Narrative:

I was an A320 first officer on short call reserve and started a reserve assignment period (rap) at xa:00 [local] at my home. At xj:26 [local]; I was called by crew scheduling to fly. On the initial call; I expressed reservations about having sufficient time to arrive at the airport and fly the sequence before the end of my reserve duty period (rdp); as I lived two hours drive-time away; but not having the information in front of me; I didn't definitively know; so I accepted the assignment. After hanging up; I went to my computer and reviewed the sequence and saw that the computer was showing that my rdp would expire at xp:00 [local]. I called crew scheduling back at xj:34 [local]; where I was eventually transferred to a supervisor. I expressed my reservations about being assigned to this flight; as I did not think I had adequate time to get down to ZZZ and preflight the aircraft before I would time out. At that time; the computer data for the flight showed a departure time of xk:00 [local] (with a generated sign-in time of xj:00 [local]; which was 26 minutes before the first time I was called) and a land time xn:32 [at destination airport]. I realized that I wouldn't be leaving the house until xk:00 [local] at the earliest; and knowing that in perfect weather and traffic conditions; that it takes just under two hours to drive from my house to the parking garage at ZZZ airport. I did quick math and realized that if a xk:00 [local] departure time would result in a xn:32 [destination airport] land time; then a xm:00 [local] departure time would mean a xp:32 land time; leaving only 28 minutes of legality. I stated that that was for a xm:00 [local] departure time. Best case; I would be arriving at the parking garage at xm:00 [local]; not pushing back from the gate at that time. I made it very clear in this conversation that I would not be arriving at the airport until; best case; xm:00 [local]. I was informed by the supervisor that the computer showed a xm:42 [local] maximum off time (mot); and that the trip was therefore legal and that I had to take it. Because of this sense of urgency; I stopped my inquiries with the supervisor and hurried to get ready and leave; and with the delays from the second phone call and from driving at night on wet roads; I did not park at the parking garage at ZZZ until xm:24 [local]. While removing the bags from my truck; I was called by my captain to inform me that we had been cancelled. After he told me this; he told me that something had seemed wrong about this from the start; and that he had been looking at the far 117 rules regarding flight duty periods (fdp) and rdps; and that he realized that I was never legal for this trip from the start.as stated above; I began my rap for the day at xa:00 [local]. I was initially called by crew scheduling at xj:26 [local] for what showed in the computer as a xk:00 [local] departure; with a xj:00 [local] sign-in (in other words; the sign-in time in the computer was 26 minutes before I was even called). I notified the scheduler that I was two hours away from the airport; but no times were changed in the system. When I called back at xj:34 [local] for my eight minute phone call with a supervisor; I also informed them that I lived two hours drive-time away; and that I would not be arriving at the airport until at or after xm:00 [local]. Even though I had repeatedly stated that I could not arrive at the airport any earlier than xm:00 [local] (and had I been sitting in my truck; with engine running; in uniform; bags loaded; when they first called at xj:26 [local]; I could not have arrived any earlier than xl:30 [local] with perfect road conditions). The only change to the departure time was that a delay of 15 minutes was entered at xj:42 [local] (the time that the phone call with the supervisor ended); making the new departure time xk:15 [local].these artificial departure times (of xk:00 [local]; later changed to xk:15 [local] after my phone call to the supervisor) showed me to be legal for a trip when in fact I was not legal. The xl:00 [local] and xk:15 [local] departure times created xj:00 and xj:15 [local] sign-in times. With a scheduled sign-in time between xj:00-xj:59 [local]; the maximum fdp is 11 hours and the maximum rdp is 15 hours; meaning that my rdp was legal until xp:00 [local]. However; since I wasn't even called the first time until xj:26 [local]; and that I had repeatedly stated that I lived two hours drive-time away; my scheduled sign-in time should have been no earlier than xl:30 [local]; or even more accurately; the estimated xm:00 [local] arrival time that I told them. If; after my phone call with the crew scheduling supervisor; the departure time for the flight had been changed to accurately reflect my estimated xm:00 [local] arrival at the parking garage as opposed to a completely inaccurate and useless 15 minute departure delay; then I would have immediately shown in the computer as being illegal for the trip; as with a sign-in time of xl:00-xo:59 [local]; the maximum fdp is 9 hours and the maximum rdp is 13 hours; meaning that my rdp would have expired at xn:00 [local]; well before the xp:00 [local] time that the computer was generating and that crew scheduling was using in assigning me the trip. Whether this incremental departure time change of xk:00 [local] to xk:15 [local] at the end of my phone call was done in ignorance or with knowledge aforethought; it set me up to fly an illegal flight. This illegal flight was only avoided by sheer luck; as had I not had reservations about having sufficient time and had I also been ready to immediately walk out the door after the first phone call; even with the imperfect road conditions; I would have likely arrived at the airport around xl:50 [local] with enough time to rush and possibly make the inaccurate xm:43 [local] mot (a mot based upon a rdp that expired at xp:00 [local] and not xm:00 [local]).this event occurred due to inaccurate times entered into the computer by crew scheduling; and an extreme sense of urgency from crew scheduling for me to leave the house and begin my drive; resulting in me just accepting the rdp times generated by the computer and not checking the fdp/rdp times myself.after being informed of the pilot's estimated arrival time (or at a minimum; the GPS derived drive-time); crew scheduling must immediately update departure and sign-in times accordingly in order to allow the computer to generate accurate legality times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An air carrier First Officer reported that artificial departure times showed a pilot to be legal for a trip when in fact the pilot was not legal.

