Narrative:

Quick convert from regular reserve to late reserve. At XA00 am I was quick converted from a regular reserve and informed I would be needed for a trip leaving lax at XP40 that same night. Later that morning I became concerned about being adequately rested for the all-nighter. I happened to be a very light sleeper with a virtual inability to nap at will. I knew well ahead of sign-in, with a fairly high degree of accuracy that I would not be adequately rested. This raised the question, 'do I call crew scheduling now, to explain I would likely be fatigued later, or should I wait until after I attempt to rest later in the day.' the responsible choice was to call early, allowing time for trip coverage. My reason for submitting this scenario is to bring to light what I believe to be unsafe provisions in the reserve rest agreement and the disproportionate coverage of regular category to late category raps (reserve). First, quick convert provision allows crew scheduling to convert a regular category pilot to a late category reserve pilot with a protected time period of 12 hours. This does not consider a pilot's normal sleep/wake cycle, ability to nap, etc. The agreement states, 'that the quick convert method shall only be used if there are no pilots who can be made available using the normal convert method,' which implies coverage is zero for the late category reserve in question. When this occurs both crew scheduling and the assigned pilot are being put into a very precarious position. Crew scheduling is put into a time crunch and the pilot in a rest crunch. Crew scheduling has no option but to quick convert. The pilot has no option but to determine early if he will be prepared for a flight scheduled to depart from 12-18 hours after an early morning convert.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FO RESERVE HAD HIS REST TIME CHANGED AT THE LAST MIN BY THE ACR CREW DESK. THIS RESULTED IN THE PLT CALLING IN FATIGUED.

Narrative: QUICK CONVERT FROM REGULAR RESERVE TO LATE RESERVE. AT XA00 AM I WAS QUICK CONVERTED FROM A REGULAR RESERVE AND INFORMED I WOULD BE NEEDED FOR A TRIP LEAVING LAX AT XP40 THAT SAME NIGHT. LATER THAT MORNING I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ADEQUATELY RESTED FOR THE ALL-NIGHTER. I HAPPENED TO BE A VERY LIGHT SLEEPER WITH A VIRTUAL INABILITY TO NAP AT WILL. I KNEW WELL AHEAD OF SIGN-IN, WITH A FAIRLY HIGH DEGREE OF ACCURACY THAT I WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY RESTED. THIS RAISED THE QUESTION, 'DO I CALL CREW SCHEDULING NOW, TO EXPLAIN I WOULD LIKELY BE FATIGUED LATER, OR SHOULD I WAIT UNTIL AFTER I ATTEMPT TO REST LATER IN THE DAY.' THE RESPONSIBLE CHOICE WAS TO CALL EARLY, ALLOWING TIME FOR TRIP COVERAGE. MY REASON FOR SUBMITTING THIS SCENARIO IS TO BRING TO LIGHT WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE UNSAFE PROVISIONS IN THE RESERVE REST AGREEMENT AND THE DISPROPORTIONATE COVERAGE OF REGULAR CATEGORY TO LATE CATEGORY RAPS (RESERVE). FIRST, QUICK CONVERT PROVISION ALLOWS CREW SCHEDULING TO CONVERT A REGULAR CATEGORY PLT TO A LATE CATEGORY RESERVE PLT WITH A PROTECTED TIME PERIOD OF 12 HRS. THIS DOES NOT CONSIDER A PLT'S NORMAL SLEEP/WAKE CYCLE, ABILITY TO NAP, ETC. THE AGREEMENT STATES, 'THAT THE QUICK CONVERT METHOD SHALL ONLY BE USED IF THERE ARE NO PLTS WHO CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE USING THE NORMAL CONVERT METHOD,' WHICH IMPLIES COVERAGE IS ZERO FOR THE LATE CATEGORY RESERVE IN QUESTION. WHEN THIS OCCURS BOTH CREW SCHEDULING AND THE ASSIGNED PLT ARE BEING PUT INTO A VERY PRECARIOUS POS. CREW SCHEDULING IS PUT INTO A TIME CRUNCH AND THE PLT IN A REST CRUNCH. CREW SCHEDULING HAS NO OPTION BUT TO QUICK CONVERT. THE PLT HAS NO OPTION BUT TO DETERMINE EARLY IF HE WILL BE PREPARED FOR A FLT SCHEDULED TO DEPART FROM 12-18 HRS AFTER AN EARLY MORNING CONVERT.

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.