Narrative:

This safety report concerns an onerous personal schedule the airline developed for me. The company scheduled me for flying duty in 11 out of 12 straight days. (2-DAY trip; 3-DAY trip; 3-DAY trip; 3-DAY trip.) in full disclosure; one of my turns was picked up by one of our pilot instructors and I did not fly that day. This 11 of 12 day schedule included 2 all-night flts inserted within the rest of the flying. To prevent this schedule from going illegal; 2 periods between trips contained a layover and a period at home between trips of greater than 24 hours. Even so; this schedule was 'barely legal' concerning 30 in 7 limits toward the end of the month. As a snowstorm slowed operations in ZZZ; I was delayed just enough to force a 30 in 7 situation on the final leg of my 12TH day of flying. I was then scheduled to fly the next-to-last leg of my trip; then deadhead home to avoid the 30 in 7. Rather than do that; I called in fatigued as I was utterly exhausted. Calling in fatigued on that last turn cost me about 4.5 hours. I suspect a number of pilots would have gone ahead and flown that final turn to avoid the pay penalty even though they were fatigued. A less insane schedule would have prevented this entire mess. The fact that I made it to the last day of this schedule before dropping from fatigue is a miracle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 PLT WAS ASSIGNED TO FLY AN EXHAUSTIVE SCHEDULE AND REFUSED TO FLY THE LAST SEGMENTS DUE TO FATIGUE.

Narrative: THIS SAFETY RPT CONCERNS AN ONEROUS PERSONAL SCHEDULE THE AIRLINE DEVELOPED FOR ME. THE COMPANY SCHEDULED ME FOR FLYING DUTY IN 11 OUT OF 12 STRAIGHT DAYS. (2-DAY TRIP; 3-DAY TRIP; 3-DAY TRIP; 3-DAY TRIP.) IN FULL DISCLOSURE; ONE OF MY TURNS WAS PICKED UP BY ONE OF OUR PLT INSTRUCTORS AND I DID NOT FLY THAT DAY. THIS 11 OF 12 DAY SCHEDULE INCLUDED 2 ALL-NIGHT FLTS INSERTED WITHIN THE REST OF THE FLYING. TO PREVENT THIS SCHEDULE FROM GOING ILLEGAL; 2 PERIODS BTWN TRIPS CONTAINED A LAYOVER AND A PERIOD AT HOME BTWN TRIPS OF GREATER THAN 24 HRS. EVEN SO; THIS SCHEDULE WAS 'BARELY LEGAL' CONCERNING 30 IN 7 LIMITS TOWARD THE END OF THE MONTH. AS A SNOWSTORM SLOWED OPS IN ZZZ; I WAS DELAYED JUST ENOUGH TO FORCE A 30 IN 7 SITUATION ON THE FINAL LEG OF MY 12TH DAY OF FLYING. I WAS THEN SCHEDULED TO FLY THE NEXT-TO-LAST LEG OF MY TRIP; THEN DEADHEAD HOME TO AVOID THE 30 IN 7. RATHER THAN DO THAT; I CALLED IN FATIGUED AS I WAS UTTERLY EXHAUSTED. CALLING IN FATIGUED ON THAT LAST TURN COST ME ABOUT 4.5 HRS. I SUSPECT A NUMBER OF PLTS WOULD HAVE GONE AHEAD AND FLOWN THAT FINAL TURN TO AVOID THE PAY PENALTY EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE FATIGUED. A LESS INSANE SCHEDULE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE MESS. THE FACT THAT I MADE IT TO THE LAST DAY OF THIS SCHEDULE BEFORE DROPPING FROM FATIGUE IS A MIRACLE.

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.