Narrative:

I am currently an A320 captain with an air carrier and have been employed with my company for about 10 yrs. I have enjoyed flying for most of my 25 yrs as a former military fighter pilot and commercial airline pilot. I am not a heretic in my company and with great consternation I write this report to you. Yet I am extremely concerned about the direction my company is going with respect to our heavy all night pairings and associated scheduling of our pilots in mixing day and night flying. As you know from many studies you and others have done -- generally humans do not function well at all while working through the night and into the morning hours. My company has one of the highest utilization rates for a major commercial aircraft carrier of anyone in the world for the type of flying we do. They have chosen to do this by flying the aircraft and crew on pretty much a '24 hour basis.' for the aircraft, this works well, but for the crews it is highly fatiguing and I consider it not only stupid, but 'a potential disaster looking for a place to happen.' I have enclosed several of my air carrier's pairings for you to review and you will note the mixture of day and night pairings. Even with over 24 hour breaks to supposedly 'readjust one's circadian clock and body functions' from night to day or day to night flying, I believe it is impossible for almost all of us and definitely does not work for me to fly appropriately. Without question, over the last 3 yrs, the pilots I have personally flown with during all night pairings react more slowly and make far more mistakes during the early morning hours after flying all night. It appears it makes no difference how much one 'prepares' themselves by sleeping in the afternoon or keeping themselves awake at various times of the day -- it simply does not work and anyone who thinks more CRM and automation will correct or improve the problem either have never flown these patterns as a pilot or are only fooling themselves. Bottom line: I consider all of these types of pairings and any all night pairing arrs in the early morning hours potentially dangerous and inappropriate. I believe the pilots at my air carrier fly more night patterns and hours than most freight air carrier pilots fly in a month, but with 4-5 fewer days off to 'recover' mentally and physically before doing it again. I personally will do everything in my power not to fly these type patterns because of what I stated above. It is incumbent upon me by not only FAA regulations, but more importantly the safety and valued trust of the flying public to do no less. It is not because I am lazy, don't wish to work or am a heretic within my own company. Nothing could be further from the truth. My own flight records and work ethic speak for themselves. I am simply extremely concerned with the fatigue factor I see with not only our own pilots, but other carriers as well who do these types of flts. It is my hope whoever happens to review this report will do what is right and notify the appropriate people in the FAA, DOT and other agencies to 'fix these problems' before it is too late. To do otherwise would be unconscionable. I have much respect for your agency and hope you can/will do what is necessary. Thank you for your consideration of this most important matter. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is an A320 captain. He states that over the last several yrs the company has increased the number of operating hours on their aircraft in an effort to more efficiently use their fleet. However, as the fleet has become more efficient, he said, the pilots are becoming more fatigued. He gave several examples of schedules that in the course of several days flew both early morning and late night flts as well as all-day flts. The captain said that it takes several days to recover and often the next trip begins while he is still fatigued from the last. He told of several events that he felt were directly caused by body time upset. He also told of some attempts by him and others to convince the company that the schedules needed to be constructed so as to allow the pilots to stay within a few hours of the same start and end times. These attempts were not very successful, he said, because the company management does not, apparently, feel that there is a problem. He said that he was told that the company cannot do anything about the pilot's situation while it was in a precarious financial state. He said that he has discussed the issue with the FAA and that he would call their hotline. This captain seems to be genuinely concerned about the adverse implications to safety that these types of schedules may be causing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR A320 CAPT RPTS THAT THE FLCS AT HIS COMPANY ARE EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES WITH THEIR WORK SCHEDULES IN THAT THE SCHEDULES DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DISRUPTION OF THEIR DIURNAL PATTERNS BY FLYING BOTH DAY AND NIGHT OPS DURING THE SAME TRIPS.

