T33 AIRSHOW PLT HAD MULTIPLE PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH SLEEP DEPRIVATION; DEHYDRATION; AND HEAT PROSTRATION.
Synopsis
T33 AIRSHOW PLT HAD MULTIPLE PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH SLEEP DEPRIVATION; DEHYDRATION; AND HEAT PROSTRATION.
Narrative
DURING 4 PAX/MEDIA FLTS ON FRI/XA/01 BTWN THE HRS OF XA15-XD30 FROM ZZZ; US; I MADE MULTIPLE MISTAKES IN JUDGEMENT. AS THE MORNING AND FLTS DRAGGED ON; I WAS UNSURE OF WHY I WAS MAKING SUCH MISTAKES THAT IN 10 YRS OF AIRSHOW AEROBATICS AND JET OPS I HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY MADE. FLT #1: PAX FLT AT APPROX XA15 ON BEHALF OF ZZZ AIRSHOW. REMAINED IN ARPT TFC PATTERN FOR 5-6 'WHEELS.' DID LOW APCHS AND LANDED. FLT #2: 'HOT-SEATED.' SECOND PAX FLT AT APPROX XA00 ON BEHALF OF ZZZ AIRSHOW; REQUESTED VECTORS TO ZZZ AIRSHOW AEROBATIC BOX TO SURVEY SAME PRIOR TO AIRSHOW TO BE FLOWN AT XE45 AND DO LIGHT AEROBATICS AS REQUESTED BY PAX. RETURNED TO BASE WITHOUT INCIDENT; I THINK. FLT #3: REMAINED IN ACFT DESPITE 93 DEG TEMP WITH HIGH HUMIDITY WHILE ACFT WAS REFUELED AND THIRD PAX BRIEFED AND STRAPPED. DEPARTED APPROX XB50 AND MADE SEVERAL REQUESTS OF TWR TO PROCEED BACK TO BEACH/AEROBATIC BOX AREA; BUT WAS ADVISED 'UNABLE' DUE TO HIGH VOLUME OF ACFT ARR IN SOUTHEASTERN CORRIDOR FOR ACTIVE RWY 35. HIGH VOLUME COM TFC AND ADVISED BY TWR TO REMAIN WITHIN 2.5 MI OF ARPT ON W SIDE IN 360 DEG TURNS AT 1500 FT AGL OR LESS. AFTER FIRST OR SECOND WHEEL; PAX DID NOT FEEL WELL; SO I HAD HIM FLY ACFT AND CONTINUE WHEELS TO FORESTALL ANY AIRSICKNESS. WE DID APPROX 6-8 MORE 360 DEG TURNS BEFORE GETTING A CHANCE FOR 2-3 LOW APCHS TO LNDG. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I BELIEVE THE SPD INCURSIONS GREATER THAN 250 KTS OCCURRED PRIOR TO LNDG. FLT #4: 'HOT-SEATED' 4TH PAX FLT AT APPROX XC40 AND AGAIN REQUESTED VECTORS TO ZZZ AIRSHOW BEACH AEROBATIC BOX TO DO LIGHT AEROBATICS AS REQUESTED BY PAX. UPON TAXI; PERFORMED A 120 DEG L TURN OUT OF RAMP AREA AWAY FROM ACFT TO INTXN XX AT RWY 35 TO PREVENT HAVING TO BACK TAXI ON ACTIVE RWY. TFC CONFLICT AGAIN PREVENTED VECTORS TO EACH SO WE REMAINED IN THE PATTERN FOR 5-6 WHEELS (LOW APCHS). PRIOR TO LNDG ON THE LAST WHEEL; THE PAX (IN BACK SEAT) ASKED THAT WE DO JUST 1 ROLL WHICH; AFTER EXTENDING THE R DOWNWIND 3.5 TO 4 MI; I PITCHED UP TO APPROX 2500 FT AGL AND EXECUTED WITH A WIFFORDILL TURN TO BASE. AS I CONFIGURED FOR LNDG I WAS HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY ACHIEVING FINAL APCH SPD (135 KTS) WITHOUT ACFT WALLOWING ON EDGE OF BUFFET. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS; I FINALLY FIGURED OUT THE PICTURE AND LOWERED THE FLAPS; LNDG WITHOUT EVENT. (FIRST TIME IN OVER 1500 HRS IN TYPE THAT THIS HAS EVER OCCURRED.) UPON LNDG; WAS REQUESTED TO CALL THE TWR SUPVR WHICH I DID. HOWEVER; MOSTLY LISTENED; AND PROMISED NO SUCH RECURRENCE OF POOR JUDGEMENT. AFTER TWR SUPVR; SPOKE WITH FSDO PERSONNEL; AGAIN MOSTLY LISTENED; AND AGAIN PROMISED NO SUCH RECURRENCE OF POOR JUDGEMENT. AFTER ARPT MGR; SPOKE WITH FBO MGR; AGAIN MOSTLY LISTENED; AND PROMISED NO SUCH HARD TURN OUT OF RAMP AREA AS JETBLAST FRIGHTENED SEVERAL OF HIS GND/APU PERSONNEL. AT THIS POINT I RETREATED TO THE MOTEL AND TRIED TO DETERMINE WHY THE MANY LAPSES IN JUDGEMENT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY THAT I FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE MULTIPLE JUDGEMENT ERRORS. THE WIFE OF THE THIRD PAX THAT FLEW WITH ME HANDED ME SOME PHOTOS SHE HAD TAKEN PRIOR TO OUR DEP ON SATURDAY. THE PHOTOS SAY IT ALL: #1 WAKING UP AFTER SLEEPING THROUGH REFUELING IN 93 DEG HEAT; #2 STILL TRYING TO WAKE UP WHILE PAX IS STRAPPED IN; #3 READY TO TAXI; STILL TRYING TO WAKE UP; AND #4) TAXIING AND STILL ASLEEP. AFTER FLYING ALL NIGHT LONG IN FROM THE WEST COAST; XY30 ARR IN ZZZ; THEN THE FLT TO ZZZ ARRIVING XB00; I WAS OPERATING ON LESS THAN 5 HRS SLEEP IN THE PREVIOUS 48 HRS. WHILE I FELT FUNCTIONAL DURING ALL THE 3 1/2 HRS OF FLYING ON FRIDAY; IT WAS ABUNDANTLY CLR TO ME; AFTER SEEING THE PHOTOS; THAT SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND CLR CRM ARE TOTALLY INCOMPATIBLE. I WAS PROBABLY OPERATING AT ABOUT 50% CAPACITY; IF THAT. NEEDLESS TO SAY; THE DEHYDRATION OF STAYING IN THE COCKPIT FOR OVER 3 1/2 HRS WITHOUT REST OR REHYDRATION IN THE 93 DEG HEAT WAS NO HELP EITHER. I WAS A DEFINITE DANGER TO MYSELF; PAX; AND THE AIRSPACE. DESPITE ALWAYS WANTING TO TRY AND PLEASE THE AIRSHOW STAFF; WILL NEVER FLY THATSLEEP DEPRIVED/TIRED AGAIN. I WAS REALLY STUPID AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE AND I HOPE OTHERS LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.