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Commuter air carrier first officer complaint of flight crew behavior fatigue physical discomfort due to not eating properly. Flight crew work scheduling problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 244891 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199306 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6100 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 244891 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other other personnel other oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
2 day trip starts with xdam wake up and 75 mi drive to airport. Too early to eat. We have 3 legs with quick turns no time to eat. Done at xnpm, have 1 meal for day at hotel at XO30 pm and go to sleep at xqpm for XD30. Wake up for day 2 at XD30. No food at hotel at that hour. Day 2 has 5 legs, we are running late with holding for WX and a mechanical, so there is no time to stop for food. By noon we are starting to feel the effects of no food. By xqpm, when I land, I have not eaten in 27 hours. I catch the bus to the parking lot feeling sick and fatigued (I had flown 9 hours, 16 mins that day). Now, I had a choice of stopping to eat, or driving home to get a good night's sleep because I had to be up at xdam the next day. I finally ate at xppm that night. It had been 30 hours since my last meal. I complained to our chief pilot that we needed crew meals delivered to us. He said we should try to negotiate that in our next contract. Negotiate eating? Is this really a safe way to run an airline? The life of regional airline pilots has us walking around like zombies most of the time. Why do we have to negotiate for basic needs such as food and sleep instead of having FARS to protect us instead of protecting company profits.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: COMMUTER ACR FO COMPLAINT OF FLC BEHAVIOR FATIGUE PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT DUE TO NOT EATING PROPERLY. FLC WORK SCHEDULING PROB.
Narrative: 2 DAY TRIP STARTS WITH XDAM WAKE UP AND 75 MI DRIVE TO ARPT. TOO EARLY TO EAT. WE HAVE 3 LEGS WITH QUICK TURNS NO TIME TO EAT. DONE AT XNPM, HAVE 1 MEAL FOR DAY AT HOTEL AT XO30 PM AND GO TO SLEEP AT XQPM FOR XD30. WAKE UP FOR DAY 2 AT XD30. NO FOOD AT HOTEL AT THAT HR. DAY 2 HAS 5 LEGS, WE ARE RUNNING LATE WITH HOLDING FOR WX AND A MECHANICAL, SO THERE IS NO TIME TO STOP FOR FOOD. BY NOON WE ARE STARTING TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF NO FOOD. BY XQPM, WHEN I LAND, I HAVE NOT EATEN IN 27 HRS. I CATCH THE BUS TO THE PARKING LOT FEELING SICK AND FATIGUED (I HAD FLOWN 9 HRS, 16 MINS THAT DAY). NOW, I HAD A CHOICE OF STOPPING TO EAT, OR DRIVING HOME TO GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP BECAUSE I HAD TO BE UP AT XDAM THE NEXT DAY. I FINALLY ATE AT XPPM THAT NIGHT. IT HAD BEEN 30 HRS SINCE MY LAST MEAL. I COMPLAINED TO OUR CHIEF PLT THAT WE NEEDED CREW MEALS DELIVERED TO US. HE SAID WE SHOULD TRY TO NEGOTIATE THAT IN OUR NEXT CONTRACT. NEGOTIATE EATING? IS THIS REALLY A SAFE WAY TO RUN AN AIRLINE? THE LIFE OF REGIONAL AIRLINE PLTS HAS US WALKING AROUND LIKE ZOMBIES MOST OF THE TIME. WHY DO WE HAVE TO NEGOTIATE FOR BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS FOOD AND SLEEP INSTEAD OF HAVING FARS TO PROTECT US INSTEAD OF PROTECTING COMPANY PROFITS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.