B767-300 first officer describes fatiguing effects of schedule patterns.

Attributes
ACN	786012
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : saez.airport
State Reference	FO
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Person 1
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	786012
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

After an 11+ hour all night leg to saez we got up fairly early the next day to do a turn. After a short leg to sumu; we were scheduled to situation for 4 hours and 50 mins; so contractually; we no longer get a day room at a hotel. There is no place to sleep at the airport; and the situation is very fatiguing. At departure time I thought I was ok to fly back to saez but as the leg progressed; I realized I was not as sharp as I should be. I fell asleep in the taxi back to the hotel; something that never happened before. In hindsight; I should have called in fatigued in sumu. Had we been required to deal with an in-flight emergency; I was not able to perform at an acceptable level. When being required to switch my body from days to nights to days to nights to days in 5 days; it is important to be able to sleep when needed. Not having the ability to sleep on this trip is unsafe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 FO DESCRIBES FATIGUING EFFECTS OF SCHEDULE PATTERNS.

Narrative: AFTER AN 11+ HR ALL NIGHT LEG TO SAEZ WE GOT UP FAIRLY EARLY THE NEXT DAY TO DO A TURN. AFTER A SHORT LEG TO SUMU; WE WERE SCHEDULED TO SIT FOR 4 HRS AND 50 MINS; SO CONTRACTUALLY; WE NO LONGER GET A DAY ROOM AT A HOTEL. THERE IS NO PLACE TO SLEEP AT THE ARPT; AND THE SIT IS VERY FATIGUING. AT DEP TIME I THOUGHT I WAS OK TO FLY BACK TO SAEZ BUT AS THE LEG PROGRESSED; I REALIZED I WAS NOT AS SHARP AS I SHOULD BE. I FELL ASLEEP IN THE TAXI BACK TO THE HOTEL; SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE CALLED IN FATIGUED IN SUMU. HAD WE BEEN REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH AN INFLT EMER; I WAS NOT ABLE TO PERFORM AT AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL. WHEN BEING REQUIRED TO SWITCH MY BODY FROM DAYS TO NIGHTS TO DAYS TO NIGHTS TO DAYS IN 5 DAYS; IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP WHEN NEEDED. NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO SLEEP ON THIS TRIP IS UNSAFE.

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.