Narrative:

With fatigue issues coming more and more to the forefront of our attention I am realizing just how big a problem this really is. After walking off the airplane in ZZZ2 it occurred to me that we had not read a parking checklist. Flight has a scheduled departure time of XA27 central time. I had been up since XA00 am local time after an excellent night's sleep. I worked out about XB00. Going to work I felt good. On the aircraft I took the last break because the first officer was flying and wanted the middle break. I got into the bunk about 3 hours and 15 mins before landing with instructions to the first officer's to wake me up about an hour and 15 mins before landing. I immediately fell asleep and was in a deep sleep when the first officer's rang the call chime. I was startled and disoriented because of the deep level of sleep. I almost felt worse than I would have if I hadn't gone to sleep. It was now about XU00 am my time. I could tell that my mind was slow and I felt irritable. On the arrival and approach the flying first officer made several small errors which I was able to catch including at one point somehow selecting heading hold while we were supposed to be on LNAV and he didn't notice it. I caught it just before we were to make a turn on the arrival. We also missed a couple of radio calls I think because of what could best be described as feeling like I was in a haze from fatigue. Once at the gate I recall setting the parking brake; calling for and watching the first officer cut off the start levers and watching the engines spool down; and then performing my flow and turning everything off. At this time someone from the ramp called the cockpit and started inquiring about the state of the airplane; what write-ups he received; and if we had anymore. This was definitely a distraction and out of the normal course of ground to cockpit communications and may have contributed to the problem. At the end of this discussion I gathered my belongings and walked off the airplane. Neither copilot caught the fact that we missed the parking checklist. When I was standing in the terminal at the end of the jetbridge something in the back of my mind kept telling me that I missed something. Then it struck me; we didn't read the checklist. I advised the first officer and we then took action to correct the mistake. While we actually accomplished all of the proper procedures in terms of shutting down the airplane; it is worth noting how fatigue can affect our processes. When I think back on the yrs I've spent in airplanes we often feel this high level of fatigue when flying international trips.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT DESCRIBES THE FATIGUE AND RESULTING ERROR AFTER THE FIRST LEG OF AN INTERNATIONAL TRIP AT THE DESTINATION.

Narrative: WITH FATIGUE ISSUES COMING MORE AND MORE TO THE FOREFRONT OF OUR ATTN I AM REALIZING JUST HOW BIG A PROB THIS REALLY IS. AFTER WALKING OFF THE AIRPLANE IN ZZZ2 IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE HAD NOT READ A PARKING CHKLIST. FLT HAS A SCHEDULED DEP TIME OF XA27 CENTRAL TIME. I HAD BEEN UP SINCE XA00 AM LCL TIME AFTER AN EXCELLENT NIGHT'S SLEEP. I WORKED OUT ABOUT XB00. GOING TO WORK I FELT GOOD. ON THE ACFT I TOOK THE LAST BREAK BECAUSE THE FO WAS FLYING AND WANTED THE MIDDLE BREAK. I GOT INTO THE BUNK ABOUT 3 HRS AND 15 MINS BEFORE LNDG WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO THE FO'S TO WAKE ME UP ABOUT AN HR AND 15 MINS BEFORE LNDG. I IMMEDIATELY FELL ASLEEP AND WAS IN A DEEP SLEEP WHEN THE FO'S RANG THE CALL CHIME. I WAS STARTLED AND DISORIENTED BECAUSE OF THE DEEP LEVEL OF SLEEP. I ALMOST FELT WORSE THAN I WOULD HAVE IF I HADN'T GONE TO SLEEP. IT WAS NOW ABOUT XU00 AM MY TIME. I COULD TELL THAT MY MIND WAS SLOW AND I FELT IRRITABLE. ON THE ARR AND APCH THE FLYING FO MADE SEVERAL SMALL ERRORS WHICH I WAS ABLE TO CATCH INCLUDING AT ONE POINT SOMEHOW SELECTING HDG HOLD WHILE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON LNAV AND HE DIDN'T NOTICE IT. I CAUGHT IT JUST BEFORE WE WERE TO MAKE A TURN ON THE ARR. WE ALSO MISSED A COUPLE OF RADIO CALLS I THINK BECAUSE OF WHAT COULD BEST BE DESCRIBED AS FEELING LIKE I WAS IN A HAZE FROM FATIGUE. ONCE AT THE GATE I RECALL SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE; CALLING FOR AND WATCHING THE FO CUT OFF THE START LEVERS AND WATCHING THE ENGS SPOOL DOWN; AND THEN PERFORMING MY FLOW AND TURNING EVERYTHING OFF. AT THIS TIME SOMEONE FROM THE RAMP CALLED THE COCKPIT AND STARTED INQUIRING ABOUT THE STATE OF THE AIRPLANE; WHAT WRITE-UPS HE RECEIVED; AND IF WE HAD ANYMORE. THIS WAS DEFINITELY A DISTR AND OUT OF THE NORMAL COURSE OF GND TO COCKPIT COMS AND MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. AT THE END OF THIS DISCUSSION I GATHERED MY BELONGINGS AND WALKED OFF THE AIRPLANE. NEITHER COPLT CAUGHT THE FACT THAT WE MISSED THE PARKING CHKLIST. WHEN I WAS STANDING IN THE TERMINAL AT THE END OF THE JETBRIDGE SOMETHING IN THE BACK OF MY MIND KEPT TELLING ME THAT I MISSED SOMETHING. THEN IT STRUCK ME; WE DIDN'T READ THE CHKLIST. I ADVISED THE FO AND WE THEN TOOK ACTION TO CORRECT THE MISTAKE. WHILE WE ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED ALL OF THE PROPER PROCS IN TERMS OF SHUTTING DOWN THE AIRPLANE; IT IS WORTH NOTING HOW FATIGUE CAN AFFECT OUR PROCESSES. WHEN I THINK BACK ON THE YRS I'VE SPENT IN AIRPLANES WE OFTEN FEEL THIS HIGH LEVEL OF FATIGUE WHEN FLYING INTERNATIONAL TRIPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.