Narrative:

I am assigned reserve (starting at early morning on-call) for march 2008; and I've established the associated sleep pattern. I received a phone call from crew scheduling at approximately early morning assigning me to a 2-DAY trip. I received what I characterize as a good night of sleep on the layover. I awakened the next day and I felt well rested for the return flight. Nearing destination on the return flight; I received an ACARS message to contact crew scheduling on arrival. After completing postflt duties; I turned on my cell phone; and listened to a phone message that also asked me to contact crew scheduling. I made at least 6 attempts to contact crew scheduling on 2 different phone numbers stored in my cell phone. After many busy signals; I finally got through to crew scheduling. I was informed that a leg was added to my trip. I felt tired at the already-long day; so I stopped at the restroom to wash my face and brush my teeth to re-establish some alertness. I then proceeded to the crew room. While trying to focus on pulling up the flight plan from the crew computer; I began to question myself as to whether I was rested enough to safely complete the add-on leg of the trip. I examined my day; and determined that I had been awake for approximately 16 hours at this point; and that I had flown 6 hours 30 min block time. Not a record of any sort; but I concluded that I was too fatigued to safely complete the added leg; and I called crew scheduling to inform them. Crew scheduling connected me to the flight operations duty officer and I briefly informed him of the situation. I then went into crew rest. I think that more emphasis needs to be placed on the non punitive nature of the fatigue policy. Making use of the fatigue policy was absolutely the right thing for me to do; and I am certain that it contributed to the safety of the operation. Due to the 'can-do' attitude inherent to my pilot personality; however; I can't help feeling some sense of guilt for the disruption it surely caused to the schedule. My experience gets me over this hurdle; but I'm certain that similar feelings in others; especially less experienced pilots or new hires on probation; can induce someone to fly when they shouldn't. The fatigue policy is a great and necessary tool available to our pilot group; but it will not completely eliminate the danger of flying fatigued.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF ACR ACFT CALLS IN FATIGUED FOR LATE REASSIGNMENT.

Narrative: I AM ASSIGNED RESERVE (STARTING AT EARLY MORNING ON-CALL) FOR MARCH 2008; AND I'VE ESTABLISHED THE ASSOCIATED SLEEP PATTERN. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM CREW SCHEDULING AT APPROX EARLY MORNING ASSIGNING ME TO A 2-DAY TRIP. I RECEIVED WHAT I CHARACTERIZE AS A GOOD NIGHT OF SLEEP ON THE LAYOVER. I AWAKENED THE NEXT DAY AND I FELT WELL RESTED FOR THE RETURN FLT. NEARING DEST ON THE RETURN FLT; I RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE TO CONTACT CREW SCHEDULING ON ARR. AFTER COMPLETING POSTFLT DUTIES; I TURNED ON MY CELL PHONE; AND LISTENED TO A PHONE MESSAGE THAT ALSO ASKED ME TO CONTACT CREW SCHEDULING. I MADE AT LEAST 6 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT CREW SCHEDULING ON 2 DIFFERENT PHONE NUMBERS STORED IN MY CELL PHONE. AFTER MANY BUSY SIGNALS; I FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO CREW SCHEDULING. I WAS INFORMED THAT A LEG WAS ADDED TO MY TRIP. I FELT TIRED AT THE ALREADY-LONG DAY; SO I STOPPED AT THE RESTROOM TO WASH MY FACE AND BRUSH MY TEETH TO RE-ESTABLISH SOME ALERTNESS. I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE CREW ROOM. WHILE TRYING TO FOCUS ON PULLING UP THE FLT PLAN FROM THE CREW COMPUTER; I BEGAN TO QUESTION MYSELF AS TO WHETHER I WAS RESTED ENOUGH TO SAFELY COMPLETE THE ADD-ON LEG OF THE TRIP. I EXAMINED MY DAY; AND DETERMINED THAT I HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR APPROX 16 HRS AT THIS POINT; AND THAT I HAD FLOWN 6 HRS 30 MIN BLOCK TIME. NOT A RECORD OF ANY SORT; BUT I CONCLUDED THAT I WAS TOO FATIGUED TO SAFELY COMPLETE THE ADDED LEG; AND I CALLED CREW SCHEDULING TO INFORM THEM. CREW SCHEDULING CONNECTED ME TO THE FLT OPS DUTY OFFICER AND I BRIEFLY INFORMED HIM OF THE SITUATION. I THEN WENT INTO CREW REST. I THINK THAT MORE EMPHASIS NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON THE NON PUNITIVE NATURE OF THE FATIGUE POLICY. MAKING USE OF THE FATIGUE POLICY WAS ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT THING FOR ME TO DO; AND I AM CERTAIN THAT IT CONTRIBUTED TO THE SAFETY OF THE OP. DUE TO THE 'CAN-DO' ATTITUDE INHERENT TO MY PLT PERSONALITY; HOWEVER; I CAN'T HELP FEELING SOME SENSE OF GUILT FOR THE DISRUPTION IT SURELY CAUSED TO THE SCHEDULE. MY EXPERIENCE GETS ME OVER THIS HURDLE; BUT I'M CERTAIN THAT SIMILAR FEELINGS IN OTHERS; ESPECIALLY LESS EXPERIENCED PLTS OR NEW HIRES ON PROBATION; CAN INDUCE SOMEONE TO FLY WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T. THE FATIGUE POLICY IS A GREAT AND NECESSARY TOOL AVAILABLE TO OUR PLT GROUP; BUT IT WILL NOT COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE DANGER OF FLYING FATIGUED.

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.