Narrative:

I am a reserve captain and I was given a four day assignment pairing. The first three days of the trip were 0600; 0630; 0630 report times; waking up around 0400 or 0430 everyday. On day two we had five legs. We were given four airplane swaps in the five leg day; running from gate to gate; all 30-35 minute turns; late; maintenance issues on three of five legs; coming into one gate and leaving out of another gate clear across the airport; racing the clock. That was a very long day and I was exhausted. When we got in I was so tired I barely had the energy to iron a clean uniform and take a shower.day three we had another 0600 hotel van; fog; thunderstorms; bad weather. We arrived to gate at 0630 to find an airplane with the left engine all opened up and maintenance telling us it had a severe fuel leak and we would be delayed an hour or so while they did tests on it. Running late we finished our day and arrived around 1600. I was again so exhausted I went to sleep and slept right past dinner time. I woke about 2000 to shower and get some food; went back to sleep around 2200.day four we had a 0530 report; 0500 hotel van. I woke at 0345 to get dressed; already feeling sluggish I told myself two more legs then I can rest. My phone rang at 0445. Crew scheduling telling me I had been reassigned and I would not be done as constructed on the pairing but that now I was to fly the aircraft a turn and then deadhead back. I asked them when I will be done tonight. They said 1830. So I had been awake since 0345 and they wanted to work until 1830 that night. I asked them the flight time for the day they said seven hours forty minutes with a duty of 13.48 for the day with a grand total of nine hours and forty minutes in the airplane with the return deadhead. I responded that I would see how I was feeling later but that I was tired and maybe they should find another captain who hasn't been working so much already. They didn't care and said well you are notified.I flew the turn. Got another cup of coffee while boarding and was feeling run down and exhausted. I looked at my blood shot eyes in the mirror and knew I didn't have the energy to work a 13:48 day at that point. I can only drink so much coffee in a day to stay alert and I was not going to put myself at risk for mistakes due to fatigue. I called them again and told them I was tired and as a heads up I didn't think I would be able to finish the reassignment because I was tired and they should find another pilot. Again they kind of laughed at me and did not care how tired I was.when I got back I called our assistant chief pilot and explained my fatigue and that I could not do anymore for the day. He told me I should not have called before about my fatigue. I stated that per the contract I was trying to give them sufficient notice to find another pilot so they didn't take a delay. I gave them three warnings that it was too much and I was not a machine; I'm human. I went to crash pad and slept all day after that.when I called to get released before leaving the airport scheduling advised me I have two more trips on day five and day six. Both out and back. Day five I started at 1700 and returned at midnight. Tonight I start at 1500 and return at 2200. So I went from waking up everyday at 0400 and flying all day; to now starting late and flying until late night. My body clock and sleep patterns are so messed up. I am constantly feeling run down and worn out. I cannot commute home tonight. So I will leave at 0700 tomorrow morning now. I only have two days off and I start another six day stretch of reserve. I will be home for less than 26 hours. To try and get my personal life in order and go back on the road again for six days; I'm exhausted.I have been on reserve for the last 2.5 years. Our staffing levels are way too low. I time out every week close to 30 in 7 and my days are always very long. Constant 14 hour days and working every day I'm on reserve; giving me 11 days off. With commuting I'm home about nine days a month. The stress that puts on me and my personal life is so hard to deal with. The pairing construction and terrible working hours; never constant sleep patterns or schedules really takes a toll on pilots and can lead to unsafe working conditions in high stress times. When reassignments; like that one; lead to seriously unsafe long days on minimum sleep if a pilot makes a mistake because they are tired. Scheduling doesn't care because it not their certificates that get a violation. I warned them it was too much and unsafe and they did not care. I will use my fatigue again if I have to because I see no improvement in how they are working me and I cannot fly around like a zombie all day. It is unsafe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Captain expressed distress over the airline's alleged fatigue inducing flight crew scheduling practices.

Narrative: I am a reserve Captain and I was given a four day assignment pairing. The first three days of the trip were 0600; 0630; 0630 report times; waking up around 0400 or 0430 everyday. On day two we had five legs. We were given four airplane swaps in the five leg day; running from gate to gate; all 30-35 minute turns; late; maintenance issues on three of five legs; coming into one gate and leaving out of another gate clear across the airport; racing the clock. That was a very long day and I was exhausted. When we got in I was so tired I barely had the energy to iron a clean uniform and take a shower.Day three we had another 0600 hotel van; fog; thunderstorms; bad weather. We arrived to gate at 0630 to find an airplane with the left engine all opened up and Maintenance telling us it had a severe fuel leak and we would be delayed an hour or so while they did tests on it. Running late we finished our day and arrived around 1600. I was again so exhausted I went to sleep and slept right past dinner time. I woke about 2000 to shower and get some food; went back to sleep around 2200.Day four we had a 0530 report; 0500 hotel van. I woke at 0345 to get dressed; already feeling sluggish I told myself two more legs then I can rest. My phone rang at 0445. Crew scheduling telling me I had been reassigned and I would not be done as constructed on the pairing but that now I was to fly the aircraft a turn and then deadhead back. I asked them when I will be done tonight. They said 1830. So I had been awake since 0345 and they wanted to work until 1830 that night. I asked them the flight time for the day they said seven hours forty minutes with a duty of 13.48 for the day with a grand total of nine hours and forty minutes in the airplane with the return deadhead. I responded that I would see how I was feeling later but that I was tired and maybe they should find another Captain who hasn't been working so much already. They didn't care and said well you are notified.I flew the turn. Got another cup of coffee while boarding and was feeling run down and exhausted. I looked at my blood shot eyes in the mirror and knew I didn't have the energy to work a 13:48 day at that point. I can only drink so much coffee in a day to stay alert and I was not going to put myself at risk for mistakes due to fatigue. I called them again and told them I was tired and as a heads up I didn't think I would be able to finish the reassignment because I was tired and they should find another pilot. Again they kind of laughed at me and did not care how tired I was.When I got back I called our Assistant Chief Pilot and explained my fatigue and that I could not do anymore for the day. He told me I should not have called before about my fatigue. I stated that per the contract I was trying to give them sufficient notice to find another pilot so they didn't take a delay. I gave them three warnings that it was too much and I was not a machine; I'm human. I went to crash pad and slept all day after that.When I called to get released before leaving the airport scheduling advised me I have two more trips on day five and day six. Both out and back. Day five I started at 1700 and returned at midnight. Tonight I start at 1500 and return at 2200. So I went from waking up everyday at 0400 and flying all day; to now starting late and flying until late night. My body clock and sleep patterns are so messed up. I am constantly feeling run down and worn out. I cannot commute home tonight. So I will leave at 0700 tomorrow morning now. I only have two days off and I start another six day stretch of reserve. I will be home for less than 26 hours. To try and get my personal life in order and go back on the road again for six days; I'm exhausted.I have been on reserve for the last 2.5 years. Our staffing levels are way too low. I time out every week close to 30 in 7 and my days are always very long. Constant 14 hour days and working every day I'm on reserve; giving me 11 days off. With commuting I'm home about nine days a month. The stress that puts on me and my personal life is so hard to deal with. The pairing construction and terrible working hours; never constant sleep patterns or schedules really takes a toll on pilots and can lead to unsafe working conditions in high stress times. When reassignments; like that one; lead to seriously unsafe long days on minimum sleep if a pilot makes a mistake because they are tired. Scheduling doesn't care because it not their certificates that get a violation. I warned them it was too much and unsafe and they did not care. I will use my fatigue again if I have to because I see no improvement in how they are working me and I cannot fly around like a zombie all day. It is unsafe.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.