Narrative:

This is a continuation from a prior fatigue report earlier today. After talking with the flight duty manager; I call a flight manager. I explain everything I just said to the flight duty manager and asked him why we have to stay in the hotel. He said he would find out and call me back. A little later; I receive a call from another flight manager regarding getting back home earlier. He explained the process and then was able to get me and my copilot back home that afternoon. Although I was very pleased with the way the last flight manager handled this situation; I find the process to call in fatigued to be very time consuming and tiring! From the time that I started the process with the initial call to the crew desk; then the flight duty manager; then a flight manager; then a call back; it was 1 1/2 hours on the phone. This process needs to be more streamlined. Why would a pilot want to go through this process versus calling in sick and just going home. The FAA; the company and the pilots are going to lose important information if this process isn't changed. It seems that I was disciplined from the company for being fatigued when in fact many of the factors that attributed to my fatigue call were due to actions by the air carrier. On the first day of our trip we flight planned with an aircraft that had 4 deferrals that basically shut off the forward half of the aircraft from potable water in galley and lavatories; coffee makers and chillers. I refused the aircraft and after arriving at the gate found out I was the fourth captain to turn this aircraft down today for the same write-ups. So all day we were trying to make up time from waiting for a new aircraft for the 3 leg day. The second day we ended up flying 8 hours 39 mins actual flight time with a 15 hour 30 min layover that is not reflected in the trip. The third day we have another mechanical concerning the potable water supply going dry with no water in the aircraft the last half of the flight. This was a chronic item and this was also the fourth time it happened in 2 days. Without going in great detail; the pressure applied to take an aircraft by mechanics; mechanic supervisors; flight management; flight duty manager; and zone control has increased over the last few yrs at this air carrier. Today was just another example this air carrier wanting to defer items because it passes the MEL deferral. No one -- especially the mechanics -- could tell me where this water was going; but they said that it could be deferred. The 5 hours of constant retelling my story and the reason for not taking the aircraft is more tiring than actually flying the aircraft. It seems that when the captain says 'no' he is not taking aircraft; the captain has to explain his position to dispatch; flight duty manager; flight manager; zone control; passenger service; mechanic; mechanic supervisor and flight attendants; and for most of these people; 'no' means 'what can I do that will make you take the aircraft without explicitly stating that I want you to take the aircraft?' this process can wear or fatigue a pilot to the point where he may not feel it right now but after the constant bombardment 10-12 hours later you feel like you just ran a marathon. After we got a new airplane we proceeded to destination; we encountered moderate turbulence and thunderstorm deviations for about 1 1/2 hours. This also contributed to the fatigue issue. We arrived in destination at XA11 which operating on the backside of our body clock also contributed to the fatigue.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT DISCUSSES THE REASONS AND RAMIFICATIONS FOR A FATIGUED PILOT CALLING HIS ACR TO BE REMOVED FROM A TRIP.

