A320
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 11500; Flight Crew Type 1500
Fatigue; Distraction; Communication Breakdown
Other Fatigue
General Work Refused
Company Policy; Human Factors
This is a fatigue issue. Our flight landed at after delays due to thunderstorms in the terminal area. Total duty day at that point; went to hotel layover for minimum 9 hours rest at hotel. Got to hotel [and] got to rooms shortly thereafter. Call to Crew Desk explained min rest and would attempt [in 9 hours later] van next morning back to airport. Scheduled departure was [later] and would be delayed pending our arrival and required flight planning and aircraft preparation. Had alarm set for maximize rest. Had 7 hours of flight time to complete the next duty period for day 3 of a 3 day. [I] was awakened by Crew Desk calling hotel room phone [2 hours before my alarm] to notify me of scheduled departure slipped to [an hour later]. [I] was in a deep sleep and not expecting an interruption of minimum crew rest. Was unable to go back to sleep. Reported for duty and notified Crew Desk of fatigue shortly thereafter. The relevant points to me are as follows: Minimum Rest at a hotel is usually after a longer than originally scheduled duty day due to weather or maintenance delays. The crew is; in most cases; exhausted by the time they get to the hotel. Rest is always crucial; but particularly on minimum rest layovers; with a late arrival; after a long duty day; with a lot of flying the subsequent day. When that rest is interrupted; it's a recipe for fatigue. The Crew Desk states that they must notify crews of delays to their departures to keep the duty clock from starting too soon and as a courtesy to the crews. There is no place in the contract that clearly spells this out about notification; or best time to notify. At a minimum; on min rest layovers; the Crew Desk needs to be made aware of this with a note in the computer; giving them a heads up to not call until toward the end of the 9 hours to notify the crew of any delays. Waking a crew up to essentially notify them they have more layover; on a min rest when sleep is the most important asset they have right then; is counterproductive for all involved; for obvious reasons. I feel after experiencing this scenario that there needs to be clear guidance to the Crew Desk on notification of crews on min layovers. All involved need to understand the importance of uninterrupted rest for as long as possible in these situations. Crews are responsible to be fit to fly. Interrupting a minimum layover rest greatly raises the chances that they won't be; and may leave them with only one responsible option left; to declare themselves fatigued. This doesn't help out the Crew Desk or the airline's operations. It's a lose/lose. Guidance is needed.
A pilot reported that during a minimum rest period after a 13+44 hour duty day; the Crew Scheduling Desk called to notify him about extending his rest which interrupted and prevented further rest so he called in fatigued.