Narrative:

I have had to call in fatigued on 2 recent reserve trips, the first time in 21 yrs. Here are my thoughts as to why. The first assignment required a complete body clock change in a 28 hour period. I had completed an am turn. Scheduling called and said I was released from duty and was in crew rest but I was to report around XA00 for an all night charter. I commented that I would exceed the 8 in 24 rules, but scheduling said the clock would reset on my ground time at our destination. This is legal but is very difficult to go from early am to deep pm in 1 day. Once in crew rest, you cannot go home and take an 8 hour midday nap after getting up about 7 hours before and flying an early am turn. As for 8 and 24, I think I would have flown about 11 in 28. Again, this being legal, this is a lot of flying in not much time. My next event was a 6-DAY trip. Day 1. I got a call at XA10 on jul/wed/04, for an XB45 push. In rush hour traffic, I made push time but only after running to the gate. 1 leg to ZZZ1 my first officer is sent to another gate in emergency first officer swap by scheduling. I am told that my new first officer will be in from the ZZZ2 flight that lands at our push time. Thus, I do the walkaround and complete all the first officer duties so we can leave earlier. We fly to ZZZ3 and the first officer is pulled. My new first officer is deadheading in from ZZZ4 and will be 15 mins late. I complete all the first officer duties again and we leave late. First officer is brand new and we also have an FAA observer on the jump seat. We land in ZZZ5, 5 mins late and another first officer takes over. We fly a ZZZ6 round trip without any problems but we have a little WX in ZZZ5. The first officer from my first leg shows back up and after a WX delay we fly 1 hour 55 mins to ZZZ3 with WX in ZZZ5 and in ZZZ3. This is an exhausting first day. Day 2. A 30 min to check-in sick call in ZZZ6. I am to fly ZZZ3 to ZZZ5 and get off but am reassigned to a ZZZ6 3-DAY. Now once in ZZZ5 deadhead to ZZZ7 and complete the trip. I deadhead to ZZZ7 in the cockpit with an FAA observer due to full flight. I fly 3 more legs to ZZZ8 via ZZZ9 and ZZZ10. On paper no problem but my first officer only has 100 hours at company. He needs extra help in all areas, flight and ground. Day 3, ZZZ8-ZZZ3-ZZZ11-ZZZ12. Overall this was an easy day except for 'new first officer care' and WX into ZZZ12, which caused a delay in ZZZ11. We go from west coast time to east coast time but I don't feel that bad because I have only been out for 3 days. Day 4, ZZZ12-ZZZ11-ZZZ13-ZZZ14-ZZZ6 is scheduled. Again on paper easy day but with new first officer and 4TH day, I am getting tired. Cabin crew is new. Operations agents boarded early to make securing the cabin less stressful. In ZZZ6, I call scheduling to deadhead home earlier but I am assigned to deadhead on my same aircraft to ZZZ15 to fly next day. I ride in the cockpit again due to full flight. We have WX in ZZZ15. At the hotel in ZZZ15 my assignment changes from fly to ZZZ16, then deadhead to ZZZ6 to ZZZ5 to new assignment fly to ZZZ6, deadhead to ZZZ6 fly to ZZZ17, then deadhead to ZZZ5. Day 5. Fly ZZZ15-ZZZ16 with another first officer. I ask him to fly, because I was a little tired. Once in ZZZ16 my assignment changes to deadhead to ZZZ18 then fly ZZZ18-ZZZ19 then ZZZ19 to ZZZ11. I deadhead again in the cockpit due to full flight. There was much WX into ZZZ18. After ground time with second first officer of the day we fly ZZZ18-ZZZ19. 'C' flight attendant is on her first day at company. I asked first officer to fly to ZZZ19 and tell him I am on my 5TH day and feel a little tired, so pay extra attention to aircraft and me. There is some WX on this leg. We land in ZZZ19 and wait out for the gate. Once on the gate, we don't board a full flight because operations agent thinks we have WX delay but does not ask me. After having to convince him we can leave anytime, he boards and we leave late. I fly to ZZZ11. There is a little WX on this leg. We land in ZZZ11 and I have to wait a long time for the hotel van. At the hotel, I go directly to bed and I am feeling the compiled effects of the trip and time zone changes. But on day 6, I just deadhead home. Day 6. Wake up tired but not as bad as last night.go to the airport early due change in threat level by homeland security and local tv stations say that traffic in and out of ZZZ11 is a mess. Security was an aggravation. Go to my deadhead gate and am asked to call scheduling. I am reassigned to deadhead to ZZZ4 (probably in the cockpit again) and then fly to ZZZ1-ZZZ7-ZZZ5 (I think). I am having a difficult time comprehending and writing down the trip. I am figuring roughly another 10+ hour duty day, another time zone change and another first officer that may help or hinder. I don't know. I tell the scheduler a short version of my trip and to look at what I have done in the past 5 days. I am not sure I can accomplish this day. He very nicely said it was legal. But he also stated, very wisely, he was not comfortable with my conversation. I call my assistant chief pilot and then called in fatigued. I then deadhead ZZZ11-ZZZ20-ZZZ5 in the cockpit because the flts were full.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 CAPT RECENTLY CALLS IN FATIGUED TWICE DUE TO SCHEDULING.

