Narrative:

Blocked in at ZZZ after flying a single augmented ferry non-stop from nurnberg; germany. Since the flight was single augmented; the rest breaks were short; 2:30. Of the 3 pilots; only 1 was able to sleep for even a short period. The flight started with a deadhead to munich. Sleep on the deadhead flight was nearly impossible; as anyone who operates the B767 in a single augmentation flight (the seat in first class is a joke as a rest seat; and remainder of first class and business class is no better). The flight was followed by a 120 KM drive to nurnberg from the munich airport. As always happens with charters; the pick-up at munich was confused and delayed; for a period of about 30 mins. Arrival at the hotel in nurnberg was at about XF00 am local time; or XA00 body clock time. Pick-up to the nurnberg airport was later determined to be a little less than 14 hours later. I spent nearly that entire hotel time sleeping. Pick-up was on time. Departure from nurnberg was only 10 mins late and arrival at ZZZ was slightly early. I was able to leave ZZZ for the drive home at about XA30 and arrived home at about XB30. I was able to sleep at home from XD30 to about XF30. I had the ringer to the phone off. I discovered upon waking that the crew desk had called and assigned me a short call out to begin at XS00 the following morning; after I had made the trans-atlantic crossing. It may be FAA legal; and it may be contract legal; but it is certainly not safe to be assigned the possibility of flight after a 36 hour period in which there was only one reasonable sleep opportunity. Any 6 hour time zone change; twice; in 36 hours; awake on the back side of the body clock twice; is completely draining. The circadian rhythm shifts are 'murder.' to be assigned a short call within 24 hours of that event with the possibility of yet more multiple time zone changes in the following 48 hours is absolutely stupid. I declined the trip; fatigued. Short call should be banned within 48 hours of arrival from any multiple time zone operation. I have been on this fleet for not quite 2 yrs and have found the schedules as a reserve tolerable only because back-to-back assignments are rare. This is the perfect case where fatigue would indeed be a significant factor in my abilities as a pilot. I would not be safe at this moment driving a car. Several times; in the last 2 yrs I have pulled off the road only 4 or 5 mi from home because I was falling asleep. In those cases I slept in my car; for about 20 or 30 mins which was enough to get me the last few mi to my bed. I am typing this because I cannot get to sleep; even though I am exhausted. And I was expected to be ready to accept a short call in 1 hour and 38 mins. To add insult to injury; this shows up as a sick call. I am not sick; I am tired. Foolish.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INTERNATIONAL RELIEF PILOT REPORTS FATIGUE INDUCED BY DEADHEAD TO GERMANY AND FERRY FLIGHT BACK TO US WITH SINGLE AUGMENTED CREW.

Narrative: BLOCKED IN AT ZZZ AFTER FLYING A SINGLE AUGMENTED FERRY NON-STOP FROM NURNBERG; GERMANY. SINCE THE FLT WAS SINGLE AUGMENTED; THE REST BREAKS WERE SHORT; 2:30. OF THE 3 PLTS; ONLY 1 WAS ABLE TO SLEEP FOR EVEN A SHORT PERIOD. THE FLT STARTED WITH A DEADHEAD TO MUNICH. SLEEP ON THE DEADHEAD FLT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE; AS ANYONE WHO OPERATES THE B767 IN A SINGLE AUGMENTATION FLT (THE SEAT IN FIRST CLASS IS A JOKE AS A REST SEAT; AND REMAINDER OF FIRST CLASS AND BUSINESS CLASS IS NO BETTER). THE FLT WAS FOLLOWED BY A 120 KM DRIVE TO NURNBERG FROM THE MUNICH ARPT. AS ALWAYS HAPPENS WITH CHARTERS; THE PICK-UP AT MUNICH WAS CONFUSED AND DELAYED; FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 30 MINS. ARR AT THE HOTEL IN NURNBERG WAS AT ABOUT XF00 AM LCL TIME; OR XA00 BODY CLOCK TIME. PICK-UP TO THE NURNBERG ARPT WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE A LITTLE LESS THAN 14 HRS LATER. I SPENT NEARLY THAT ENTIRE HOTEL TIME SLEEPING. PICK-UP WAS ON TIME. DEP FROM NURNBERG WAS ONLY 10 MINS LATE AND ARR AT ZZZ WAS SLIGHTLY EARLY. I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE ZZZ FOR THE DRIVE HOME AT ABOUT XA30 AND ARRIVED HOME AT ABOUT XB30. I WAS ABLE TO SLEEP AT HOME FROM XD30 TO ABOUT XF30. I HAD THE RINGER TO THE PHONE OFF. I DISCOVERED UPON WAKING THAT THE CREW DESK HAD CALLED AND ASSIGNED ME A SHORT CALL OUT TO BEGIN AT XS00 THE FOLLOWING MORNING; AFTER I HAD MADE THE TRANS-ATLANTIC XING. IT MAY BE FAA LEGAL; AND IT MAY BE CONTRACT LEGAL; BUT IT IS CERTAINLY NOT SAFE TO BE ASSIGNED THE POSSIBILITY OF FLT AFTER A 36 HR PERIOD IN WHICH THERE WAS ONLY ONE REASONABLE SLEEP OPPORTUNITY. ANY 6 HR TIME ZONE CHANGE; TWICE; IN 36 HRS; AWAKE ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BODY CLOCK TWICE; IS COMPLETELY DRAINING. THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM SHIFTS ARE 'MURDER.' TO BE ASSIGNED A SHORT CALL WITHIN 24 HRS OF THAT EVENT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF YET MORE MULTIPLE TIME ZONE CHANGES IN THE FOLLOWING 48 HRS IS ABSOLUTELY STUPID. I DECLINED THE TRIP; FATIGUED. SHORT CALL SHOULD BE BANNED WITHIN 48 HRS OF ARR FROM ANY MULTIPLE TIME ZONE OP. I HAVE BEEN ON THIS FLEET FOR NOT QUITE 2 YRS AND HAVE FOUND THE SCHEDULES AS A RESERVE TOLERABLE ONLY BECAUSE BACK-TO-BACK ASSIGNMENTS ARE RARE. THIS IS THE PERFECT CASE WHERE FATIGUE WOULD INDEED BE A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN MY ABILITIES AS A PLT. I WOULD NOT BE SAFE AT THIS MOMENT DRIVING A CAR. SEVERAL TIMES; IN THE LAST 2 YRS I HAVE PULLED OFF THE ROAD ONLY 4 OR 5 MI FROM HOME BECAUSE I WAS FALLING ASLEEP. IN THOSE CASES I SLEPT IN MY CAR; FOR ABOUT 20 OR 30 MINS WHICH WAS ENOUGH TO GET ME THE LAST FEW MI TO MY BED. I AM TYPING THIS BECAUSE I CANNOT GET TO SLEEP; EVEN THOUGH I AM EXHAUSTED. AND I WAS EXPECTED TO BE READY TO ACCEPT A SHORT CALL IN 1 HR AND 38 MINS. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY; THIS SHOWS UP AS A SICK CALL. I AM NOT SICK; I AM TIRED. FOOLISH.

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.