Narrative:

This was the 6TH and last leg of the day. I was PNF and handling ATC communications. At the time of this occurrence, I had been on duty over 14 hours and had flown over 8 hours that day, including the preceding 6 days I had flown 28.5 hours. This is all legal according to current interps of the regulations since I had been scheduled for less than 8 hours flying time for the day, and had not exceeded 30 hours in 7 days. When approach told me to contact the tower, I looked at the tower frequency on the approach chart and started to set the frequency in the radio tuning unit. While tuning the frequency, I forgot what it was and glanced at the chart again. Once again, while tuning the frequency, I forgot what I had intended to set in the radio tuning unit. Only after looking a 3RD or 4TH time did I finally accomplish this simple task that I normally do dozens of times a day. I discussed this with the captain subsequently (his schedule was identical to mine) and he also remarked how he felt very tired. WX was not a factor and our workload was light. I think it was comical that I found difficulty doing this simple task, but it is sobering to consider that if conditions were more challenging, a more serious situation could have resulted from my inability to perform adequately. The FAA flight time and duty time limitations should be considered the bare minimum requirements. While flying myself on personal business or for pleasure, I always work well within these limits. However, it is routine in the regional airline business to schedule its flight crew's to the limit, and it is accepted that a day that includes 8 hours of scheduled flying frequently exceeds that. I have exceeded 8 hours in 1 duty period several times in the past 6 months. My reason for writing this report is that while one may feel perfectly competent at the beginning of the last leg of a long day, the effects of fatigue are insidious and might not become evident until the approach and landing phase at the end of the day an hour or 2 later. At that point, it's too late to refuse the trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FO EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE PRESENT STATE OF ACTUAL FLT TIME VERSUS SCHEDULED FLT TIME.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE 6TH AND LAST LEG OF THE DAY. I WAS PNF AND HANDLING ATC COMS. AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE, I HAD BEEN ON DUTY OVER 14 HRS AND HAD FLOWN OVER 8 HRS THAT DAY, INCLUDING THE PRECEDING 6 DAYS I HAD FLOWN 28.5 HRS. THIS IS ALL LEGAL ACCORDING TO CURRENT INTERPS OF THE REGS SINCE I HAD BEEN SCHEDULED FOR LESS THAN 8 HRS FLYING TIME FOR THE DAY, AND HAD NOT EXCEEDED 30 HRS IN 7 DAYS. WHEN APCH TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE TWR, I LOOKED AT THE TWR FREQ ON THE APCH CHART AND STARTED TO SET THE FREQ IN THE RADIO TUNING UNIT. WHILE TUNING THE FREQ, I FORGOT WHAT IT WAS AND GLANCED AT THE CHART AGAIN. ONCE AGAIN, WHILE TUNING THE FREQ, I FORGOT WHAT I HAD INTENDED TO SET IN THE RADIO TUNING UNIT. ONLY AFTER LOOKING A 3RD OR 4TH TIME DID I FINALLY ACCOMPLISH THIS SIMPLE TASK THAT I NORMALLY DO DOZENS OF TIMES A DAY. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE CAPT SUBSEQUENTLY (HIS SCHEDULE WAS IDENTICAL TO MINE) AND HE ALSO REMARKED HOW HE FELT VERY TIRED. WX WAS NOT A FACTOR AND OUR WORKLOAD WAS LIGHT. I THINK IT WAS COMICAL THAT I FOUND DIFFICULTY DOING THIS SIMPLE TASK, BUT IT IS SOBERING TO CONSIDER THAT IF CONDITIONS WERE MORE CHALLENGING, A MORE SERIOUS SIT COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM MY INABILITY TO PERFORM ADEQUATELY. THE FAA FLT TIME AND DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE BARE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. WHILE FLYING MYSELF ON PERSONAL BUSINESS OR FOR PLEASURE, I ALWAYS WORK WELL WITHIN THESE LIMITS. HOWEVER, IT IS ROUTINE IN THE REGIONAL AIRLINE BUSINESS TO SCHEDULE ITS FLC'S TO THE LIMIT, AND IT IS ACCEPTED THAT A DAY THAT INCLUDES 8 HRS OF SCHEDULED FLYING FREQUENTLY EXCEEDS THAT. I HAVE EXCEEDED 8 HRS IN 1 DUTY PERIOD SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. MY REASON FOR WRITING THIS RPT IS THAT WHILE ONE MAY FEEL PERFECTLY COMPETENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST LEG OF A LONG DAY, THE EFFECTS OF FATIGUE ARE INSIDIOUS AND MIGHT NOT BECOME EVIDENT UNTIL THE APCH AND LNDG PHASE AT THE END OF THE DAY AN HR OR 2 LATER. AT THAT POINT, IT'S TOO LATE TO REFUSE THE TRIP.

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.