Narrative:

This pairing was an around the world trip. While legal it involved numerous sleep cycle flips. It also involved a mid-trip deadhead after flying all night. My anchor sleep time is usually 0400-1100Z. The first leg is a FLIP. This is normal. It is still working during normal sleep/circadian cycle. The next leg is actually back on awake cycle. However; now that you are +4 zulu time and my home time was -5; your body wants to sleep during the day. The next leg was an early wakeup local time; yet we still had 1 hour scheduled for a drive that takes 15 mins. This needs to change. Again waking up as the body is ready for sleep and flipping. This 3RD long leg arrived in hong kong for a well needed rest. We had 46 hours prior to the next flight. I do not think I could have flown after less time off. After resting and adapting to hong kong time (UTC +8) I again flew during a circadian sleep period. We then had 26 hours off and another FLIP. 24 hours off in shanghai; a midnight local alert; and 11 hour duty day and a FLIP. Deadheading after 2 night flts is not what any pilot should have to do. We should have crew rested in osaka. We are tired; physically exhausted and mingling with hundreds of possible germ carrying people. I think both of us caught a bug at the airport or during the flight. Upon getting to haneda; I forced myself to stay awake for a few hours; then slept very hard until the alert call. Again we flipped to day asia flying and after a 2 hour cabin attendant ride to narita; we flew 2 legs to taipei. Looking at the pairing with 52 hours off makes the trip seem easy. Again we both needed the rest. We had to FLIP our bodies again to night flying; and I believe we both were fighting to stay alert and healthy the rest of the trip. 2 night turns later we arrived back in osaka for 19 hours of rest before a scheduled 12 hour flight. Flipping from day to night and back in the us is not easy. Flipping numerous times causes chronic fatigue. We had yet another fatigue lecture during recurrent training this yr. Lectures will not make a line pilot any more rested when his circadian rhythm is upset. I have flown numerous round the world trips. I have also flown just in asia or europe many times. This is by far the most fatiguing trip I have ever flown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FREIGHTER FIRST OFFICER REPORTS EXTREME FATIGUE PRODUCED BY AROUND THE WORLD TRIP THAT DISREGARDS CIRCADIAN SLEEP RHYTHMS.

Narrative: THIS PAIRING WAS AN AROUND THE WORLD TRIP. WHILE LEGAL IT INVOLVED NUMEROUS SLEEP CYCLE FLIPS. IT ALSO INVOLVED A MID-TRIP DEADHEAD AFTER FLYING ALL NIGHT. MY ANCHOR SLEEP TIME IS USUALLY 0400-1100Z. THE FIRST LEG IS A FLIP. THIS IS NORMAL. IT IS STILL WORKING DURING NORMAL SLEEP/CIRCADIAN CYCLE. THE NEXT LEG IS ACTUALLY BACK ON AWAKE CYCLE. HOWEVER; NOW THAT YOU ARE +4 ZULU TIME AND MY HOME TIME WAS -5; YOUR BODY WANTS TO SLEEP DURING THE DAY. THE NEXT LEG WAS AN EARLY WAKEUP LCL TIME; YET WE STILL HAD 1 HR SCHEDULED FOR A DRIVE THAT TAKES 15 MINS. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE. AGAIN WAKING UP AS THE BODY IS READY FOR SLEEP AND FLIPPING. THIS 3RD LONG LEG ARRIVED IN HONG KONG FOR A WELL NEEDED REST. WE HAD 46 HRS PRIOR TO THE NEXT FLT. I DO NOT THINK I COULD HAVE FLOWN AFTER LESS TIME OFF. AFTER RESTING AND ADAPTING TO HONG KONG TIME (UTC +8) I AGAIN FLEW DURING A CIRCADIAN SLEEP PERIOD. WE THEN HAD 26 HRS OFF AND ANOTHER FLIP. 24 HRS OFF IN SHANGHAI; A MIDNIGHT LCL ALERT; AND 11 HR DUTY DAY AND A FLIP. DEADHEADING AFTER 2 NIGHT FLTS IS NOT WHAT ANY PLT SHOULD HAVE TO DO. WE SHOULD HAVE CREW RESTED IN OSAKA. WE ARE TIRED; PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED AND MINGLING WITH HUNDREDS OF POSSIBLE GERM CARRYING PEOPLE. I THINK BOTH OF US CAUGHT A BUG AT THE ARPT OR DURING THE FLT. UPON GETTING TO HANEDA; I FORCED MYSELF TO STAY AWAKE FOR A FEW HRS; THEN SLEPT VERY HARD UNTIL THE ALERT CALL. AGAIN WE FLIPPED TO DAY ASIA FLYING AND AFTER A 2 HR CAB RIDE TO NARITA; WE FLEW 2 LEGS TO TAIPEI. LOOKING AT THE PAIRING WITH 52 HRS OFF MAKES THE TRIP SEEM EASY. AGAIN WE BOTH NEEDED THE REST. WE HAD TO FLIP OUR BODIES AGAIN TO NIGHT FLYING; AND I BELIEVE WE BOTH WERE FIGHTING TO STAY ALERT AND HEALTHY THE REST OF THE TRIP. 2 NIGHT TURNS LATER WE ARRIVED BACK IN OSAKA FOR 19 HRS OF REST BEFORE A SCHEDULED 12 HR FLT. FLIPPING FROM DAY TO NIGHT AND BACK IN THE US IS NOT EASY. FLIPPING NUMEROUS TIMES CAUSES CHRONIC FATIGUE. WE HAD YET ANOTHER FATIGUE LECTURE DURING RECURRENT TRAINING THIS YR. LECTURES WILL NOT MAKE A LINE PLT ANY MORE RESTED WHEN HIS CIRCADIAN RHYTHM IS UPSET. I HAVE FLOWN NUMEROUS ROUND THE WORLD TRIPS. I HAVE ALSO FLOWN JUST IN ASIA OR EUROPE MANY TIMES. THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST FATIGUING TRIP I HAVE EVER FLOWN.

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.