Narrative:

I was the captain of flight abcd of dec/tue/03. We were flying fwa-dfw. It was our third of 4 scheduled legs on the first night of our week of all night flying. We had begun duty at XA00 the previous evening, and we had been on duty for 10 hours. Our duty day totaled 13.5 hours when it ended at our final destination -- iah. This was typical for a night freight trip, a 12-14 hour duty day with a 10-12 hour rest period, 5 days a week. The FAA air carrier inspector in the jumpseat thought that the flight engineer had gone to sleep after about 1 hour of cruise flight, just after sunrise. The flight engineer was adamant that he was not asleep. I had not noticed any problem in getting fuel readings at the flight plan check points or when he accomplished his tasks (reading checklists, getting ATIS, and preparing a landing data card). I did not believe that the flight engineer had been asleep. Staying alert and awake is a constant problem when flying 'on the back side of the clock,' especially during the hours near sunrise on the first night of the week when changing from an all day to all night schedule. I thought that a NASA sleep study that was made several yrs ago described 'micro-nap blackouts' as the major safety hazard that occurred when your body really needed sleep. I have experienced this 'micro-nap blackout' on both long and short duty days. It seems to be associated with the change over from a day to a night schedule. The study had found that short naps in cruise flight provided enough rest to prevent the 'micro-nap blackouts' that could occur during the approach and landing phases of flight. The FAA never allowed cruise naps though, even though, it would meet the physical needs of your body and make for a safer approach and landing phase of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR ACCUSED THE SO OF SLEEPING ON THE FLT. RPTR QUOTES NASA STUDY ABOUT PLT 'MICRO-NAP BLACKOUTS.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT ABCD OF DEC/TUE/03. WE WERE FLYING FWA-DFW. IT WAS OUR THIRD OF 4 SCHEDULED LEGS ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF OUR WK OF ALL NIGHT FLYING. WE HAD BEGUN DUTY AT XA00 THE PREVIOUS EVENING, AND WE HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR 10 HRS. OUR DUTY DAY TOTALED 13.5 HRS WHEN IT ENDED AT OUR FINAL DEST -- IAH. THIS WAS TYPICAL FOR A NIGHT FREIGHT TRIP, A 12-14 HR DUTY DAY WITH A 10-12 HR REST PERIOD, 5 DAYS A WK. THE FAA ACR INSPECTOR IN THE JUMPSEAT THOUGHT THAT THE FE HAD GONE TO SLEEP AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF CRUISE FLT, JUST AFTER SUNRISE. THE FE WAS ADAMANT THAT HE WAS NOT ASLEEP. I HAD NOT NOTICED ANY PROB IN GETTING FUEL READINGS AT THE FLT PLAN CHK POINTS OR WHEN HE ACCOMPLISHED HIS TASKS (READING CHKLISTS, GETTING ATIS, AND PREPARING A LNDG DATA CARD). I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE FE HAD BEEN ASLEEP. STAYING ALERT AND AWAKE IS A CONSTANT PROB WHEN FLYING 'ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK,' ESPECIALLY DURING THE HRS NEAR SUNRISE ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE WK WHEN CHANGING FROM AN ALL DAY TO ALL NIGHT SCHEDULE. I THOUGHT THAT A NASA SLEEP STUDY THAT WAS MADE SEVERAL YRS AGO DESCRIBED 'MICRO-NAP BLACKOUTS' AS THE MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD THAT OCCURRED WHEN YOUR BODY REALLY NEEDED SLEEP. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS 'MICRO-NAP BLACKOUT' ON BOTH LONG AND SHORT DUTY DAYS. IT SEEMS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHANGE OVER FROM A DAY TO A NIGHT SCHEDULE. THE STUDY HAD FOUND THAT SHORT NAPS IN CRUISE FLT PROVIDED ENOUGH REST TO PREVENT THE 'MICRO-NAP BLACKOUTS' THAT COULD OCCUR DURING THE APCH AND LNDG PHASES OF FLT. THE FAA NEVER ALLOWED CRUISE NAPS THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH, IT WOULD MEET THE PHYSICAL NEEDS OF YOUR BODY AND MAKE FOR A SAFER APCH AND LNDG PHASE OF FLT.

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.