Narrative: I was an A320 First Officer on short call reserve and started a Reserve Assignment Period (RAP) at XA:00 [local] at my home. At XJ:26 [local]; I was called by Crew Scheduling to fly. On the initial call; I expressed reservations about having sufficient time to arrive at the airport and fly the sequence before the end of my Reserve Duty Period (RDP); as I lived two hours drive-time away; but not having the information in front of me; I didn't definitively know; so I accepted the assignment. After hanging up; I went to my computer and reviewed the sequence and saw that the computer was showing that my RDP would expire at XP:00 [local]. I called Crew Scheduling back at XJ:34 [local]; where I was eventually transferred to a Supervisor. I expressed my reservations about being assigned to this flight; as I did not think I had adequate time to get down to ZZZ and preflight the aircraft before I would time out. At that time; the computer data for the flight showed a departure time of XK:00 [local] (with a generated sign-in time of XJ:00 [local]; which was 26 minutes before the first time I was called) and a land time XN:32 [at destination airport]. I realized that I wouldn't be leaving the house until XK:00 [local] at the earliest; and knowing that in perfect weather and traffic conditions; that it takes just under two hours to drive from my house to the parking garage at ZZZ airport. I did quick math and realized that if a XK:00 [local] departure time would result in a XN:32 [destination airport] land time; then a XM:00 [local] departure time would mean a XP:32 land time; leaving only 28 minutes of legality. I stated that that was for a XM:00 [local] departure time. Best case; I would be arriving at the parking garage at XM:00 [local]; not pushing back from the gate at that time. I made it very clear in this conversation that I would not be arriving at the airport until; best case; XM:00 [local]. I was informed by the Supervisor that the computer showed a XM:42 [local] Maximum Off Time (MOT); and that the trip was therefore legal and that I had to take it. Because of this sense of urgency; I stopped my inquiries with the Supervisor and hurried to get ready and leave; and with the delays from the second phone call and from driving at night on wet roads; I did not park at the parking garage at ZZZ until XM:24 [local]. While removing the bags from my truck; I was called by my Captain to inform me that we had been cancelled. After he told me this; he told me that something had seemed wrong about this from the start; and that he had been looking at the FAR 117 rules regarding Flight Duty Periods (FDP) and RDPs; and that he realized that I was never legal for this trip from the start.As stated above; I began my RAP for the day at XA:00 [local]. I was initially called by Crew Scheduling at XJ:26 [local] for what showed in the computer as a XK:00 [local] departure; with a XJ:00 [local] sign-in (in other words; the sign-in time in the computer was 26 minutes before I was even called). I notified the Scheduler that I was two hours away from the airport; but no times were changed in the system. When I called back at XJ:34 [local] for my eight minute phone call with a Supervisor; I also informed them that I lived two hours drive-time away; and that I would not be arriving at the airport until at or after XM:00 [local]. Even though I had repeatedly stated that I could not arrive at the airport any earlier than XM:00 [local] (and had I been sitting in my truck; with engine running; in uniform; bags loaded; when they first called at XJ:26 [local]; I could not have arrived any earlier than XL:30 [local] with perfect road conditions). The only change to the departure time was that a delay of 15 minutes was entered at XJ:42 [local] (the time that the phone call with the Supervisor ended); making the new departure time XK:15 [local].These artificial departure times (of XK:00 [local]; later changed to XK:15 [local] after my phone call to the Supervisor) showed me to be legal for a trip when in fact I was not legal. The XL:00 [local] and XK:15 [local] departure times created XJ:00 and XJ:15 [local] sign-in times. With a scheduled sign-in time between XJ:00-XJ:59 [local]; the maximum FDP is 11 hours and the maximum RDP is 15 hours; meaning that my RDP was legal until XP:00 [local]. However; since I wasn't even called the first time until XJ:26 [local]; and that I had repeatedly stated that I lived two hours drive-time away; my scheduled sign-in time should have been no earlier than XL:30 [local]; or even more accurately; the estimated XM:00 [local] arrival time that I told them. If; after my phone call with the Crew Scheduling Supervisor; the departure time for the flight had been changed to accurately reflect my estimated XM:00 [local] arrival at the parking garage as opposed to a completely inaccurate and useless 15 minute departure delay; then I would have immediately shown in the computer as being illegal for the trip; as with a sign-in time of XL:00-XO:59 [local]; the maximum FDP is 9 hours and the maximum RDP is 13 hours; meaning that my RDP would have expired at XN:00 [local]; well before the XP:00 [local] time that the computer was generating and that Crew Scheduling was using in assigning me the trip. Whether this incremental departure time change of XK:00 [local] to XK:15 [local] at the end of my phone call was done in ignorance or with knowledge aforethought; it set me up to fly an illegal flight. This illegal flight was only avoided by sheer luck; as had I not had reservations about having sufficient time and had I also been ready to immediately walk out the door after the first phone call; even with the imperfect road conditions; I would have likely arrived at the airport around XL:50 [local] with enough time to rush and possibly make the inaccurate XM:43 [local] MOT (a MOT based upon a RDP that expired at XP:00 [local] and not XM:00 [local]).This event occurred due to inaccurate times entered into the computer by Crew Scheduling; and an extreme sense of urgency from Crew Scheduling for me to leave the house and begin my drive; resulting in me just accepting the RDP times generated by the computer and not checking the FDP/RDP times myself.After being informed of the pilot's estimated arrival time (or at a minimum; the GPS derived drive-time); Crew Scheduling must immediately update departure and sign-in times accordingly in order to allow the computer to generate accurate legality times.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.