Narrative:

I had an far 121 scheduled normal 8:55 hour duty day with 7'15 hours scheduled block time, with an XX15 pm show time on the second day of a 4-DAY trip (25:25 hours scheduled block time for trip). It was to be 2 easy legs to return on a mdw-phx-mdw by xx pm. Due to severe WX west of chicago, the outbnd flight was delayed after blockout by over 2 hours, and WX rerouting required an intermediate stop at den for fuel. The turnaround at phx was fairly quick, but now 3 1/2 hours late, our ETA at mdw was now xx pm. Upon arrival in the chicago area, WX caused a diversion to spi, and we were not able to leave until xx am, with an arrival at mdw finally at XX15 am, a full maximum 16 hour crew day. This 11:53 hour block time in a 16 hour crew day was entirely legal by FARS and company union agreements, because WX caused the extended delays. To say the least, the entire crew was exhausted on the fourth leg, and we seriously considered not attempting it for fatigue safety considerations. What really 'topped the cake', though, was when we returned after an extraordinary 'red-eye', we were completely legal to fly our scheduled third day of our trip after only 8:45 hours rest, block-to-block, another mdw-phx-mdw turnaround. That amount of time is simply not enough, especially after the all-nighter we ended up flying. 8:45 hours block-to-block is only enough time to get transportation to and from lodging, post and preflting the aircraft, getting fed, and maybe obtaining 5 or 6 hours sleep (if you can sleep in the daytime, when you're not used ot it). Fortunately company management understood and relieved us of duty that day, but my point is: it is entirely legal by FARS and should not be allowed. It should not take an incident or accident to change the crew day and crew rest rules, as some airlines use those FARS as policy. We should not depend on airline and other operators' crews 'backing it' because it is legal. Luckily our airline has a 'fatigue' rule, but some other 121 operators may not be so lucky, and safety cold be seriously jeopardized. Crew rest needs to be a minimum of 12 hours after such lengthy crew days, similar to military regulations and some other major airline operators. Thank you for listening.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW COMPLAINT ABOUT ACR SCHEDULE POLICY AND FEDERAL AVIATION FLT TIME LIMITATIONS.

Narrative: I HAD AN FAR 121 SCHEDULED NORMAL 8:55 HOUR DUTY DAY WITH 7'15 HOURS SCHEDULED BLOCK TIME, WITH AN XX15 PM SHOW TIME ON THE SECOND DAY OF A 4-DAY TRIP (25:25 HOURS SCHEDULED BLOCK TIME FOR TRIP). IT WAS TO BE 2 EASY LEGS TO RETURN ON A MDW-PHX-MDW BY XX PM. DUE TO SEVERE WX W OF CHICAGO, THE OUTBND FLT WAS DELAYED AFTER BLOCKOUT BY OVER 2 HOURS, AND WX REROUTING REQUIRED AN INTERMEDIATE STOP AT DEN FOR FUEL. THE TURNAROUND AT PHX WAS FAIRLY QUICK, BUT NOW 3 1/2 HOURS LATE, OUR ETA AT MDW WAS NOW XX PM. UPON ARR IN THE CHICAGO AREA, WX CAUSED A DIVERSION TO SPI, AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO LEAVE UNTIL XX AM, WITH AN ARR AT MDW FINALLY AT XX15 AM, A FULL MAX 16 HOUR CREW DAY. THIS 11:53 HOUR BLOCK TIME IN A 16 HOUR CREW DAY WAS ENTIRELY LEGAL BY FARS AND COMPANY UNION AGREEMENTS, BECAUSE WX CAUSED THE EXTENDED DELAYS. TO SAY THE LEAST, THE ENTIRE CREW WAS EXHAUSTED ON THE FOURTH LEG, AND WE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED NOT ATTEMPTING IT FOR FATIGUE SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. WHAT REALLY 'TOPPED THE CAKE', THOUGH, WAS WHEN WE RETURNED AFTER AN EXTRAORDINARY 'RED-EYE', WE WERE COMPLETELY LEGAL TO FLY OUR SCHEDULED THIRD DAY OF OUR TRIP AFTER ONLY 8:45 HOURS REST, BLOCK-TO-BLOCK, ANOTHER MDW-PHX-MDW TURNAROUND. THAT AMOUNT OF TIME IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE ALL-NIGHTER WE ENDED UP FLYING. 8:45 HOURS BLOCK-TO-BLOCK IS ONLY ENOUGH TIME TO GET TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM LODGING, POST AND PREFLTING THE ACFT, GETTING FED, AND MAYBE OBTAINING 5 OR 6 HOURS SLEEP (IF YOU CAN SLEEP IN THE DAYTIME, WHEN YOU'RE NOT USED OT IT). FORTUNATELY COMPANY MGMNT UNDERSTOOD AND RELIEVED US OF DUTY THAT DAY, BUT MY POINT IS: IT IS ENTIRELY LEGAL BY FARS AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. IT SHOULD NOT TAKE AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT TO CHANGE THE CREW DAY AND CREW REST RULES, AS SOME AIRLINES USE THOSE FARS AS POLICY. WE SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON AIRLINE AND OTHER OPERATORS' CREWS 'BACKING IT' BECAUSE IT IS LEGAL. LUCKILY OUR AIRLINE HAS A 'FATIGUE' RULE, BUT SOME OTHER 121 OPERATORS MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY, AND SAFETY COLD BE SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZED. CREW REST NEEDS TO BE A MINIMUM OF 12 HOURS AFTER SUCH LENGTHY CREW DAYS, SIMILAR TO MIL REGS AND SOME OTHER MAJOR AIRLINE OPERATORS. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.