Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 15295; Flight Crew Type 5173
Fatigue; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Work Refused; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors
Trip began as Flight ABCD; 2-day ZZZ; daytime flying. On the XXth [Date]; crew brought in plane with flap issue. Took over one hour to resolve. Just prior to engine start; ground crew said fuel was leaking from Number 1 engine. Followed QRC; ended up doing engine run. Ground crew stated no leaks after engine run. Captain looked out window to see fuel streaming from number one engine. This was never resolved. We refused to fly aircraft. Were told by scheduling a new part was being flown in and we would Maintenance ferry jet home on the XXth [Date]; our scheduled day off.On XXth [Date]; discovered; at jet; no part had arrived but we were told to ferry jet to ZZZ1 and it would be fixed. After consultation with numerous agencies and several hours; we again refused jet. Nothing had been fixed. Worst engine leak I've ever seen. The directives Maintenance was following were for leaks in the range of 60 to 100 drops per minute of fuel. This became a steady stream the day prior. We refused to fly jet as nothing had been done.Took some time to get hotel; had to self-help. Arrived to hotel. Scheduled to deadhead home on XYth [Date]. Due to mix-up; transportation went to wrong hotel. We missed XA00 flight home. Rescheduled for XD:50 pm flight home. I had a ZZZ turn today; XZth [Date]; with a XA50 report. This was illegal crew rest so the crew desk did a mini-pack of my schedule; combined the now 4-day trip with 4 duty periods into a 5 day trip and 5 duty periods with near absolute minimum rest.I spent some time checking on the legality of what was done; with company. It turns out; this extremely onerous now 5 day pairing with very limited rest opportunity was legal. Legal doesn't mean smart or does it mean a pilot really has adequate rest.I gave every effort in an attempt to get adequate rest; but the pressure; once finally in bed; and reflection on the maintenance issues; the mental fatigue caused by the ever-changing schedule; flying into now two days off; and then paired with a trip packing with minimal rest caused sleep to be very difficult. Two-hour time difference; though seemingly minor; comes into play as I'd become acclimatized.I finally realized; as I was about to go to parking lot; I was not safe to fly nor could I certify FFD. I called fatigued.
Air carrier First Officer reported calling in fatigued due to several maintenance related delays and company scheduling techniques that push the limits of legal rest periods.