Narrative:

We were flying the early morning flight from tul-dfw on our fourth all nighter (continuous duty) in a row. I am a new captain in this type aircraft with just over 100 hours in type, but due to our constant shortage of pilots (inadequate staffing) I was flying as first officer. Flying the tulsa transition on the boids four arrival, the captain crossed the adm VOR then proceeded towards bpr, 66 mi away. At about 10 mi southwest of adm, the controller asked if we were on the adm 201 degree radial. The captain and I both had our radios tuned inbound to bpr and we were on course on the bpr 018 degree radial. When I tuned in the adm VOR. It showed we were left of course and I responded. I did not believe there was a problem, but the controller continued, wanting to prove why we were left of course. I responded we were just left of course. Nothing further was said, and I do believe we were within the airway. While no rules were broken, we were not the most accurate or efficient crew. I believe the reasons can speak for themselves. Continuous duty overnights with 14 hour duty periods are hard enough. Doing 4 in a row is brutal (and should not be legal). I averaged 3 hours sleep at night, and at best a 1-2 hour nap at home in the daytime. I was exhausted, and I believe the captain was too. Secondly, our company is continually understaffed, forcing me to fly right seat while I am just starting to get comfortable in the left seat. This certainly made it harder to keep up with the aircraft, and since the captain was flying, I wasn't monitoring the navigation as closely as I would have if I were flying left seat as captain. I know as airline pilots we sometimes have to fly under adverse conditions, but in this case, FAA regulations and company policy are combining to create a possibly dangerous situation. We need change in duty time limitations and FAA monitoring of staffing levels. Pilots in our company are flying tired. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his complaint with the present duty time permits legal on duty time with short rest periods causing fatigue during flts. This happens on company operated schedules, referred to as 'stand-up' duty wherein, one and a half round trips are conducted starting on duty at early evening and ending at early morning. The flight time is usually approximately 5-6 hours and a rest period of 5-6 hours. Reporter claims that this type of schedule makes it difficult to get more than 4 hours sleep at the most prior to the return flight in the morning. Then very difficult to sleep at house during the day, with the many normal interruptions of family life, and then go back on duty at early evening. Therefore, reporter believes that if the duty total time for these types of night short scheduled flts were reduced to 12 hours would help resolve this situation. The flight crew would then go on duty later in the evening and overnight and come back the next morning which would provide a greater amount of rest at home.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ACR MDT WERE OFF COURSE AND COMPLAINED THAT IT WAS BECAUSE DUTY SCHEDULE FATIGUE.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING THE EARLY MORNING FLT FROM TUL-DFW ON OUR FOURTH ALL NIGHTER (CONTINUOUS DUTY) IN A ROW. I AM A NEW CAPT IN THIS TYPE ACFT WITH JUST OVER 100 HRS IN TYPE, BUT DUE TO OUR CONSTANT SHORTAGE OF PLTS (INADEQUATE STAFFING) I WAS FLYING AS FO. FLYING THE TULSA TRANSITION ON THE BOIDS FOUR ARR, THE CAPT CROSSED THE ADM VOR THEN PROCEEDED TOWARDS BPR, 66 MI AWAY. AT ABOUT 10 MI SW OF ADM, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE ON THE ADM 201 DEG RADIAL. THE CAPT AND I BOTH HAD OUR RADIOS TUNED INBOUND TO BPR AND WE WERE ON COURSE ON THE BPR 018 DEG RADIAL. WHEN I TUNED IN THE ADM VOR. IT SHOWED WE WERE LEFT OF COURSE AND I RESPONDED. I DID NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS A PROB, BUT THE CTLR CONTINUED, WANTING TO PROVE WHY WE WERE LEFT OF COURSE. I RESPONDED WE WERE JUST L OF COURSE. NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID, AND I DO BELIEVE WE WERE WITHIN THE AIRWAY. WHILE NO RULES WERE BROKEN, WE WERE NOT THE MOST ACCURATE OR EFFICIENT CREW. I BELIEVE THE REASONS CAN SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHTS WITH 14 HR DUTY PERIODS ARE HARD ENOUGH. DOING 4 IN A ROW IS BRUTAL (AND SHOULD NOT BE LEGAL). I AVERAGED 3 HRS SLEEP AT NIGHT, AND AT BEST A 1-2 HR NAP AT HOME IN THE DAYTIME. I WAS EXHAUSTED, AND I BELIEVE THE CAPT WAS TOO. SECONDLY, OUR COMPANY IS CONTINUALLY UNDERSTAFFED, FORCING ME TO FLY R SEAT WHILE I AM JUST STARTING TO GET COMFORTABLE IN THE L SEAT. THIS CERTAINLY MADE IT HARDER TO KEEP UP WITH THE ACFT, AND SINCE THE CAPT WAS FLYING, I WASN'T MONITORING THE NAV AS CLOSELY AS I WOULD HAVE IF I WERE FLYING L SEAT AS CAPT. I KNOW AS AIRLINE PLTS WE SOMETIMES HAVE TO FLY UNDER ADVERSE CONDITIONS, BUT IN THIS CASE, FAA REGULATIONS AND COMPANY POLICY ARE COMBINING TO CREATE A POSSIBLY DANGEROUS SIT. WE NEED CHANGE IN DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS AND FAA MONITORING OF STAFFING LEVELS. PLTS IN OUR COMPANY ARE FLYING TIRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS COMPLAINT WITH THE PRESENT DUTY TIME PERMITS LEGAL ON DUTY TIME WITH SHORT REST PERIODS CAUSING FATIGUE DURING FLTS. THIS HAPPENS ON COMPANY OPERATED SCHEDULES, REFERRED TO AS 'STAND-UP' DUTY WHEREIN, ONE AND A HALF ROUND TRIPS ARE CONDUCTED STARTING ON DUTY AT EARLY EVENING AND ENDING AT EARLY MORNING. THE FLT TIME IS USUALLY APPROX 5-6 HRS AND A REST PERIOD OF 5-6 HRS. RPTR CLAIMS THAT THIS TYPE OF SCHEDULE MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO GET MORE THAN 4 HRS SLEEP AT THE MOST PRIOR TO THE RETURN FLT IN THE MORNING. THEN VERY DIFFICULT TO SLEEP AT HOUSE DURING THE DAY, WITH THE MANY NORMAL INTERRUPTIONS OF FAMILY LIFE, AND THEN GO BACK ON DUTY AT EARLY EVENING. THEREFORE, RPTR BELIEVES THAT IF THE DUTY TOTAL TIME FOR THESE TYPES OF NIGHT SHORT SCHEDULED FLTS WERE REDUCED TO 12 HRS WOULD HELP RESOLVE THIS SIT. THE FLC WOULD THEN GO ON DUTY LATER IN THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AND COME BACK THE NEXT MORNING WHICH WOULD PROVIDE A GREATER AMOUNT OF REST AT HOME.

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.