Date: 201207
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Night
Aircraft: B757-200
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant In Charge; Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Fatigue; Time Pressure
Second reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Anomaly: Other Fatigue
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Staffing; Human Factors; Company Policy
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: We were supposed to get off the plane for a layover at approximately XA:00 PM local that evening (XD:00 our time). Instead we were drafted to get back on the plane and work the all-nighter home without sufficient notice or sleep. As a result; I'm not sure if I actually did a preflight safety check or not. I do not remember checking seat belts during the flight. I watched other crew members falling asleep. I spilled cups in the aisle and in the galley and was very clumsy during the flight. I don't remember disarming my door. I don't remember going out to the parking lot at the end of the trip. I asked for crew meals to sustain us through the night for this 13hr 30min duty day before we left; but they gave us nothing. I went over 12 hours without food and it was 25 hours before I was able to finally go to sleep from the day before. Safety was seriously compromised given that I don't remember making the necessary FAA required announcements or safety checks and someone else had to check my door. The rest of the crew and I were physically and mentally deprived during this duty period as there was no notice that we would be drafted and used for the all-nighter return. Safety was seriously compromised and if an in flight emergency like fire or violence or heart attack would have occurred I know I would not have responded in any useful manner. I was falling asleep in my jumpseat and I could barely stay awake. As Purser on board I consider this to be a very dangerous an unsafe circumstance. I have done turnarounds many times before including all-nighter turnarounds but never in my 28 years have I ever felt like this. If this were to happen again I would refuse the trip for reasons of fatigue. No one should be forced to stay up in excess of 25 hours without being given the chance to rest and eat sufficiently.


Second narrative: Because of this long unplanned situation; I was forced to go in excess of 25 hours without sleep and be on duty for 13 and a half hours through the night. I was falling asleep in my jumpseat on landing. All of us on the crew didn't hand out infant life vests until sometime during the flight when we realized it wasn't done. We asked for food before we were to leave on the drafted leg but were given nothing from the company. Pilots get two meals for this flight and we get nothing for being on duty over 13 and a half hours. I was fuzzy and dazed disarming the door and the other door when we [arrived]. The other crew; including the Purser; were very tired too and I felt unsafe. It is not safe for me to work an all-night flight without sleeping first. The company wanted to do an all time departure so we did not even have a proper briefing. The company did not provide or offer an adequate rest time or break for us in this duty period. The company operates very dangerously by scheduling us like this and the FAA should not permit them to fly us so dangerously. We are supposed to be here for safety but last night we would have been useless. This is a safety issue and an unsafe condition. In a situation like this they could have at least offered us to take a break or nap in flight in an empty row. That would have helped the safety of the flight a lot. This was an all-nighter flight and not a day time flight.


Synopsis: B757 flight attendants report being assigned another six hour leg after landing at their expected layover destination; resulting in a 13 and a half hour duty day and an all night flight.