Narrative:

On sat/aug/2005; I received a cold call in my hotel room from the crew desk at xa:30 am. I was sleeping soundly at the time of the call and my alarm clock was not set to go off for another hour to make my hotel van transportation to the airport at the scheduled time of xc:00 am. The purpose of the call was to inform me that my scheduled flight msp-ord had been cancelled and that I now would be deadheading on a flight that would depart an hour later at xe:00 am. Since this was a cold call it definitely got my adrenaline flowing and I was wide awake at that point and couldn't go back to sleep. I had flown a 13+ hour duty day the day prior and was on day 4 of a 4 day trip. Although I was tired from the cumulative fatigue inevitable from this identification's itinerary; I deemed myself fit to fly the remaining portion of the identification even though the cold call during the most critical portion of my sleep cycle contributed unnecessarily to my fatigue on this trip. The next day I called the crew desk supervisor that was on duty during this call. The most disturbing aspect of this incident to me is that the supervisor told me he was following 'established policy.' upon further research on my own I find there is no 'established policy.' therefore; any decision by the crew desk to interrupt a crew's sleep cycle must be based on sound operational judgement; and I believe this did not occur when the cold call was placed to me in my hotel room to inform me of a one hour slip to my scheduled departure time. As a crew member; I plan my sleep period very carefully to ensure I have the required rest to fly my schedule. When this 'plan' is interrupted by a phone call; which was obviously going to be the case at xa:30 am in the morning; it creates unnecessary stress and fatigue. I believe the company in conjunction with the union system scheduling committee need to develop a fool-proof policy/rule/procedure that prevents a crew member from being interrupted during the critical phases of his/her sleep cycle unless an emergency situation in involved. Thanks for your attention in this critical matter; since fatigue is acknowledged as the number one problem in line operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 PLT IS AWAKENED BY CREW SCHEDULING DURING HIS LAYOVER. FEELS THE DISRUPTION TO HIS SLEEP CYCLE WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THE EFFECTS ON FATIGUE FOR HIS SUBSEQUENT REASSIGNMENT IS INAPPROPRIATE.

Narrative: ON SAT/AUG/2005; I RECEIVED A COLD CALL IN MY HOTEL ROOM FROM THE CREW DESK AT XA:30 AM. I WAS SLEEPING SOUNDLY AT THE TIME OF THE CALL AND MY ALARM CLOCK WAS NOT SET TO GO OFF FOR ANOTHER HOUR TO MAKE MY HOTEL VAN TRANSPORTATION TO THE ARPT AT THE SCHEDULED TIME OF XC:00 AM. THE PURPOSE OF THE CALL WAS TO INFORM ME THAT MY SCHEDULED FLT MSP-ORD HAD BEEN CANCELLED AND THAT I NOW WOULD BE DEADHEADING ON A FLT THAT WOULD DEPART AN HOUR LATER AT XE:00 AM. SINCE THIS WAS A COLD CALL IT DEFINITELY GOT MY ADRENALINE FLOWING AND I WAS WIDE AWAKE AT THAT POINT AND COULDN'T GO BACK TO SLEEP. I HAD FLOWN A 13+ HOUR DUTY DAY THE DAY PRIOR AND WAS ON DAY 4 OF A 4 DAY TRIP. ALTHOUGH I WAS TIRED FROM THE CUMULATIVE FATIGUE INEVITABLE FROM THIS ID'S ITINERARY; I DEEMED MYSELF FIT TO FLY THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE ID EVEN THOUGH THE COLD CALL DURING THE MOST CRITICAL PORTION OF MY SLEEP CYCLE CONTRIBUTED UNNECESSARILY TO MY FATIGUE ON THIS TRIP. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED THE CREW DESK SUPVR THAT WAS ON DUTY DURING THIS CALL. THE MOST DISTURBING ASPECT OF THIS INCIDENT TO ME IS THAT THE SUPVR TOLD ME HE WAS FOLLOWING 'ESTABLISHED POLICY.' UPON FURTHER RESEARCH ON MY OWN I FIND THERE IS NO 'ESTABLISHED POLICY.' THEREFORE; ANY DECISION BY THE CREW DESK TO INTERRUPT A CREW'S SLEEP CYCLE MUST BE BASED ON SOUND OPERATIONAL JUDGEMENT; AND I BELIEVE THIS DID NOT OCCUR WHEN THE COLD CALL WAS PLACED TO ME IN MY HOTEL ROOM TO INFORM ME OF A ONE HOUR SLIP TO MY SCHEDULED DEP TIME. AS A CREW MEMBER; I PLAN MY SLEEP PERIOD VERY CAREFULLY TO ENSURE I HAVE THE REQUIRED REST TO FLY MY SCHEDULE. WHEN THIS 'PLAN' IS INTERRUPTED BY A PHONE CALL; WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE THE CASE AT XA:30 AM IN THE MORNING; IT CREATES UNNECESSARY STRESS AND FATIGUE. I BELIEVE THE COMPANY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNION SYSTEM SCHEDULING COMMITTEE NEED TO DEVELOP A FOOL-PROOF POLICY/RULE/PROC THAT PREVENTS A CREW MEMBER FROM BEING INTERRUPTED DURING THE CRITICAL PHASES OF HIS/HER SLEEP CYCLE UNLESS AN EMER SIT IN INVOLVED. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS CRITICAL MATTER; SINCE FATIGUE IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE NUMBER ONE PROB IN LINE OPS.

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.