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The incident involved two seasoned pilots, the captain aged 58 with nearly 23 years at UPS, and a 37-year-old first officer who had enjoyed a decade of flying experience. Both pilots had frustrations about their schedules, which were increasingly demanding.
Despite their extensive experience, both had shown signs of fatigue in the days leading up to the flight. The captain had been vocal about the mounting demands of the roster, while the first officer, although her training records were clean, hinted at exhaustion following prior flights.