Narrative:

We were scheduled for a 15 hour plus duty day beginning in the evening. Our company mixes these 'continuous duty' overnights with more regular hour trips, therefore, most of our pilots do not sleep in the daytime to prepare for this type of trip. Treating a 'clearance delivery' as a night shift, as it was intended, will only mess up your body clock even more. We were scheduled for 7.5 hours on the ground in cha, however, a mechanical held up our departure and we arrived in cha late. We waited 30 mins for the hotel van. In the morning, our report time was XA55 but we took the XB00 van to the airport. Needless to say, we were all very tired and most unsafe. It is our company's practice to schedule this type of overnight sometimes with less than 5 hours on the ground and sometimes with as many as 4 legs the next day. I am never able to fully adjust to the schedule, since the next day I may be scheduled for a 7.9 hour day trip. These scheduling practices and reduced overnights must stop. Some of our junior pilots who get stuck with these all the time walk around like zombies. Our management has stated that fatigue is not a factor and when we show up for work we should be ready for 24-30-80 hours of duty, whatever it takes to complete the schedule for the day! Our poi considers this legal, and people wonder why commuter planes crash! Most major airline pilot contracts forbid this stuff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CAPT CITES 'CONTINUOUS DUTY' OVERNIGHTS AS UNSAFE. FLC BEHAVIOR FATIGUE.

Narrative: WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR A 15 HR PLUS DUTY DAY BEGINNING IN THE EVENING. OUR COMPANY MIXES THESE 'CONTINUOUS DUTY' OVERNIGHTS WITH MORE REGULAR HR TRIPS, THEREFORE, MOST OF OUR PLTS DO NOT SLEEP IN THE DAYTIME TO PREPARE FOR THIS TYPE OF TRIP. TREATING A 'CD' AS A NIGHT SHIFT, AS IT WAS INTENDED, WILL ONLY MESS UP YOUR BODY CLOCK EVEN MORE. WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR 7.5 HRS ON THE GND IN CHA, HOWEVER, A MECHANICAL HELD UP OUR DEP AND WE ARRIVED IN CHA LATE. WE WAITED 30 MINS FOR THE HOTEL VAN. IN THE MORNING, OUR RPT TIME WAS XA55 BUT WE TOOK THE XB00 VAN TO THE ARPT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE WERE ALL VERY TIRED AND MOST UNSAFE. IT IS OUR COMPANY'S PRACTICE TO SCHEDULE THIS TYPE OF OVERNIGHT SOMETIMES WITH LESS THAN 5 HRS ON THE GND AND SOMETIMES WITH AS MANY AS 4 LEGS THE NEXT DAY. I AM NEVER ABLE TO FULLY ADJUST TO THE SCHEDULE, SINCE THE NEXT DAY I MAY BE SCHEDULED FOR A 7.9 HR DAY TRIP. THESE SCHEDULING PRACTICES AND REDUCED OVERNIGHTS MUST STOP. SOME OF OUR JUNIOR PLTS WHO GET STUCK WITH THESE ALL THE TIME WALK AROUND LIKE ZOMBIES. OUR MGMNT HAS STATED THAT FATIGUE IS NOT A FACTOR AND WHEN WE SHOW UP FOR WORK WE SHOULD BE READY FOR 24-30-80 HRS OF DUTY, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO COMPLETE THE SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY! OUR POI CONSIDERS THIS LEGAL, AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY COMMUTER PLANES CRASH! MOST MAJOR AIRLINE PLT CONTRACTS FORBID THIS STUFF.

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.