Narrative:

13 hours of duty and 7:44 of flight time scheduled for day 4 of 4. After a 2:45 situation in dca prior to the last leg; flight was ground stopped for WX on the departure. After approximately 2 hours of stop; we were released and allowed to proceed. This resulted in a 15:06 duty day. Upon arrival at the gate; both the captain and I were extremely fatigued. Crew schedulers plan long duty days on the last day of a trip because they know that human nature will drive the pilot to push to finish the trip. This is especially true now that we are flying more and are gone from home more days per month. This practice must be discontinued. Long 'sits' during the duty day that push the scheduling limits for duty day length need to be reviewed so as to prevent an accident or incident caused by fatigue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT DISCUSSES ACR CREW SCHEDULING PRACTICES THAT ALLOW VERY LONG LAST TRIP DAYS WITH HIGH FLT TIMES.

Narrative: 13 HRS OF DUTY AND 7:44 OF FLT TIME SCHEDULED FOR DAY 4 OF 4. AFTER A 2:45 SIT IN DCA PRIOR TO THE LAST LEG; FLT WAS GND STOPPED FOR WX ON THE DEP. AFTER APPROX 2 HRS OF STOP; WE WERE RELEASED AND ALLOWED TO PROCEED. THIS RESULTED IN A 15:06 DUTY DAY. UPON ARR AT THE GATE; BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE EXTREMELY FATIGUED. CREW SCHEDULERS PLAN LONG DUTY DAYS ON THE LAST DAY OF A TRIP BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT HUMAN NATURE WILL DRIVE THE PLT TO PUSH TO FINISH THE TRIP. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE NOW THAT WE ARE FLYING MORE AND ARE GONE FROM HOME MORE DAYS PER MONTH. THIS PRACTICE MUST BE DISCONTINUED. LONG 'SITS' DURING THE DUTY DAY THAT PUSH THE SCHEDULING LIMITS FOR DUTY DAY LENGTH NEED TO BE REVIEWED SO AS TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT CAUSED BY FATIGUE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.