Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Fatigue
Other Fatigue
General Work Refused
Company Policy; Human Factors
After arriving from Mexico scheduling advised they wanted me to operate a sequence to two leg sequence departing 3:15 later. To accomplish this sequence I would have been up for approximately 25 hours on arrival at the final destination. The departure for my original pairing had an actual pick-up time two hours prior to departure so; regardless of how the company defines the duty period; we were effectively on duty starting at that pick up time. In addition; the more demanding environment of Mexico to operate out of increased fatigue. I advised Scheduling that the assignment was excessive and of course the response was that it was contractual. I stated that if the assignment were of shorter duration I could make myself available but; as the only link in the safety chain in regards to fatigue; I could not accept the assignment. Our Airline's chronic under-manning of fleets; in particular reserves; and its optimization of schedules without regard to the human element is the root of the problem. Turning/rescheduling a reserve crew member out to unanticipated assignments should only be allowed for deadheading to the next assignment. Only external pressures or accidents will force the company to come to terms with this so it is moot to discuss it. Committees to 'address' the problem seem to have had no impact on safe scheduling and it is only the individual crew member; facing loss of pay or 'Counseling;' that upholds safety in this regard. Irregular sleep patterns generated on reserve result in cumulative fatigue and sometimes inability to sleep on demand. Schedules should also reflect the actual pick-up/duty time if it is greater than 1+30 from departure time.
An air carrier reserve Captain related his reasons for refusing a re-assignment due to excessive duty times and fatigue.