Narrative: I HAVE HAD TO CALL IN FATIGUED ON 2 RECENT RESERVE TRIPS, THE FIRST TIME IN 21 YRS. HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AS TO WHY. THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT REQUIRED A COMPLETE BODY CLOCK CHANGE IN A 28 HR PERIOD. I HAD COMPLETED AN AM TURN. SCHEDULING CALLED AND SAID I WAS RELEASED FROM DUTY AND WAS IN CREW REST BUT I WAS TO RPT AROUND XA00 FOR AN ALL NIGHT CHARTER. I COMMENTED THAT I WOULD EXCEED THE 8 IN 24 RULES, BUT SCHEDULING SAID THE CLOCK WOULD RESET ON MY GND TIME AT OUR DEST. THIS IS LEGAL BUT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GO FROM EARLY AM TO DEEP PM IN 1 DAY. ONCE IN CREW REST, YOU CANNOT GO HOME AND TAKE AN 8 HR MIDDAY NAP AFTER GETTING UP ABOUT 7 HRS BEFORE AND FLYING AN EARLY AM TURN. AS FOR 8 AND 24, I THINK I WOULD HAVE FLOWN ABOUT 11 IN 28. AGAIN, THIS BEING LEGAL, THIS IS A LOT OF FLYING IN NOT MUCH TIME. MY NEXT EVENT WAS A 6-DAY TRIP. DAY 1. I GOT A CALL AT XA10 ON JUL/WED/04, FOR AN XB45 PUSH. IN RUSH HR TFC, I MADE PUSH TIME BUT ONLY AFTER RUNNING TO THE GATE. 1 LEG TO ZZZ1 MY FO IS SENT TO ANOTHER GATE IN EMER FO SWAP BY SCHEDULING. I AM TOLD THAT MY NEW FO WILL BE IN FROM THE ZZZ2 FLT THAT LANDS AT OUR PUSH TIME. THUS, I DO THE WALKAROUND AND COMPLETE ALL THE FO DUTIES SO WE CAN LEAVE EARLIER. WE FLY TO ZZZ3 AND THE FO IS PULLED. MY NEW FO IS DEADHEADING IN FROM ZZZ4 AND WILL BE 15 MINS LATE. I COMPLETE ALL THE FO DUTIES AGAIN AND WE LEAVE LATE. FO IS BRAND NEW AND WE ALSO HAVE AN FAA OBSERVER ON THE JUMP SEAT. WE LAND IN ZZZ5, 5 MINS LATE AND ANOTHER FO TAKES OVER. WE FLY A ZZZ6 ROUND TRIP WITHOUT ANY PROBS BUT WE HAVE A LITTLE WX IN ZZZ5. THE FO FROM MY FIRST LEG SHOWS BACK UP AND AFTER A WX DELAY WE FLY 1 HR 55 MINS TO ZZZ3 WITH WX IN ZZZ5 AND IN ZZZ3. THIS IS AN EXHAUSTING FIRST DAY. DAY 2. A 30 MIN TO CHK-IN SICK CALL IN ZZZ6. I AM TO FLY ZZZ3 TO ZZZ5 AND GET OFF BUT AM REASSIGNED TO A ZZZ6 3-DAY. NOW ONCE IN ZZZ5 DEADHEAD TO ZZZ7 AND COMPLETE THE TRIP. I DEADHEAD TO ZZZ7 IN THE COCKPIT WITH AN FAA OBSERVER DUE TO FULL FLT. I FLY 3 MORE LEGS TO ZZZ8 VIA ZZZ9 AND ZZZ10. ON PAPER NO PROB BUT MY FO ONLY HAS 100 HRS AT COMPANY. HE NEEDS EXTRA HELP IN ALL AREAS, FLT AND GND. DAY 3, ZZZ8-ZZZ3-ZZZ11-ZZZ12. OVERALL THIS WAS AN EASY DAY EXCEPT FOR 'NEW FO CARE' AND WX INTO ZZZ12, WHICH CAUSED A DELAY IN ZZZ11. WE GO FROM WEST COAST TIME TO EAST COAST TIME BUT I DON'T FEEL THAT BAD BECAUSE I HAVE ONLY BEEN OUT FOR 3 DAYS. DAY 4, ZZZ12-ZZZ11-ZZZ13-ZZZ14-ZZZ6 IS SCHEDULED. AGAIN ON PAPER EASY DAY BUT WITH NEW FO AND 4TH DAY, I AM GETTING TIRED. CABIN CREW IS NEW. OPS AGENTS