.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED A DUTY PERIOD OF 'XC00 HOT RESERVE' BY CREW SCHEDULING FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY. 'HOT RESERVE' REQUIRES THE PLT TO BE AT THE ARPT DURING HIS RESERVE DUTY PERIOD. I AWOKE AT XA30 TO PREPARE FOR AND DRIVE TO WORK. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE ARPT I HAD A CUP OF COFFEE AND CLOSED MY EYES WHILE THE CAFFEINE WENT TO WORK. AT XC32 CREW SCHEDULER CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT I WAS TO GO BACK HOME SO THAT I COULD RECEIVE A LEGAL REST PERIOD; AND THEN RPT BACK TO THE ARPT AT XM30 FOR A DUTY PERIOD WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO END AT APPROX XV15. I LEFT THE ARPT AS DIRECTED AND RETURNED HOME; WIDE AWAKE. AT HOME; I HAD BREAKFAST AND TRIED TO GO BACK TO SLEEP; BUT THE COFFEE I HAD EARLIER WOULD NOT ALLOW IT; SO I READ; HOPING TO EVENTUALLY BECOME DROWSY. NO LUCK. LUNCHTIME CAME AND WENT; BUT STILL; I COULD NOT SLEEP. FINALLY; AS I WAS READING; I BEGAN TO NOD OFF. THIS WAS AROUND XL30 THOUGH; AND IN 15 MINS I HAD TO LEAVE THE HOUSE TO RETURN TO WORK. I HAVE NOW BEEN AWAKE FOR 11 HRS; SINCE XA30. MY WORKDAY WAS UNEVENTFUL. AT AROUND XS00; HOWEVER; WHILE WAITING FOR MY LAST FLT; I REALIZED THAT I COULD HARDLY REMAIN AWAKE WHILE SEATED. I GOT UP TO CHK THE STATUS OF MY FLT; AND LEARNED THAT THE ACFT I WAS TO TAKE WAS DELAYED FOR MAINT IN ZZZ AND ALTHOUGH THE DEP MONITORS INDICATED THAT OUR FLT WAS TO BE DELAYED ONLY 20 MINS; I SAW THAT THE ACFT WAS STILL IN ZZZ. A LITTLE BASIC MATH AND YRS OF EXPERIENCE MADE ME REALIZE THAT THE DEP TIME ADVERTISED FOR ZZZ1 WAS A BIT OPTIMISTIC. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I REALIZED HOW TIRED I WAS; AND HOW MUCH MORE TIME WOULD ELAPSE BEFORE I WOULD BE ABLE TO SLEEP. IF I CONTINUED AS SCHEDULED; I WOULD BE COMMANDING AN ACFT CARRYING PAX; FLYING INTO AN AREA WITH ADVERSE WX; LIKELY WITH A FO WHO IS VERY INEXPERIENCED; AFTER HAVING BEEN AWAKE FOR NEARLY 24 HRS. ALTHOUGH FAA MANDATED DUTY AND REST PERIODS WERE WITHIN LEGAL LIMITS; PHYSIOLOGICAL REALITY RESULTED IN NO REST DURING MY 'REST' PERIOD. AS I CONSCIOUSLY CONSIDERED ALL OF THIS; AND HOW IT RELATES TO MY PRIMARY AND MOST SACRED RESPONSIBILITY; THE SAFETY OF MY PAX; MY DECISION IMMEDIATELY BECAME CLEAR. I WAS MORALLY AND LEGALLY OBLIGATED NOT TO ACCEPT THAT FLT. AT XS17; I CALLED CREW SCHEDULING TO ADVISE THEM THAT I WAS FATIGUED AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FLY ANY MORE THAT DAY. I ASKED FOR THE NEXT DAY'S DUTY ASSIGNMENT; AND WAS GIVEN A DUTY PERIOD BEGINNING AT XF00 (+24). AT XS26; SCHEDULING CALLED TO ADVISE