Narrative:

The existing FARS for 121 operations pertaining to crew duty and crew rest times are inadequate. They allow airlines to schedule crews to the point of exhaustion and then give an inadequate rest period before the next exhausting duty period. On my last trip I awakened at AD00 for an AF40 check in. Due to bad WX our duty period was 14 hours and 30 mins and 7 hours 59 mins of flight time. Our overnight duty break was 9 hours and 48 mins, but due to transportation problems and my employer's 1 hour report time only 6 hours was available as a rest period. By the time I got into the bed I had been awake for over 19 hours. The next day I felt like I was mired in mud. Simple checklists became a chore and I found I was asking ATC to repeat instructions 2 and 3 times. I believe that the first officer and myself were subtly incapacitated by fatigue. It is my belief that strong sops and good fortune kept us from having an incident. Although the next overnight was a long overnight I did not feel rested until 3 days after the short rest period. I also felt pressure not to use my sick leave due to the fact I will be having major surgery in the near future and need all the sick leave I can accrue due to the fact that my employer is trying to reduce our sick leave and also our rapid reaccrual of sick leave after a major illness or injury. It is my hope that the FARS will somehow recognize that long duty days do not mix with short rest periods. When both crew members are fatigued, it is possible that neither crew member will recognize that the other crew member is subtly incapacitated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC RPT ON THE POSSIBILITY OF SUBTLE FLC INCAPACITATION DUE TO LONG WORK HRS AND INADEQUATE REST PERIODS.

Narrative: THE EXISTING FARS FOR 121 OPS PERTAINING TO CREW DUTY AND CREW REST TIMES ARE INADEQUATE. THEY ALLOW AIRLINES TO SCHEDULE CREWS TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION AND THEN GIVE AN INADEQUATE REST PERIOD BEFORE THE NEXT EXHAUSTING DUTY PERIOD. ON MY LAST TRIP I AWAKENED AT AD00 FOR AN AF40 CHK IN. DUE TO BAD WX OUR DUTY PERIOD WAS 14 HRS AND 30 MINS AND 7 HRS 59 MINS OF FLT TIME. OUR OVERNIGHT DUTY BREAK WAS 9 HRS AND 48 MINS, BUT DUE TO TRANSPORTATION PROBS AND MY EMPLOYER'S 1 HR RPT TIME ONLY 6 HRS WAS AVAILABLE AS A REST PERIOD. BY THE TIME I GOT INTO THE BED I HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR OVER 19 HRS. THE NEXT DAY I FELT LIKE I WAS MIRED IN MUD. SIMPLE CHKLISTS BECAME A CHORE AND I FOUND I WAS ASKING ATC TO REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS 2 AND 3 TIMES. I BELIEVE THAT THE FO AND MYSELF WERE SUBTLY INCAPACITATED BY FATIGUE. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT STRONG SOPS AND GOOD FORTUNE KEPT US FROM HAVING AN INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THE NEXT OVERNIGHT WAS A LONG OVERNIGHT I DID NOT FEEL RESTED UNTIL 3 DAYS AFTER THE SHORT REST PERIOD. I ALSO FELT PRESSURE NOT TO USE MY SICK LEAVE DUE TO THE FACT I WILL BE HAVING MAJOR SURGERY IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND NEED ALL THE SICK LEAVE I CAN ACCRUE DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY EMPLOYER IS TRYING TO REDUCE OUR SICK LEAVE AND ALSO OUR RAPID REACCRUAL OF SICK LEAVE AFTER A MAJOR ILLNESS OR INJURY. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE FARS WILL SOMEHOW RECOGNIZE THAT LONG DUTY DAYS DO NOT MIX WITH SHORT REST PERIODS. WHEN BOTH CREW MEMBERS ARE FATIGUED, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT NEITHER CREW MEMBER WILL RECOGNIZE THAT THE OTHER CREW MEMBER IS SUBTLY INCAPACITATED.

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.