Narrative:

Recently I have noticed an increase in the number of trips with nearly 14 hour crew duty days. Scheduled crew duty days of 14 hours lead to pilot fatigue and are unsafe. As a company, we need to do a better job of safely scheduling our crews. This is not a union issue, this is a safety issue. As a check airman, I have watched crew performance decrease dramatically towards the end of the simulator period. We all know the results of fatigue after a long day. It just makes common sense to avoid extremely long crew duty days that are nearly 14 hours. I strongly recommend that our company limit our scheduled crew duty day to 12 hours. If we have a crew involved in an accident on a long crew duty day, how can we rationalize this to our passenger? Our job is safe transportation. It is not about the FAA limit or a pilot organization contract, it is about our company safely scheduling our crew. This is our responsibility. We have always told our pilots to stop if it is not safe to continue a flight. We need to set up a better scheduling barrier to trap fatigue errors. The 4TH day of the trip involved a scheduled 13 hours 49 mins crew duty day. Once I was assigned pairing, I requested that the daily scheduler allow me to get off the trip as it passed through my base on the last day due to the scheduled 14 hour crew day. She said that she was unable. I asked her to make a remark in the computer that the captain feels the 14 hour crew duty day is unsafe due to fatigue and requests to split off for the last 2 legs. Note: 24 trips originated in ZZZ on the B737-300 on feb/mon/02. 12 of them, 50%, contained crew duty days longer than 12 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CHK CAPT'S RPT REGARDING SCHEDULED FLT TIMES AND THE EXTENSION OF DUTY HRS AT HIS DOMICILE.

Narrative: RECENTLY I HAVE NOTICED AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRIPS WITH NEARLY 14 HR CREW DUTY DAYS. SCHEDULED CREW DUTY DAYS OF 14 HRS LEAD TO PLT FATIGUE AND ARE UNSAFE. AS A COMPANY, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF SAFELY SCHEDULING OUR CREWS. THIS IS NOT A UNION ISSUE, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. AS A CHK AIRMAN, I HAVE WATCHED CREW PERFORMANCE DECREASE DRAMATICALLY TOWARDS THE END OF THE SIMULATOR PERIOD. WE ALL KNOW THE RESULTS OF FATIGUE AFTER A LONG DAY. IT JUST MAKES COMMON SENSE TO AVOID EXTREMELY LONG CREW DUTY DAYS THAT ARE NEARLY 14 HRS. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT OUR COMPANY LIMIT OUR SCHEDULED CREW DUTY DAY TO 12 HRS. IF WE HAVE A CREW INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON A LONG CREW DUTY DAY, HOW CAN WE RATIONALIZE THIS TO OUR PAX? OUR JOB IS SAFE TRANSPORTATION. IT IS NOT ABOUT THE FAA LIMIT OR A PLT ORGANIZATION CONTRACT, IT IS ABOUT OUR COMPANY SAFELY SCHEDULING OUR CREW. THIS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAVE ALWAYS TOLD OUR PLTS TO STOP IF IT IS NOT SAFE TO CONTINUE A FLT. WE NEED TO SET UP A BETTER SCHEDULING BARRIER TO TRAP FATIGUE ERRORS. THE 4TH DAY OF THE TRIP INVOLVED A SCHEDULED 13 HRS 49 MINS CREW DUTY DAY. ONCE I WAS ASSIGNED PAIRING, I REQUESTED THAT THE DAILY SCHEDULER ALLOW ME TO GET OFF THE TRIP AS IT PASSED THROUGH MY BASE ON THE LAST DAY DUE TO THE SCHEDULED 14 HR CREW DAY. SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS UNABLE. I ASKED HER TO MAKE A REMARK IN THE COMPUTER THAT THE CAPT FEELS THE 14 HR CREW DUTY DAY IS UNSAFE DUE TO FATIGUE AND REQUESTS TO SPLIT OFF FOR THE LAST 2 LEGS. NOTE: 24 TRIPS ORIGINATED IN ZZZ ON THE B737-300 ON FEB/MON/02. 12 OF THEM, 50%, CONTAINED CREW DUTY DAYS LONGER THAN 12 HRS.

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.