Narrative:

I am writing this letter to express my and my co-worker's concern regarding air carrier XXX following current FAA layover minimum guidelines of 8 hours. As it stands now, when flying current sequences built with 8 hour layovers and 10-13 hours on duty, I and my co-workers are not safe flight attendants. Fatigue impairs my ability to function with a clear train of thought, coordination, concentration, and sound judgement. I find myself acting as if I was under the influence of alcohol, essentially I am working drunk! In this day and age when I and my co-workers are required to be ever vigilant, I find we are not. There are times when I fall asleep on my jumpseat during taxi in and out of gates. I forget the easiest of tasks, including arming my doors for takeoff and giving safety briefings to passenger on an exit row. We are supposed to be aware of suspicious behavior and actions from passenger, but we are not. We are too fatigued to study and look and scrutinize passenger. When tired, most of us assume that all this has been done in the airport, thus leaving more holes in the 'swiss cheese' theory on security. I am writing to NASA to tell you that fatigue is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately. The traveling public is not safe in our hands. We are not safe in our own hands. Crew fatigue is so widespread, it is only a matter of time before an accident or serious injury occurs because of tired flight attendants. I hope NASA understands how important proper crew rest is, and can/will put pressure on the FAA to increase FAA minimum crew layover guidelines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT ADVISES THAT ROUTINE ASSIGNMENTS OF MAX DUTY DAYS COUPLED WITH MINIMUM REST PERIODS RESULTS IN UNACCEPTABLE DETERIORATION IN PERFORMANCE OF SAFETY RELATED DUTIES.

Narrative: I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO EXPRESS MY AND MY CO-WORKER'S CONCERN REGARDING ACR XXX FOLLOWING CURRENT FAA LAYOVER MINIMUM GUIDELINES OF 8 HRS. AS IT STANDS NOW, WHEN FLYING CURRENT SEQUENCES BUILT WITH 8 HR LAYOVERS AND 10-13 HRS ON DUTY, I AND MY CO-WORKERS ARE NOT SAFE FLT ATTENDANTS. FATIGUE IMPAIRS MY ABILITY TO FUNCTION WITH A CLR TRAIN OF THOUGHT, COORD, CONCENTRATION, AND SOUND JUDGEMENT. I FIND MYSELF ACTING AS IF I WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, ESSENTIALLY I AM WORKING DRUNK! IN THIS DAY AND AGE WHEN I AND MY CO-WORKERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE EVER VIGILANT, I FIND WE ARE NOT. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I FALL ASLEEP ON MY JUMPSEAT DURING TAXI IN AND OUT OF GATES. I FORGET THE EASIEST OF TASKS, INCLUDING ARMING MY DOORS FOR TKOF AND GIVING SAFETY BRIEFINGS TO PAX ON AN EXIT ROW. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AWARE OF SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR AND ACTIONS FROM PAX, BUT WE ARE NOT. WE ARE TOO FATIGUED TO STUDY AND LOOK AND SCRUTINIZE PAX. WHEN TIRED, MOST OF US ASSUME THAT ALL THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN THE ARPT, THUS LEAVING MORE HOLES IN THE 'SWISS CHEESE' THEORY ON SECURITY. I AM WRITING TO NASA TO TELL YOU THAT FATIGUE IS A HUGE PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. THE TRAVELING PUBLIC IS NOT SAFE IN OUR HANDS. WE ARE NOT SAFE IN OUR OWN HANDS. CREW FATIGUE IS SO WIDESPREAD, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OR SERIOUS INJURY OCCURS BECAUSE OF TIRED FLT ATTENDANTS. I HOPE NASA UNDERSTANDS HOW IMPORTANT PROPER CREW REST IS, AND CAN/WILL PUT PRESSURE ON THE FAA TO INCREASE FAA MINIMUM CREW LAYOVER GUIDELINES.

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.