Narrative:

This report is related to the fact that this pairing is scheduled as an unaugmented flight. Although it is scheduled as 7 hours 52 mins block-to-block; our flight was 8 hours 27 mins without unusual delays; ie; typical lhr takeoff delay for that time of the morning as well as no delays into iad. Stronger than usual headwinds probably contributed but the flight would probably still exceeded 8 hours. I am claiming fatigue and did so with the crew desk. I am on reserve and was to be assigned another iad-lhr-iad trip the next day -- again unaugmented. I believe this a dangerous operation. I nearly caused an altitude bust due to hearing a heading as an altitude. The first officer questioned my reply and 'saved' us. After attempting sleep in london at body time that equates to early evening; getting up at XA30 body time and then flying 8 hours 27 mins without a break is a fatiguing situation and in my opinion is a set-up for a less than professional executed operation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has been scheduled and flown several trips that were scheduled for less than 8 hours and the flts have exceeded the 8 hours in excess of 30 mins. He stated that often the transatlantic flts ae delayed during taxi out due to traffic congestion on the ramps. Additionally; the wind conditions during cruise in the winter months can be in excess of 100 KTS. The feels that the company is trying to save money by not augmenting the crews with another pilot and feels that it's a fatigue problem. He feels that it's an ongoing problem with his company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 PLT IS CONCERNED THAT THE COMPANY IS PRODUCING SCHEDULES THAT SHOW LESS THAN 8 HRS AND THE FLT EXCEEDS THE 8 HRS WITHOUT AN AUGMENTED CREW. FATIGUE IS AN ISSUE.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS RELATED TO THE FACT THAT THIS PAIRING IS SCHEDULED AS AN UNAUGMENTED FLT. ALTHOUGH IT IS SCHEDULED AS 7 HRS 52 MINS BLOCK-TO-BLOCK; OUR FLT WAS 8 HRS 27 MINS WITHOUT UNUSUAL DELAYS; IE; TYPICAL LHR TKOF DELAY FOR THAT TIME OF THE MORNING AS WELL AS NO DELAYS INTO IAD. STRONGER THAN USUAL HEADWINDS PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED BUT THE FLT WOULD PROBABLY STILL EXCEEDED 8 HRS. I AM CLAIMING FATIGUE AND DID SO WITH THE CREW DESK. I AM ON RESERVE AND WAS TO BE ASSIGNED ANOTHER IAD-LHR-IAD TRIP THE NEXT DAY -- AGAIN UNAUGMENTED. I BELIEVE THIS A DANGEROUS OP. I NEARLY CAUSED AN ALT BUST DUE TO HEARING A HDG AS AN ALT. THE FO QUESTIONED MY REPLY AND 'SAVED' US. AFTER ATTEMPTING SLEEP IN LONDON AT BODY TIME THAT EQUATES TO EARLY EVENING; GETTING UP AT XA30 BODY TIME AND THEN FLYING 8 HRS 27 MINS WITHOUT A BREAK IS A FATIGUING SITUATION AND IN MY OPINION IS A SET-UP FOR A LESS THAN PROFESSIONAL EXECUTED OP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN SCHEDULED AND FLOWN SEVERAL TRIPS THAT WERE SCHEDULED FOR LESS THAN 8 HRS AND THE FLTS HAVE EXCEEDED THE 8 HRS IN EXCESS OF 30 MINS. HE STATED THAT OFTEN THE TRANSATLANTIC FLTS AE DELAYED DURING TAXI OUT DUE TO TFC CONGESTION ON THE RAMPS. ADDITIONALLY; THE WIND CONDITIONS DURING CRUISE IN THE WINTER MONTHS CAN BE IN EXCESS OF 100 KTS. THE FEELS THAT THE COMPANY IS TRYING TO SAVE MONEY BY NOT AUGMENTING THE CREWS WITH ANOTHER PLT AND FEELS THAT IT'S A FATIGUE PROB. HE FEELS THAT IT'S AN ONGOING PROB WITH HIS COMPANY.

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.