Narrative: I AM CURRENTLY AN A320 CAPT WITH AN ACR AND HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED WITH MY COMPANY FOR ABOUT 10 YRS. I HAVE ENJOYED FLYING FOR MOST OF MY 25 YRS AS A FORMER MIL FIGHTER PLT AND COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PLT. I AM NOT A HERETIC IN MY COMPANY AND WITH GREAT CONSTERNATION I WRITE THIS RPT TO YOU. YET I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIRECTION MY COMPANY IS GOING WITH RESPECT TO OUR HVY ALL NIGHT PAIRINGS AND ASSOCIATED SCHEDULING OF OUR PLTS IN MIXING DAY AND NIGHT FLYING. AS YOU KNOW FROM MANY STUDIES YOU AND OTHERS HAVE DONE -- GENERALLY HUMANS DO NOT FUNCTION WELL AT ALL WHILE WORKING THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO THE MORNING HRS. MY COMPANY HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST UTILIZATION RATES FOR A MAJOR COMMERCIAL ACFT CARRIER OF ANYONE IN THE WORLD FOR THE TYPE OF FLYING WE DO. THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO DO THIS BY FLYING THE ACFT AND CREW ON PRETTY MUCH A '24 HR BASIS.' FOR THE ACFT, THIS WORKS WELL, BUT FOR THE CREWS IT IS HIGHLY FATIGUING AND I CONSIDER IT NOT ONLY STUPID, BUT 'A POTENTIAL DISASTER LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN.' I HAVE ENCLOSED SEVERAL OF MY ACR'S PAIRINGS FOR YOU TO REVIEW AND YOU WILL NOTE THE MIXTURE OF DAY AND NIGHT PAIRINGS. EVEN WITH OVER 24 HR BREAKS TO SUPPOSEDLY 'READJUST ONE'S CIRCADIAN CLOCK AND BODY FUNCTIONS' FROM NIGHT TO DAY OR DAY TO NIGHT FLYING, I BELIEVE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ALMOST ALL OF US AND DEFINITELY DOES NOT WORK FOR ME TO FLY APPROPRIATELY. WITHOUT QUESTION, OVER THE LAST 3 YRS, THE PLTS I HAVE PERSONALLY FLOWN WITH DURING ALL NIGHT PAIRINGS REACT MORE SLOWLY AND MAKE FAR MORE MISTAKES DURING THE EARLY MORNING HRS AFTER FLYING ALL NIGHT. IT APPEARS IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE HOW MUCH ONE 'PREPARES' THEMSELVES BY SLEEPING IN THE AFTERNOON OR KEEPING THEMSELVES AWAKE AT VARIOUS TIMES OF THE DAY -- IT SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK AND ANYONE WHO THINKS MORE CRM AND AUTOMATION WILL CORRECT OR IMPROVE THE PROB EITHER HAVE NEVER FLOWN THESE PATTERNS AS A PLT OR ARE ONLY FOOLING THEMSELVES. BOTTOM LINE: I CONSIDER ALL OF THESE TYPES OF PAIRINGS AND ANY ALL NIGHT PAIRING ARRS IN THE EARLY MORNING HRS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND INAPPROPRIATE. I BELIEVE THE PLTS AT MY ACR FLY MORE NIGHT PATTERNS AND HRS THAN MOST FREIGHT ACR PLTS FLY IN A MONTH, BUT WITH 4-5 FEWER DAYS OFF TO 'RECOVER' MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY BEFORE DOING IT AGAIN. I PERSONALLY WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY PWR NOT TO FLY THESE TYPE PATTERNS BECAUSE OF WHAT I STATED ABOVE. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ME BY NOT ONLY FAA REGS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE SAFETY AND VALUED TRUST OF THE FLYING PUBLIC TO DO NO LESS. IT IS NOT BECAUSE I AM LAZY, DON'T WISH TO WORK OR AM A HERETIC WITHIN MY OWN COMPANY. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. MY OWN FLT RECORDS AND WORK ETHIC SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. I AM SIMPLY EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH THE FATIGUE FACTOR I SEE WITH NOT ONLY OUR OWN PLTS, BUT OTHER CARRIERS AS WELL WHO DO THESE TYPES OF FLTS. IT IS MY HOPE WHOEVER HAPPENS TO REVIEW THIS RPT WILL DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND NOTIFY THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE IN THE FAA, DOT AND OTHER AGENCIES TO 'FIX THESE PROBS' BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. TO DO OTHERWISE WOULD BE UNCONSCIONABLE. I HAVE MUCH RESPECT FOR YOUR AGENCY AND HOPE YOU CAN/WILL DO WHAT IS NECESSARY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS MOST IMPORTANT MATTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN A320 CAPT. HE STATES THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YRS THE COMPANY HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF OPERATING HRS ON THEIR ACFT IN AN EFFORT TO MORE EFFICIENTLY USE THEIR FLEET. HOWEVER, AS THE FLEET HAS BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, HE SAID, THE PLTS ARE BECOMING MORE FATIGUED. HE GAVE SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF SCHEDULES THAT IN THE COURSE OF SEVERAL DAYS FLEW BOTH EARLY MORNING AND LATE NIGHT FLTS AS WELL AS ALL-DAY FLTS. THE CAPT SAID THAT IT TAKES SEVERAL DAYS TO RECOVER AND OFTEN THE NEXT TRIP BEGINS WHILE HE IS STILL FATIGUED FROM THE LAST. HE TOLD OF SEVERAL EVENTS THAT HE FELT WERE DIRECTLY CAUSED BY BODY TIME UPSET. HE ALSO TOLD OF SOME ATTEMPTS BY HIM AND OTHERS TO CONVINCE THE COMPANY THAT THE SCHEDULES NEEDED TO BE CONSTRUCTED SO AS TO ALLOW THE PLTS TO STAY WITHIN A FEW HRS OF THE SAME START AND END TIMES. THESE ATTEMPTS WERE NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL, HE SAID, BECAUSE THE COMPANY MGMNT DOES NOT, APPARENTLY, FEEL THAT THERE IS A PROB. HE SAID THAT HE WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPANY CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PLT'S SIT WHILE IT WAS IN A PRECARIOUS FINANCIAL STATE. HE SAID THAT HE HAS DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH THE FAA AND THAT HE WOULD CALL THEIR HOTLINE. THIS CAPT SEEMS TO BE GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ADVERSE IMPLICATIONS TO SAFETY THAT THESE TYPES OF SCHEDULES MAY BE CAUSING.

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.