Narrative:

Flight crew was called in on short notice for a rush air ambulance flight from kphf to kfxe to pick up medics, then to mmlo, mexico, for patient pickup, to kmsy for fuel stop, then to ksyr to drop off patient and crew rest. Trip was planned for 9 plus 50 flight time (very close to the 10 hour limit) and 13 hours duty time. Much higher than expected headwinds on the second leg of this trip necessitated an additional fuel stop at kmsy en route to mmlo. The crew was deeply involved in coordination of all changes and notifications this extra stop required including customs and immigration and failed to realize flight and duty times would now be exceeded. The flight crew was communicating with company dispatch but there had been a shift change and the new dispatcher did not realize there was a total time problem. The crew finally ended up with 10:50 block time and 16 hour duty time. 50 mins over flight time and 2 hours over duty time per far 135. Flight crew erred by being too optimistic about time required on ground for customs and fueling and be expecting a forecasted tailwind to develop. Company erred by dropping the flight following ball. Both the company and the flcs have retrained on flight and duty requirements and both have set up better procedures for tracking ongoing times against limits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR AMBULANCE FLT EXCEEDED FLT AND DUTY LIMITATIONS.

Narrative: FLC WAS CALLED IN ON SHORT NOTICE FOR A RUSH AIR AMBULANCE FLT FROM KPHF TO KFXE TO PICK UP MEDICS, THEN TO MMLO, MEXICO, FOR PATIENT PICKUP, TO KMSY FOR FUEL STOP, THEN TO KSYR TO DROP OFF PATIENT AND CREW REST. TRIP WAS PLANNED FOR 9 PLUS 50 FLT TIME (VERY CLOSE TO THE 10 HR LIMIT) AND 13 HRS DUTY TIME. MUCH HIGHER THAN EXPECTED HEADWINDS ON THE SECOND LEG OF THIS TRIP NECESSITATED AN ADDITIONAL FUEL STOP AT KMSY ENRTE TO MMLO. THE CREW WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN COORD OF ALL CHANGES AND NOTIFICATIONS THIS EXTRA STOP REQUIRED INCLUDING CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION AND FAILED TO REALIZE FLT AND DUTY TIMES WOULD NOW BE EXCEEDED. THE FLC WAS COMMUNICATING WITH COMPANY DISPATCH BUT THERE HAD BEEN A SHIFT CHANGE AND THE NEW DISPATCHER DID NOT REALIZE THERE WAS A TOTAL TIME PROB. THE CREW FINALLY ENDED UP WITH 10:50 BLOCK TIME AND 16 HR DUTY TIME. 50 MINS OVER FLT TIME AND 2 HRS OVER DUTY TIME PER FAR 135. FLC ERRED BY BEING TOO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TIME REQUIRED ON GND FOR CUSTOMS AND FUELING AND BE EXPECTING A FORECASTED TAILWIND TO DEVELOP. COMPANY ERRED BY DROPPING THE FLT FOLLOWING BALL. BOTH THE COMPANY AND THE FLCS HAVE RETRAINED ON FLT AND DUTY REQUIREMENTS AND BOTH HAVE SET UP BETTER PROCS FOR TRACKING ONGOING TIMES AGAINST LIMITS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.