Narrative:

My reason for calling in fatigued due to the fact that I am under high stress and anxiety over losing my job again. I wake up several times in the night in a panic over how to pay my mortgage; my bills; and feed my family. My husband is not making much money (stay at home dad); and I am to the point where I almost do not sleep at all. The first day of this; we flew 9 hours 24 mins. We did have adequate rest after that; but with my constant waking I was not able to catch up. Last night we finished this at XA18. I was then called for an XN20 show time for another 2 day the same day. At XA20; I missed the last people mover while I was securing the aircraft for the night. The captain and I were tired as we walked away from the aircraft; and suddenly I realized we had not turned off the battery. So I ran back to the plane to turn off the battery. Then it took awhile for me to find someone to drive me to the main terminal. Once I finally got to the main terminal; I found that the employee busses were running less frequently at night to save fuel. I arrived at my car at XB30. Because we have sold our good cars to save money; I now only have an old sedan and at the employee lot I found my car would not start. Now I had to call a B767 captain friend to come and start my car. I had a splitting headache and I never get headaches; plus I had 4 liters of water in the past 7 hours so I didn't think I was dehydrated. My captain friend thought I was probably experiencing the early signs of fatigue. I finally got home around XD15 and I knew that with traffic the following day I would only get 4-5 hours of sleep if I were to fly the next identify. When I got home I saw several available reserves so I called scheduling and said that it would be a smarter idea if I called in fatigued due to how I was feeling. It was the right decision because I could not get to sleep until after XE00. My husband woke me at XG30; 2 hours beyond what I would have had to fly the next. I was so tired all day long and really unfit to fly an airplane. In 20 yrs of flying; I have never felt this worried; stressed; tired; and worried (twice on purpose). The scheduler last night understood this and was so kind to me. I really wish I had kept his name!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FIRST OFFICER REPORTS FATIGUE DUE TO DEMANDING SCHEDULE AND LACK OF SLEEP OVER IMPENDING FURLOUGH. DECLINES NEXT TRIP.

Narrative: MY REASON FOR CALLING IN FATIGUED DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM UNDER HIGH STRESS AND ANXIETY OVER LOSING MY JOB AGAIN. I WAKE UP SEVERAL TIMES IN THE NIGHT IN A PANIC OVER HOW TO PAY MY MORTGAGE; MY BILLS; AND FEED MY FAMILY. MY HUSBAND IS NOT MAKING MUCH MONEY (STAY AT HOME DAD); AND I AM TO THE POINT WHERE I ALMOST DO NOT SLEEP AT ALL. THE FIRST DAY OF THIS; WE FLEW 9 HRS 24 MINS. WE DID HAVE ADEQUATE REST AFTER THAT; BUT WITH MY CONSTANT WAKING I WAS NOT ABLE TO CATCH UP. LAST NIGHT WE FINISHED THIS AT XA18. I WAS THEN CALLED FOR AN XN20 SHOW TIME FOR ANOTHER 2 DAY THE SAME DAY. AT XA20; I MISSED THE LAST PEOPLE MOVER WHILE I WAS SECURING THE ACFT FOR THE NIGHT. THE CAPT AND I WERE TIRED AS WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE ACFT; AND SUDDENLY I REALIZED WE HAD NOT TURNED OFF THE BATTERY. SO I RAN BACK TO THE PLANE TO TURN OFF THE BATTERY. THEN IT TOOK AWHILE FOR ME TO FIND SOMEONE TO DRIVE ME TO THE MAIN TERMINAL. ONCE I FINALLY GOT TO THE MAIN TERMINAL; I FOUND THAT THE EMPLOYEE BUSSES WERE RUNNING LESS FREQUENTLY AT NIGHT TO SAVE FUEL. I ARRIVED AT MY CAR AT XB30. BECAUSE WE HAVE SOLD OUR GOOD CARS TO SAVE MONEY; I NOW ONLY HAVE AN OLD SEDAN AND AT THE EMPLOYEE LOT I FOUND MY CAR WOULD NOT START. NOW I HAD TO CALL A B767 CAPT FRIEND TO COME AND START MY CAR. I HAD A SPLITTING HEADACHE AND I NEVER GET HEADACHES; PLUS I HAD 4 LITERS OF WATER IN THE PAST 7 HRS SO I DIDN'T THINK I WAS DEHYDRATED. MY CAPT FRIEND THOUGHT I WAS PROBABLY EXPERIENCING THE EARLY SIGNS OF FATIGUE. I FINALLY GOT HOME AROUND XD15 AND I KNEW THAT WITH TFC THE FOLLOWING DAY I WOULD ONLY GET 4-5 HRS OF SLEEP IF I WERE TO FLY THE NEXT IDENT. WHEN I GOT HOME I SAW SEVERAL AVAILABLE RESERVES SO I CALLED SCHEDULING AND SAID THAT IT WOULD BE A SMARTER IDEA IF I CALLED IN FATIGUED DUE TO HOW I WAS FEELING. IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET TO SLEEP UNTIL AFTER XE00. MY HUSBAND WOKE ME AT XG30; 2 HRS BEYOND WHAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TO FLY THE NEXT. I WAS SO TIRED ALL DAY LONG AND REALLY UNFIT TO FLY AN AIRPLANE. IN 20 YRS OF FLYING; I HAVE NEVER FELT THIS WORRIED; STRESSED; TIRED; AND WORRIED (TWICE ON PURPOSE). THE SCHEDULER LAST NIGHT UNDERSTOOD THIS AND WAS SO KIND TO ME. I REALLY WISH I HAD KEPT HIS NAME!

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.