Narrative:

I work a scheduled freight run, that has an 11.8 hour duty day with 6.5 hours flying with 7 legs. Working nights, I have to run errands during the day, sometimes cutting into my sleep time. That day I was awakened at XA00 am by the workers cutting the lawn outside my building. I finally got back to sleep at XB30 only having to get up at XD30 pm to take my car in to get fixed. I got 4 hours of sleep that day, none of it continuous. Halfway through my flying run, flying between mke and ind, I 'zoned out.' I don't remember anything for approximately 60 NM of flying distance. When I looked around, I realized I had passed ind (my destination) by 20 NM. I was hand flying the airplane, maintaining altitude and heading, but with no idea of what was going on. Once I realized what had happened I called ind approach, who turned me back to airport where I shot a visual approach and landed without incident. This is causing me to reevaluate my attitude of being the 'iron man' of work. I have never missed a day of work for any reason. Now I believe that it may be better to miss work than to be so tired as to not know what's going on around me. Also I am going to schedule those errands that need to be done on the weekends and not during the days when I need my rest. This incident scared me a little, back to the reality that I can't do it all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER PA31 SCHEDULED AIR FREIGHT OPERATOR FELL ASLEEP 60 MI PRIOR TO REACHING HIS DEST AND WOKE UP 20 MI BEYOND HIS DEST. HE SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED ATC APCH FOR CLRNC BACK TO HIS DEST WHERE HE ARRIVED SAFELY.

Narrative: I WORK A SCHEDULED FREIGHT RUN, THAT HAS AN 11.8 HR DUTY DAY WITH 6.5 HRS FLYING WITH 7 LEGS. WORKING NIGHTS, I HAVE TO RUN ERRANDS DURING THE DAY, SOMETIMES CUTTING INTO MY SLEEP TIME. THAT DAY I WAS AWAKENED AT XA00 AM BY THE WORKERS CUTTING THE LAWN OUTSIDE MY BUILDING. I FINALLY GOT BACK TO SLEEP AT XB30 ONLY HAVING TO GET UP AT XD30 PM TO TAKE MY CAR IN TO GET FIXED. I GOT 4 HRS OF SLEEP THAT DAY, NONE OF IT CONTINUOUS. HALFWAY THROUGH MY FLYING RUN, FLYING BTWN MKE AND IND, I 'ZONED OUT.' I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING FOR APPROX 60 NM OF FLYING DISTANCE. WHEN I LOOKED AROUND, I REALIZED I HAD PASSED IND (MY DEST) BY 20 NM. I WAS HAND FLYING THE AIRPLANE, MAINTAINING ALT AND HDG, BUT WITH NO IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. ONCE I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED I CALLED IND APCH, WHO TURNED ME BACK TO ARPT WHERE I SHOT A VISUAL APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS IS CAUSING ME TO REEVALUATE MY ATTITUDE OF BEING THE 'IRON MAN' OF WORK. I HAVE NEVER MISSED A DAY OF WORK FOR ANY REASON. NOW I BELIEVE THAT IT MAY BE BETTER TO MISS WORK THAN TO BE SO TIRED AS TO NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME. ALSO I AM GOING TO SCHEDULE THOSE ERRANDS THAT NEED TO BE DONE ON THE WEEKENDS AND NOT DURING THE DAYS WHEN I NEED MY REST. THIS INCIDENT SCARED ME A LITTLE, BACK TO THE REALITY THAT I CAN'T DO IT ALL.

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.