AN ACR PLT DESCRIBES A STATE OF FATIGUE SO DEEP AND INSIDIOUS THAT HE DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL AFTER REST HOW DANGEROUS A SITUATION THE PREVIOUS DAY WAS.

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TO SAY THAT INTL FLYING HAS OCCASIONALLY BEEN DIFFICULT FOR MY BODY CLOCK IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. BUT BY AND LARGE; WITH THOUGHT AND PREPARATION; I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF THE ASSOCIATED FATIGUE. I HAVE OBSERVED OTHER CREW MEMBERS IN SUCH A STATE OF FATIGUE THAT THEY DIDN'T APPEAR TO MAKE CONSISTENT DECISIONS. BUT IN ALL OF MY FLYING CAREER; WITH ALL OF THE NIGHTS I'VE FLOWN WHILE BEING 'TIRED;' I HAVE NEVER HAD AN OCCASION WHERE I WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MY DECISION-MAKING ABILITIES WERE COMPROMISED. UNTIL THIS WEEK...UNABLE TO SLEEP PRIOR TO MY SHOW TIME; BY THE TIME OF THE SECOND TKOF; I WAS WELL BEYOND ANY DEFINITION OF TIRED. PERHAPS THE REASON I DIDN'T CANCEL THE FLT DUE TO FATIGUE WAS BECAUSE OF THE IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT OF THE FATIGUE ITSELF. REGARDLESS; ON THE SECOND LNDG; I FOUND MYSELF 5 MI OUT; AND HIGH AND FAST. THE WX WASN'T AN ISSUE; THE RWY WAS LONG; AND THE LIGHT ACFT HAD A LOT OF PERFORMANCE. 35 YRS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE (16 IN TYPE) MADE ME FEEL LIKE THIS WASN'T AN ISSUE. WITH AGGRESSIVE USE OF FLAPS AND GEAR AND SPD BRAKE; THE AIRPLANE WAS STABILIZED JUST BELOW 500 FT; AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THE WAKING FROM THE NEXT SLEEP PERIOD THAT I WAS HORRIFIED. WHEN A GAR WOULD HAVE EASILY BEEN THE SAFEST AND MOST LOGICAL CHOICE; I NEVER FELT THE NEED. IS FATIGUE THAT INSIDIOUS? IT CAN OVERRIDE YRS OF BEHAVIOR? UNFORTUNATELY; THE OTHER PLT WAS IN THE SAME MENTAL STATE AS I. IN THIS CASE; WE WERE LUCKY. NO MECHANICALS; NO WX; ETC. IT WAS AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE; AND ONE I DON'T WANT TO SEE AGAIN. I HAVE NEW RESPECT FOR THE WORD 'FATIGUE.'