Originally Posted by
ShyGuy
Wasn't there a Mesa Go! flight that went well beyond the islands of Hawaii before the pilots finally turned back?
And again: Did this have anything to do with a sleep disorder?
Having once been at Mesa, I'd venture a guess that the fatigue displayed in this incident had more to do with a crappy hotel and/or a fatigue-inducing schedule.
My current employer is showing zero concern with sleep patterns and circadian rhythm. We commonly have pairings with an 0700 show, one 2:30 leg, 12 hours of daytime rest followed by a 4 hour red eye followed by another 12 hours rest with a late afternoon show and 2 legs ending at 2200. 10 hours 1 minute on the ground followed by an early morning show on Day 4 with 3 legs and 7:30 flight time.
It's all legal per Part 117. Early morning, sleep in the day, red eye, sleep in the morning, late evening flying, short night, early morning, long Day 4.
Throw in a few nights in the lowest-cost-bidder hotels just to add to the fun. And if I'm fatigued on Day 4 it's obvious that I must have a sleep disorder.
It's easier and less expensive for airline management in concert with a willing FAA to blame the pilots than it is to actually fix the real problem.