An international airline captain was terminated when he refused an assignment because of fatigue.

Attributes
ACN	763271
Time
Date	200711
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 16250 flight time type : 130
ASRS Report	763271
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

I was a captain at an air carrier. I was terminated from employment as I refused to accept an unsafe flight assignment due to fatigue. In the previous 8 days; I slept a total of 38 hours; and 13 hours in the previous 4 days. In the 4 days prior; I traversed 10 time zones and operated 18:56. Company notified me upon my return from a long international sequence that I was assigned another sequence (another international) that same evening. Given my fatigued state; I refused the assignment. Later that day; the director of operations contacted me. I informed him that given my state of fatigue it would be unsafe for me to fly that evening. I was terminated from employment at that time for refusing to fly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE CAPT WAS TERMINATED WHEN HE REFUSED AN ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE OF FATIGUE.

Narrative: I WAS A CAPT AT AN ACR. I WAS TERMINATED FROM EMPLOYMENT AS I REFUSED TO ACCEPT AN UNSAFE FLT ASSIGNMENT DUE TO FATIGUE. IN THE PREVIOUS 8 DAYS; I SLEPT A TOTAL OF 38 HRS; AND 13 HRS IN THE PREVIOUS 4 DAYS. IN THE 4 DAYS PRIOR; I TRAVERSED 10 TIME ZONES AND OPERATED 18:56. COMPANY NOTIFIED ME UPON MY RETURN FROM A LONG INTL SEQUENCE THAT I WAS ASSIGNED ANOTHER SEQUENCE (ANOTHER INTL) THAT SAME EVENING. GIVEN MY FATIGUED STATE; I REFUSED THE ASSIGNMENT. LATER THAT DAY; THE DIRECTOR OF OPS CONTACTED ME. I INFORMED HIM THAT GIVEN MY STATE OF FATIGUE IT WOULD BE UNSAFE FOR ME TO FLY THAT EVENING. I WAS TERMINATED FROM EMPLOYMENT AT THAT TIME FOR REFUSING TO FLY.

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.