Narrative:

This report is in regard to the fatigue issue. I know that some fleets the flying has stayed about the same, but on the B737 fleet is has changed very much. The added hours has made many of the pilots including myself much more tired. Nobody wants to admit it, but I watch pilots constantly nodding or saying how tired they are on these new lines of flying. It doesn't matter if they are 20 yrs younger or close to my age it is all the same. Other fellows says how they flipped wrong switches when they were real tired on a trip pairing or slept for 12 hours when they got to their room. A lot of pilots probably won't write, but the problem with being tired is there and very real. The 3 day, 2 day back to back trip pairing really wipe pilots out. It's not the same as sitting in an office for 11-14 hour day. It is not. With decibel levels in the cockpit at about 84DB, cruise, it adds to all this, but that will never be addressed since the FAA got some ruling many yrs ago to keep safety organization out of planes, so no measurements could be made. Noise and trip pairing construction the way it is, makes for a lot of tired pilots. Other pilots have told me they are simply dropping trips, so they are not so tired. After some trip pairings I'm on and I get home I make sure I keep going, for it I situation or lay down I'll be asleep in a heartbeat. Same comments from lots of pilots. Problems of fatigue are real and hope they get addressed somehow.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CAPT RPTS INSTANCES OF FATIGUE, AND CREW MISTAKES BECAUSE OF HIS ACR SCHEDULING PRACTICES.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS IN REGARD TO THE FATIGUE ISSUE. I KNOW THAT SOME FLEETS THE FLYING HAS STAYED ABOUT THE SAME, BUT ON THE B737 FLEET IS HAS CHANGED VERY MUCH. THE ADDED HRS HAS MADE MANY OF THE PLTS INCLUDING MYSELF MUCH MORE TIRED. NOBODY WANTS TO ADMIT IT, BUT I WATCH PLTS CONSTANTLY NODDING OR SAYING HOW TIRED THEY ARE ON THESE NEW LINES OF FLYING. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY ARE 20 YRS YOUNGER OR CLOSE TO MY AGE IT IS ALL THE SAME. OTHER FELLOWS SAYS HOW THEY FLIPPED WRONG SWITCHES WHEN THEY WERE REAL TIRED ON A TRIP PAIRING OR SLEPT FOR 12 HRS WHEN THEY GOT TO THEIR ROOM. A LOT OF PLTS PROBABLY WON'T WRITE, BUT THE PROB WITH BEING TIRED IS THERE AND VERY REAL. THE 3 DAY, 2 DAY BACK TO BACK TRIP PAIRING REALLY WIPE PLTS OUT. IT'S NOT THE SAME AS SITTING IN AN OFFICE FOR 11-14 HR DAY. IT IS NOT. WITH DECIBEL LEVELS IN THE COCKPIT AT ABOUT 84DB, CRUISE, IT ADDS TO ALL THIS, BUT THAT WILL NEVER BE ADDRESSED SINCE THE FAA GOT SOME RULING MANY YRS AGO TO KEEP SAFETY ORGANIZATION OUT OF PLANES, SO NO MEASUREMENTS COULD BE MADE. NOISE AND TRIP PAIRING CONSTRUCTION THE WAY IT IS, MAKES FOR A LOT OF TIRED PLTS. OTHER PLTS HAVE TOLD ME THEY ARE SIMPLY DROPPING TRIPS, SO THEY ARE NOT SO TIRED. AFTER SOME TRIP PAIRINGS I'M ON AND I GET HOME I MAKE SURE I KEEP GOING, FOR IT I SIT OR LAY DOWN I'LL BE ASLEEP IN A HEARTBEAT. SAME COMMENTS FROM LOTS OF PLTS. PROBS OF FATIGUE ARE REAL AND HOPE THEY GET ADDRESSED SOMEHOW.

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.