Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 0; Flight Crew Total 2647; Flight Crew Type 2647
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Work Refused
Aircraft; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Received an early am short call assignment. Assigned paring ZZZ. 2 gate returns were made for maintenance and FO timing out on second gate return as well. Aircraft swap was made to continue flight with new FO. After realizing how tired I was and that I was paired up with another FO who hadn't flown in nearly the same amount of time as me (9 months); and after a self-perceived degradation in my performance from the extended maintenance delays; I removed myself from the operation due to safety concerns. I feel as though if I had been flying more I could have powered through this event by relying on recent 'habit patterns or 'muscle Memory' from currency of a normal schedule. That; with the self-awareness of fatigue setting in led me to believe that the safe thing to do was to remove myself from the flight. I have flown aircraft for decades. I know when to remove myself from flight duty. I believe that this extended duty period with disrupted sleep and a degraded sense of performance would have been in poor judgement for me to continue."
Air carrier Captain reported multiple ground delays and lack of proper sleep resulted in physical degradation/fatigue and decided to remove himself from the flight.