Narrative:

Fatigue: crew fatigue during flight from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 induced by illegal trip; built by crew desk which resulted in less than adequate layover time before a flight over 12 hours. Crew fatigue was further increased for the return flight because the layover was too short to allow the crew to get adequate rest following the previous 2 days of flying. Crew made numerous errors on both legs due to fatigue and several crew members fell asleep on duty. We had a mechanical issue that could not be fixed and could not be deferred. Because of numerous problems encountered at ZZZ1 with maintenance issues; lack of manpower to help us with our return to the gate; it was very stressful and emotionally draining. When our crew duty day was running out; the flight was rescheduled for the next day. Since there were no reserves available; we were told we would have to fly the trip the next day. We were given a local hotel but we were only given 12 hours 5 mins free of duty before a 13 hour scheduled flight. We used several of those hours getting to the hotel; getting dinner before trying to sleep and breakfast before an XA30 show. During the flight to ZZZZ2 all of the pilots were tired and we kept making mistakes. When we got to ZZZZ2 our time at the hotel was cut to 18 hours 30 mins in order to keep the return flight on schedule. Because I was tired from the previous 2 days; I went to bed after getting something to eat and woke up early in the morning and couldn't get back to sleep before pick-up. During the return flight to ZZZ1 I was very tired and kept making mistakes. In fact; the crew all said they were tired. Even with first break; my sleep was interrupted several times by turbulence and I had to go on duty very tired. It was nighttime; overwater; and in the middle of the night body-time. I kept drinking coffee/tea trying to stay awake. Unfortunately; I fell asleep several times at the controls. Lessons learned: I will not let the air carrier's lack of airplanes and pilots put me in this position again. I will refuse to fly a 12+ hour trip without being provided adequate crew rest beforehand. In addition I will ask for additional time at the layover hotel if I was fatigued on the inbound leg.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 RELIEF PILOT LAMENTS THE LACK OF PROPER REST BEFORE AND AFTER HIS TRIP. FLT IS RESCHEDULED DUE TO A MAINTENANCE ISSUE.

Narrative: FATIGUE: CREW FATIGUE DURING FLT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 INDUCED BY ILLEGAL TRIP; BUILT BY CREW DESK WHICH RESULTED IN LESS THAN ADEQUATE LAYOVER TIME BEFORE A FLT OVER 12 HRS. CREW FATIGUE WAS FURTHER INCREASED FOR THE RETURN FLT BECAUSE THE LAYOVER WAS TOO SHORT TO ALLOW THE CREW TO GET ADEQUATE REST FOLLOWING THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS OF FLYING. CREW MADE NUMEROUS ERRORS ON BOTH LEGS DUE TO FATIGUE AND SEVERAL CREW MEMBERS FELL ASLEEP ON DUTY. WE HAD A MECHANICAL ISSUE THAT COULD NOT BE FIXED AND COULD NOT BE DEFERRED. BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS PROBS ENCOUNTERED AT ZZZ1 WITH MAINT ISSUES; LACK OF MANPOWER TO HELP US WITH OUR RETURN TO THE GATE; IT WAS VERY STRESSFUL AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINING. WHEN OUR CREW DUTY DAY WAS RUNNING OUT; THE FLT WAS RESCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT DAY. SINCE THERE WERE NO RESERVES AVAILABLE; WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD HAVE TO FLY THE TRIP THE NEXT DAY. WE WERE GIVEN A LCL HOTEL BUT WE WERE ONLY GIVEN 12 HRS 5 MINS FREE OF DUTY BEFORE A 13 HR SCHEDULED FLT. WE USED SEVERAL OF THOSE HRS GETTING TO THE HOTEL; GETTING DINNER BEFORE TRYING TO SLEEP AND BREAKFAST BEFORE AN XA30 SHOW. DURING THE FLT TO ZZZZ2 ALL OF THE PLTS WERE TIRED AND WE KEPT MAKING MISTAKES. WHEN WE GOT TO ZZZZ2 OUR TIME AT THE HOTEL WAS CUT TO 18 HRS 30 MINS IN ORDER TO KEEP THE RETURN FLT ON SCHEDULE. BECAUSE I WAS TIRED FROM THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS; I WENT TO BED AFTER GETTING SOMETHING TO EAT AND WOKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING AND COULDN'T GET BACK TO SLEEP BEFORE PICK-UP. DURING THE RETURN FLT TO ZZZ1 I WAS VERY TIRED AND KEPT MAKING MISTAKES. IN FACT; THE CREW ALL SAID THEY WERE TIRED. EVEN WITH FIRST BREAK; MY SLEEP WAS INTERRUPTED SEVERAL TIMES BY TURB AND I HAD TO GO ON DUTY VERY TIRED. IT WAS NIGHTTIME; OVERWATER; AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BODY-TIME. I KEPT DRINKING COFFEE/TEA TRYING TO STAY AWAKE. UNFORTUNATELY; I FELL ASLEEP SEVERAL TIMES AT THE CTLS. LESSONS LEARNED: I WILL NOT LET THE ACR'S LACK OF AIRPLANES AND PLTS PUT ME IN THIS POS AGAIN. I WILL REFUSE TO FLY A 12+ HR TRIP WITHOUT BEING PROVIDED ADEQUATE CREW REST BEFOREHAND. IN ADDITION I WILL ASK FOR ADDITIONAL TIME AT THE LAYOVER HOTEL IF I WAS FATIGUED ON THE INBOUND LEG.

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.