Narrative:

My first officer and I had both flown 5 days in a row. The wake up time on the 5TH day was XX00. I had over 26 hours hard time and assumed I wouldn't be used on 6TH day because of 30 in 7 far's and also there were several people in lower groups or junior to me in my group. Received a XX00 call from crew scheduling junior manning me to deadhead to ZZZ (XX20 sign in) and ferry back. Deadhead flight was delayed for thunderstorms in ZZZ. After landing on return ferry flight; was advised of a reassignment to deadhead back to ZZZ to ferry another aircraft back to ZZZ1. I checked the computer and noticed at least 3 pilots who were legal for this who were 'lower' than me. I contacted tracking to ask him why they were not used and he said it didn't go to open time because they handled it as a reassignment. We of course would receive no extra pay or credit for doing this 2ND deadhead/ferry. I was exhausted but figured if I didn't do it; it would cause big delays downstream if they called someone else out. If they had called someone else out as soon as they were aware of need; it would have caused no delays. After deadheading back to ZZZ; the aircraft we were to ferry had a mechanical problem (gcu) and we were delayed ferrying back. I had extreme difficulty staying awake and focusing on return flight. I don't think I would have handled any problems well. Thankfully none occurred. In hindsight I should have called in fatigued. This sequence/reassignment may have been technically legal; but totally violated the spirit and intent of 30 in 7 far regulations which are designed to prevent accidents caused by over-flown overtired crew. Any crew member knows that deadheads are as tiring if not sometimes more tiring than working a trip and it is time to do away with this silly loophole before it is too late.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CAPT REPORTS EXTREME FATIGUE AFTER FLYING 6 DAYS IN A ROW AS A RESERVE.

Narrative: MY FO AND I HAD BOTH FLOWN 5 DAYS IN A ROW. THE WAKE UP TIME ON THE 5TH DAY WAS XX00. I HAD OVER 26 HRS HARD TIME AND ASSUMED I WOULDN'T BE USED ON 6TH DAY BECAUSE OF 30 IN 7 FAR'S AND ALSO THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN LOWER GROUPS OR JUNIOR TO ME IN MY GROUP. RECEIVED A XX00 CALL FROM CREW SCHEDULING JUNIOR MANNING ME TO DEADHEAD TO ZZZ (XX20 SIGN IN) AND FERRY BACK. DEADHEAD FLT WAS DELAYED FOR TSTMS IN ZZZ. AFTER LNDG ON RETURN FERRY FLT; WAS ADVISED OF A REASSIGNMENT TO DEADHEAD BACK TO ZZZ TO FERRY ANOTHER ACFT BACK TO ZZZ1. I CHKED THE COMPUTER AND NOTICED AT LEAST 3 PLTS WHO WERE LEGAL FOR THIS WHO WERE 'LOWER' THAN ME. I CONTACTED TRACKING TO ASK HIM WHY THEY WERE NOT USED AND HE SAID IT DIDN'T GO TO OPEN TIME BECAUSE THEY HANDLED IT AS A REASSIGNMENT. WE OF COURSE WOULD RECEIVE NO EXTRA PAY OR CREDIT FOR DOING THIS 2ND DEADHEAD/FERRY. I WAS EXHAUSTED BUT FIGURED IF I DIDN'T DO IT; IT WOULD CAUSE BIG DELAYS DOWNSTREAM IF THEY CALLED SOMEONE ELSE OUT. IF THEY HAD CALLED SOMEONE ELSE OUT AS SOON AS THEY WERE AWARE OF NEED; IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED NO DELAYS. AFTER DEADHEADING BACK TO ZZZ; THE ACFT WE WERE TO FERRY HAD A MECHANICAL PROB (GCU) AND WE WERE DELAYED FERRYING BACK. I HAD EXTREME DIFFICULTY STAYING AWAKE AND FOCUSING ON RETURN FLT. I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE HANDLED ANY PROBS WELL. THANKFULLY NONE OCCURRED. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED IN FATIGUED. THIS SEQUENCE/REASSIGNMENT MAY HAVE BEEN TECHNICALLY LEGAL; BUT TOTALLY VIOLATED THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF 30 IN 7 FAR REGS WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY OVER-FLOWN OVERTIRED CREW. ANY CREW MEMBER KNOWS THAT DEADHEADS ARE AS TIRING IF NOT SOMETIMES MORE TIRING THAN WORKING A TRIP AND IT IS TIME TO DO AWAY WITH THIS SILLY LOOPHOLE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

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.