BOARDED EARLY TO MAKE SECURING THE CABIN LESS STRESSFUL. IN ZZZ6, I CALL SCHEDULING TO DEADHEAD HOME EARLIER BUT I AM ASSIGNED TO DEADHEAD ON MY SAME ACFT TO ZZZ15 TO FLY NEXT DAY. I RIDE IN THE COCKPIT AGAIN DUE TO FULL FLT. WE HAVE WX IN ZZZ15. AT THE HOTEL IN ZZZ15 MY ASSIGNMENT CHANGES FROM FLY TO ZZZ16, THEN DEADHEAD TO ZZZ6 TO ZZZ5 TO NEW ASSIGNMENT FLY TO ZZZ6, DEADHEAD TO ZZZ6 FLY TO ZZZ17, THEN DEADHEAD TO ZZZ5. DAY 5. FLY ZZZ15-ZZZ16 WITH ANOTHER FO. I ASK HIM TO FLY, BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE TIRED. ONCE IN ZZZ16 MY ASSIGNMENT CHANGES TO DEADHEAD TO ZZZ18 THEN FLY ZZZ18-ZZZ19 THEN ZZZ19 TO ZZZ11. I DEADHEAD AGAIN IN THE COCKPIT DUE TO FULL FLT. THERE WAS MUCH WX INTO ZZZ18. AFTER GND TIME WITH SECOND FO OF THE DAY WE FLY ZZZ18-ZZZ19. 'C' FLT ATTENDANT IS ON HER FIRST DAY AT COMPANY. I ASKED FO TO FLY TO ZZZ19 AND TELL HIM I AM ON MY 5TH DAY AND FEEL A LITTLE TIRED, SO PAY EXTRA ATTN TO ACFT AND ME. THERE IS SOME WX ON THIS LEG. WE LAND IN ZZZ19 AND WAIT OUT FOR THE GATE. ONCE ON THE GATE, WE DON'T BOARD A FULL FLT BECAUSE OPS AGENT THINKS WE HAVE WX DELAY BUT DOES NOT ASK ME. AFTER HAVING TO CONVINCE HIM WE CAN LEAVE ANYTIME, HE BOARDS AND WE LEAVE LATE. I FLY TO ZZZ11. THERE IS A LITTLE WX ON THIS LEG. WE LAND IN ZZZ11 AND I HAVE TO WAIT A LONG TIME FOR THE HOTEL VAN. AT THE HOTEL, I GO DIRECTLY TO BED AND I AM FEELING THE COMPILED EFFECTS OF THE TRIP AND TIME ZONE CHANGES. BUT ON DAY 6, I JUST DEADHEAD HOME. DAY 6. WAKE UP TIRED BUT NOT AS BAD AS LAST NIGHT.GO TO THE ARPT EARLY DUE CHANGE IN THREAT LEVEL BY HOMELAND SECURITY AND LCL TV STATIONS SAY THAT TFC IN AND OUT OF ZZZ11 IS A MESS. SECURITY WAS AN AGGRAVATION. GO TO MY DEADHEAD GATE AND AM ASKED TO CALL SCHEDULING. I AM REASSIGNED TO DEADHEAD TO ZZZ4 (PROBABLY IN THE COCKPIT AGAIN) AND THEN FLY TO ZZZ1-ZZZ7-ZZZ5 (I THINK). I AM HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME COMPREHENDING AND WRITING DOWN THE TRIP. I AM FIGURING ROUGHLY ANOTHER 10+ HR DUTY DAY, ANOTHER TIME ZONE CHANGE AND ANOTHER FO THAT MAY HELP OR HINDER. I DON'T KNOW. I TELL THE SCHEDULER A SHORT VERSION OF MY TRIP AND TO LOOK AT WHAT I HAVE DONE IN THE PAST 5 DAYS. I AM NOT SURE I CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS DAY. HE VERY NICELY SAID IT WAS LEGAL. BUT HE ALSO STATED, VERY WISELY, HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH MY CONVERSATION. I CALL MY ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT AND THEN CALLED IN FATIGUED. I THEN DEADHEAD ZZZ11-ZZZ20-ZZZ5 IN THE COCKPIT BECAUSE THE FLTS WERE FULL.

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.