Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Fatigue; Workload; Communication Breakdown
No Specific Anomaly Occurred All Types
Procedure; Company Policy; Human Factors
After a two day trip; I received a call from the crew desk advising me I had a one day trip the next morning with a 10 hour 45 minutes block to block separation. I asked if I was the only reserve available and they said yes. I received just enough rest to fly the trip. While walking to my car after the flight; I received a call from the crew desk giving me a 13 hour callout [for the next morning]; field standby. I informed them I was tired and got just enough rest to fly the Mexico turn after a 10:45 block to block callout. They said the assignment was legal and I informed them if I didn't get a good night sleep I would be calling in fatigued. After driving home my body was fatigued and out of sync. It took me a while to fall asleep and when I did; the sleep shallow and uneven. I have been a reserve captain for over eleven years and I've written several reports on the legality of changing a 2 am short call to an 'all-nighter;' and I'm equally concerned about flying 10:45 block to block trips and subsequently being assigned a minimum rest trip after your return to home base. I was assigned a 10:45 block to block trip last week and it was equally tough but it was also the last trip of the week. The Bottom Line--assigning a minimum rest trip; after a 10:45 block to block trip is exhausting. A 10:45 block to block assignment will work if it's the last trip of the week; but if an additional assignment is added on the body can't recuperate fast enough. I sincerely hope NASA and any appropriate agencies will test fly a trip with west coast pilots acclimated to central or eastern time zones; returning back to the west coast and receiving a 10:45 block to block assignment. Then subsequently assigning the pilot a minimum rest trip the next day. The minimum rest after a 10:45 block to block assignment should be extended.
A Reserve Captain discussed his company's pilot scheduling policy which includes minimum rest periods at home between duty periods after transcontinental time changes and alternating on duty times varying from night to day.