ME THAT PER VP OF OPS; I WAS TO OBTAIN A NOTE FROM MY DOCTOR FOR THE FATIGUE CALL. I CALLED A CHIEF PLT TO CONFIRM THIS BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS THE DIRECTIVE HAD BEEN INTENDED FOR PEOPLE ABUSING SICK TIME; AND MISINTERPRETED BY THE SCHEDULING STAFF. THE CHIEF PLT; HOWEVER CONFIRMED THAT THE COMPANY WAS REQUIRING A DOCTOR'S NOTE FOR FATIGUE CALLS. I REMARKED THAT I WOULD COMPLY WITH HIS REQUEST; AND THAT 'THIS WILL BE AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH THE DOCTOR;' AS I WOULD BE REQUESTING TO SEE HIM FOR BEING TIRED; AFTER WORKING A LONG DAY ON LITTLE SLEEP. THIS IS A WASTE AND ABUSE OF THE DOCTOR'S TIME; JUST BECAUSE THE COMPANY WISHES TO PUNISH PLTS WHOSE LEGALLY AND ETHICALLY REQUIRED ACTIONS CONFLICT WITH THEIR DESIRES. WHILE SOME AT THE FAA MAY WISH TO AVOID DEALING WITH ISSUES LIKE THIS; CALLING THEM 'LABOR-RELATIONS ISSUES;' I MUST POINT OUT THE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES FACED BY OUR INNOCENT PAX; WHO ARE LARGELY IGNORANT TO MANY OF THE FACTORS WHICH AFFECT THEIR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING. THIS IS A CLEAR-CUT CASE OF MGMNT COERCING PLTS TO FLY PAX WHEN IT WOULD BE UNSAFE TO DO SO. PRACTICES LIKE THIS WILL RESULT IN TRAGEDY AND INNOCENT LIVES LOST IF NOT STOPPED. THERE IS A 'PERFECT STORM' BREWING AS OUR AIRLINE COCKPITS ARE FLOODED WITH INEXPERIENCED PLTS FRESH OUT OF FLT SCHOOL. THESE PLTS ARE 'SOFT TARGETS' FOR MGMNT BULLYING. THE THREAT OF PUNITIVE ACTION RESULTS IN EMPLOYEES RPTING FOR WORK SICK; TIRED; AND DISTR. COMBINING MINIMALLY QUALIFIED PLTS WITH MGMNT POLICIES THAT COERCE AND HARASS THEM INTO FLYING WHEN GOOD JUDGEMENT WOULD DICTATE OTHERWISE IS RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT OF THE TRAVELING PUBLIC BY OUR AIRLINE'S MGRS. KEEPING OUR TRUSTING PAX SAFE IS TOO CRITICAL TO ALLOW OPPRESSIVE MGMNT PRACTICES TO HANDICAP THE SOUND DECISIONS WE NEED TO MAKE AS PLTS. IN MGMNT'S ZEAL TO PENALIZE ALL EMPLOYEES FOR THE PERCEIVED ABUSES OF A FEW; THE INNOCENT MOTHERS; GRANDMOTHERS; BUSINESSMEN; AND NEWBORNS WE FLY EVERYDAY ARE BEING PLACED IN VERY REAL DANGER. THE FAA NEEDS TO ACT QUICKLY AND DECISIVELY TO STOP THESE DESPICABLE PRACTICES BEFORE A TRAGEDY OCCURS AS A RESULT OF THEM. FOR EVERY PLT LIKE ME WHO TAKES THE TIME TO BRING THESE CONCERNS TO LIGHT; THERE ARE MANY WHO REMAIN SILENT DESPITE SIMILAR CONCERNS AND OBSERVATIONS. CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT PRECIOUS LIVES ARE BEING ENDANGERED; I IMPLORE THE FAA TO ACT SWIFTLY ON THIS ISSUE BEFORE WE HAVE TO REACT TO A TRAGEDY.

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.