Narrative: THIS IS A CONTINUATION FROM A PRIOR FATIGUE RPT EARLIER TODAY. AFTER TALKING WITH THE FLT DUTY MGR; I CALL A FLT MGR. I EXPLAIN EVERYTHING I JUST SAID TO THE FLT DUTY MGR AND ASKED HIM WHY WE HAVE TO STAY IN THE HOTEL. HE SAID HE WOULD FIND OUT AND CALL ME BACK. A LITTLE LATER; I RECEIVE A CALL FROM ANOTHER FLT MGR REGARDING GETTING BACK HOME EARLIER. HE EXPLAINED THE PROCESS AND THEN WAS ABLE TO GET ME AND MY COPLT BACK HOME THAT AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THE LAST FLT MGR HANDLED THIS SITUATION; I FIND THE PROCESS TO CALL IN FATIGUED TO BE VERY TIME CONSUMING AND TIRING! FROM THE TIME THAT I STARTED THE PROCESS WITH THE INITIAL CALL TO THE CREW DESK; THEN THE FLT DUTY MGR; THEN A FLT MGR; THEN A CALL BACK; IT WAS 1 1/2 HRS ON THE PHONE. THIS PROCESS NEEDS TO BE MORE STREAMLINED. WHY WOULD A PLT WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS VERSUS CALLING IN SICK AND JUST GOING HOME. THE FAA; THE COMPANY AND THE PLTS ARE GOING TO LOSE IMPORTANT INFO IF THIS PROCESS ISN'T CHANGED. IT SEEMS THAT I WAS DISCIPLINED FROM THE COMPANY FOR BEING FATIGUED WHEN IN FACT MANY OF THE FACTORS THAT ATTRIBUTED TO MY FATIGUE CALL WERE DUE TO ACTIONS BY THE ACR. ON THE FIRST DAY OF OUR TRIP WE FLT PLANNED WITH AN ACFT THAT HAD 4 DEFERRALS THAT BASICALLY SHUT OFF THE FORWARD HALF OF THE ACFT FROM POTABLE WATER IN GALLEY AND LAVATORIES; COFFEE MAKERS AND CHILLERS. I REFUSED THE ACFT AND AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE FOUND OUT I WAS THE FOURTH CAPT TO TURN THIS ACFT DOWN TODAY FOR THE SAME WRITE-UPS. SO ALL DAY WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE UP TIME FROM WAITING FOR A NEW ACFT FOR THE 3 LEG DAY. THE SECOND DAY WE ENDED UP FLYING 8 HRS 39 MINS ACTUAL FLT TIME WITH A 15 HR 30 MIN LAYOVER THAT IS NOT REFLECTED IN THE TRIP. THE THIRD DAY WE HAVE ANOTHER MECHANICAL CONCERNING THE POTABLE WATER SUPPLY GOING DRY WITH NO WATER IN THE ACFT THE LAST HALF OF THE FLT. THIS WAS A CHRONIC ITEM AND THIS WAS ALSO THE FOURTH TIME IT HAPPENED IN 2 DAYS. WITHOUT GOING IN GREAT DETAIL; THE PRESSURE APPLIED TO TAKE AN ACFT BY MECHS; MECH SUPVRS; FLT MGMNT; FLT DUTY MGR; AND ZONE CTL HAS INCREASED OVER THE LAST FEW YRS AT THIS ACR. TODAY WAS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE THIS ACR WANTING TO DEFER ITEMS BECAUSE IT PASSES THE MEL DEFERRAL. NO ONE -- ESPECIALLY THE MECHS -- COULD TELL ME WHERE THIS WATER WAS GOING; BUT THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE DEFERRED. THE 5 HRS OF CONSTANT RETELLING MY STORY AND THE REASON FOR NOT TAKING THE ACFT IS MORE TIRING THAN ACTUALLY FLYING THE ACFT. IT SEEMS THAT WHEN THE CAPT SAYS 'NO' HE IS NOT TAKING ACFT; THE CAPT HAS TO EXPLAIN HIS POS TO DISPATCH; FLT DUTY MGR; FLT MGR; ZONE CTL; PAX SVC; MECH; MECH SUPVR AND FLT ATTENDANTS; AND FOR MOST OF THESE PEOPLE; 'NO' MEANS 'WHAT CAN I DO THAT WILL MAKE YOU TAKE THE ACFT WITHOUT EXPLICITLY STATING THAT I WANT YOU TO TAKE THE ACFT?' THIS PROCESS CAN WEAR OR FATIGUE A PLT TO THE POINT WHERE HE MAY NOT FEEL IT RIGHT NOW BUT AFTER THE CONSTANT BOMBARDMENT 10-12 HRS LATER YOU FEEL LIKE YOU JUST RAN A MARATHON. AFTER WE GOT A NEW AIRPLANE WE PROCEEDED TO DEST; WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB AND TSTM DEVS FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS. THIS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE FATIGUE ISSUE. WE ARRIVED IN DEST AT XA11 WHICH OPERATING ON THE BACKSIDE OF OUR BODY CLOCK ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE FATIGUE.

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.