A320 flight crew refused to fly an all-night segment following a short daytime layover.

Attributes
ACN	769941
Time
Date	200801
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	769941
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Company
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Fatigue due to schedule mismatch due sleep cycle. I received the assignment for an XA30 MST report. The leg was WX diverted to lax. After landing at lax was informed of ferry from lax at XQ30 PST. This would give approximately 10 hours at the lax hotel; and about 12 hours on the ground in ZZZ prior to the all night leg of ZZZ-ZZZ1. I informed the flight manager that this short layover and back of clock sleep cycle might be a factor the next day. The ferry from lax-ZZZ was uneventful as 1 aircraft was refused and had to wait for the replacement aircraft. The ferry flight left over 2 hours late from lax. Upon arrival at the ZZZ layover I informed the crew desk/flight manager that with the departure curfew from ZZZ the 9 hour layover was insufficient for proper rest. Even though this assignment was contractually 'legal' it failed in a safety aspect of being prepared to fly all night. The following morning both the first officer and I reinforced that we had made the proper decision on declining the flight. We came to the conclusion that an all night flight following the short layover would have been unsafe. The flight manager and crew desk were both helpful after declaring the fatigue factor in declining the assignment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW REFUSED TO FLY AN ALL-NIGHT SEGMENT FOLLOWING A SHORT DAYTIME LAYOVER.

Narrative: FATIGUE DUE TO SCHEDULE MISMATCH DUE SLEEP CYCLE. I RECEIVED THE ASSIGNMENT FOR AN XA30 MST RPT. THE LEG WAS WX DIVERTED TO LAX. AFTER LNDG AT LAX WAS INFORMED OF FERRY FROM LAX AT XQ30 PST. THIS WOULD GIVE APPROX 10 HRS AT THE LAX HOTEL; AND ABOUT 12 HRS ON THE GND IN ZZZ PRIOR TO THE ALL NIGHT LEG OF ZZZ-ZZZ1. I INFORMED THE FLT MGR THAT THIS SHORT LAYOVER AND BACK OF CLOCK SLEEP CYCLE MIGHT BE A FACTOR THE NEXT DAY. THE FERRY FROM LAX-ZZZ WAS UNEVENTFUL AS 1 ACFT WAS REFUSED AND HAD TO WAIT FOR THE REPLACEMENT ACFT. THE FERRY FLT LEFT OVER 2 HRS LATE FROM LAX. UPON ARR AT THE ZZZ LAYOVER I INFORMED THE CREW DESK/FLT MGR THAT WITH THE DEP CURFEW FROM ZZZ THE 9 HR LAYOVER WAS INSUFFICIENT FOR PROPER REST. EVEN THOUGH THIS ASSIGNMENT WAS CONTRACTUALLY 'LEGAL' IT FAILED IN A SAFETY ASPECT OF BEING PREPARED TO FLY ALL NIGHT. THE FOLLOWING MORNING BOTH THE FO AND I REINFORCED THAT WE HAD MADE THE PROPER DECISION ON DECLINING THE FLT. WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT AN ALL NIGHT FLT FOLLOWING THE SHORT LAYOVER WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. THE FLT MGR AND CREW DESK WERE BOTH HELPFUL AFTER DECLARING THE FATIGUE FACTOR IN DECLINING THE ASSIGNMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.