135 operation air carrier light transport track deviation probably caused by long duty time.

Attributes
ACN	87574
Time
Date	198805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ptw
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	87574
Person 2
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

On our seventh leg of this flight. We had flown 6.5 hours with less than 1 cumulative hour of breaks. Below 14000' it was hard IFR. We were on our filed route to intercept an arwy, we passed through the arwy by 3 degrees (at our distance from the VOR approximately 3 mi). We noted the arwy passing through and turned to intercept. At no time was there a full scale deflection. ATC then queried us if we were on our assigned routing. Let it be noted that my copilot and I were to fly 3 more hours into the night, our total duty time for the day was 14.7 hours and we cumulatively shot 18 approachs 15 to minimums with one missed approach, all in the northeast corridor. Our final approach was at bgm, no approach control, driving rain, fog and 3/4 mi visibility at 0020 in the morning. We logged 7 hours of actual IFR! Contributing factor: pilot fatigue, due to bad WX tight scheduling and disregard for crew breaks by my company. We finally refused to fly at 2100 until provided a break out of the aircraft with a meal. Question: why do pilots who fly the longest hours, in the poor WX of the low altitude structure, and least complex aircraft, unprotected by sane flight time and duty regulations?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 135 OPERATION ACR LTT TRACK DEVIATION PROBABLY CAUSED BY LONG DUTY TIME.

Narrative: ON OUR SEVENTH LEG OF THIS FLT. WE HAD FLOWN 6.5 HRS WITH LESS THAN 1 CUMULATIVE HOUR OF BREAKS. BELOW 14000' IT WAS HARD IFR. WE WERE ON OUR FILED ROUTE TO INTERCEPT AN ARWY, WE PASSED THROUGH THE ARWY BY 3 DEGS (AT OUR DISTANCE FROM THE VOR APPROX 3 MI). WE NOTED THE ARWY PASSING THROUGH AND TURNED TO INTERCEPT. AT NO TIME WAS THERE A FULL SCALE DEFLECTION. ATC THEN QUERIED US IF WE WERE ON OUR ASSIGNED ROUTING. LET IT BE NOTED THAT MY COPLT AND I WERE TO FLY 3 MORE HRS INTO THE NIGHT, OUR TOTAL DUTY TIME FOR THE DAY WAS 14.7 HRS AND WE CUMULATIVELY SHOT 18 APCHS 15 TO MINIMUMS WITH ONE MISSED APCH, ALL IN THE NE CORRIDOR. OUR FINAL APCH WAS AT BGM, NO APCH CTL, DRIVING RAIN, FOG AND 3/4 MI VIS AT 0020 IN THE MORNING. WE LOGGED 7 HRS OF ACTUAL IFR! CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: PLT FATIGUE, DUE TO BAD WX TIGHT SCHEDULING AND DISREGARD FOR CREW BREAKS BY MY COMPANY. WE FINALLY REFUSED TO FLY AT 2100 UNTIL PROVIDED A BREAK OUT OF THE ACFT WITH A MEAL. QUESTION: WHY DO PLTS WHO FLY THE LONGEST HRS, IN THE POOR WX OF THE LOW ALT STRUCTURE, AND LEAST COMPLEX ACFT, UNPROTECTED BY SANE FLT TIME AND DUTY REGS?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.