Originally Posted by
APC225
"117.5 does not quantify the amount of fatigue"
"the FAA declines to categorically find that a slight amount of fatigue"
"whether to conduct an emergency landing will depend on the flightcrew member's fatigue level"
"nearest suitable location to avoid accumulating additional amounts of fatigue"
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...rpretation.pdf
I was a little surprised at the words "levels" and "amounts" with respect to fatigue. I thought it was "yes" or "no" to being fatigued, not "a little" or "a lot." They reiterate twice in this letter that fatigue cannot cause you to fall below performing "duties at the highest degree of safety."
Since "highest" is an absolute term, and to fall below that is illegal, then any fatigue at all--low "level" or small "amount"--would drop the pilot down to less than "highest." Using an absolute term for the standard of safety but a relative term for fatigue seems contradictory.