Difference between "seriously tired" and fatigued?
A CC colleague and friend has just finished a season with a UK registered charter carrier. This carrier operates to SSH/LXR in one day.
On one flight both the flight crew and some CC completed fatigue forms on the outbound sector but the flight continued to operate this sector and the inbound SSH - UK with apparently fatigued flight and cabin crew operating.
The matter was reported to CC line management who investigated the incident.
Without going into too much detail here the crew were not considered fatigued despite filling in forms to this effect. The company's written response says they were not "seriously tired" until "well into the inbound sector". Apparently that is what the submitted forms indicated when investigated. Also this company considers this a "natural occurence" on these flights.
I'm flying to SSH in a couple of weeks on holiday although not with this particular carrier.....thankfully!! On return to the UK I would really like to feel I do not have a "seriously tired" pilot landing the wide bodied jet I'm travelling on. This is not the only company that operates these duties as there and backs.
We all know fatigue is recognised as a safety issue and it's active at present in the air india thread in rumours and news.
What is officially considered "serious" tiredness in pilots and CC as opposed to fatigue?