B767 First Officer reports fatigue during an augmented crew flight due to the location of the crew rest seat in the cabin near the galley.

Date: 2011-05 · Aircraft: B767-300 and 300 ER · Phase: ground

Anomalies: other-fatigue

Synopsis

B767 First Officer reports fatigue during an augmented crew flight due to the location of the crew rest seat in the cabin near the galley.

Narrative

I am raising a red flag in the fatigue department on the flight from HNL. The pilots are having huge challenges getting rest/sleep in flight due to the proximity of our contractually negotiated seat located the first row back from the business galley. The galley provides a non stop factory of noise; chatter; gossip; cart door slamming; etc. It's next to impossible to get rest under these conditions. By the time we land early in the morning; we have been awake nearly 21 hours. Even with a pre departure nap at the hotel; the fatigue is present as we push back from the gate for our nine hour flight. The galley never really settles down and the flight attendants seem to be unaware of the necessity to get some sleep prior to the landing. Safety is being compromised not only on this particular flight; but nearly all flights requiring three pilots on the 767. The crew rest seat on the 757 is located in the back row of business; away from the galley. I believe that safety can be enhanced by moving the crew rest seat on the 767 to a compatible area; much like the 757. Ask any crew landing early morning and we are all hanging by a thread. It's an accident waiting to happen. On this flight no procedures or limitations were compromised. The fatigue level; which nobody can truly measure; was very high and continues to be high on every approach and landing.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.