Narrative:

Last month I had to file a report because I was missing radio calls and forgetting SOP's because I had let myself get too fatigued. This report is being filed because I am not going to let that happen again. I just called in fatigued for my next trip. The schedules that are built; combined with no trades available in the trip trade system for my seniority; combined with the stress of another downsizing is having a profound effect on me being able to get proper rest. For 3 weeks my schedule was 5-ON; 2-OFF; 4-ON; 1-OFF; 4-ON; 2-OFF; 5-ON. If me flying these kinds of schedules is what the airline has to have to stay in business; let's just close shop now. These schedules are untenable; especially when you combine them with the non-stop 'stressors' from senior management. The 'on-the-line' training that I received previously talked at length about how chronic stress leads to chronic fatigue. These schedules on the narrow-body fleets combined with constant talk of mergers; downsizing; bumps; and furloughs is really showing itself on the line. My first officer's (all of whom are getting furloughed) are understandably very distraction. This is requiring an even greater sense of alertness and situational awareness from me than normal. As a result; I find that I am getting fatigued sooner than before. In closing this report is being filed not because of how I screwed something up like most reports; but because I chose to do something before I screwed up!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT REPORTS FATIGUE CAUSED BY DIFFICULT SCHEDULES AND CHRONIC STRESS.

Narrative: LAST MONTH I HAD TO FILE A RPT BECAUSE I WAS MISSING RADIO CALLS AND FORGETTING SOP'S BECAUSE I HAD LET MYSELF GET TOO FATIGUED. THIS RPT IS BEING FILED BECAUSE I AM NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN. I JUST CALLED IN FATIGUED FOR MY NEXT TRIP. THE SCHEDULES THAT ARE BUILT; COMBINED WITH NO TRADES AVAILABLE IN THE TRIP TRADE SYS FOR MY SENIORITY; COMBINED WITH THE STRESS OF ANOTHER DOWNSIZING IS HAVING A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME BEING ABLE TO GET PROPER REST. FOR 3 WKS MY SCHEDULE WAS 5-ON; 2-OFF; 4-ON; 1-OFF; 4-ON; 2-OFF; 5-ON. IF ME FLYING THESE KINDS OF SCHEDULES IS WHAT THE AIRLINE HAS TO HAVE TO STAY IN BUSINESS; LET'S JUST CLOSE SHOP NOW. THESE SCHEDULES ARE UNTENABLE; ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COMBINE THEM WITH THE NON-STOP 'STRESSORS' FROM SENIOR MGMNT. THE 'ON-THE-LINE' TRAINING THAT I RECEIVED PREVIOUSLY TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT HOW CHRONIC STRESS LEADS TO CHRONIC FATIGUE. THESE SCHEDULES ON THE NARROW-BODY FLEETS COMBINED WITH CONSTANT TALK OF MERGERS; DOWNSIZING; BUMPS; AND FURLOUGHS IS REALLY SHOWING ITSELF ON THE LINE. MY FO'S (ALL OF WHOM ARE GETTING FURLOUGHED) ARE UNDERSTANDABLY VERY DISTR. THIS IS REQUIRING AN EVEN GREATER SENSE OF ALERTNESS AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FROM ME THAN NORMAL. AS A RESULT; I FIND THAT I AM GETTING FATIGUED SOONER THAN BEFORE. IN CLOSING THIS RPT IS BEING FILED NOT BECAUSE OF HOW I SCREWED SOMETHING UP LIKE MOST RPTS; BUT BECAUSE I CHOSE TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE I SCREWED UP!

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.