Narrative:

I am a reserve captain on a bae 3100 working for a regional air carrier based in waterloo, ia. Our company has a policy that they have reserve build-up lines. I am one of those line holders and my schedule consists of reserve days. Their policy is that a person on reserve, is on reserve for 24 hours. They do not give assigned rest periods and the pilot is only allowed a 1 hour report time rule. That is, if called to report to the airport, you have to be able to show up in 1 hour. The reserve day starts at 0000 and ends at 2400. You can and usually are assigned up to 6 days of reserve in a row. This particular situation, I feel is not safe. When do I sleep, eat or shower? The problem occurred on apr/mon/94. I was on reserve starting at 0000 that morning. The company called me at XS15 that evening and assigned me to dead head from alo-msp-sux. At sux we had to reposition an aircraft to mem and ferry an aircraft back to sux. The flts were quite challenging due to severe thunderstorms, and tornado watch boxes. Upon our arrival back in sux, we were both very fatigued. I originally awoke that morning at XJ00, was called to do the above flts at XS15 and we were off duty arriving back at sux at XH30 the next morning. I personally feel that 24 hours of reserve is not safe especially when they can call at any time during the day and then be assigned up to 16 hours of duty and 8 hours of flying in severe flying conditions. There should be an assigned time period for duty if needed and an assigned period for rest. This 24 hour reserve thing should not be allowed and needs to be changed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT PLT COMPLAINS ABOUT HIS ACR'S RESERVE POLICY.

Narrative: I AM A RESERVE CAPT ON A BAE 3100 WORKING FOR A REGIONAL ACR BASED IN WATERLOO, IA. OUR COMPANY HAS A POLICY THAT THEY HAVE RESERVE BUILD-UP LINES. I AM ONE OF THOSE LINE HOLDERS AND MY SCHEDULE CONSISTS OF RESERVE DAYS. THEIR POLICY IS THAT A PERSON ON RESERVE, IS ON RESERVE FOR 24 HRS. THEY DO NOT GIVE ASSIGNED REST PERIODS AND THE PLT IS ONLY ALLOWED A 1 HR RPT TIME RULE. THAT IS, IF CALLED TO RPT TO THE ARPT, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW UP IN 1 HR. THE RESERVE DAY STARTS AT 0000 AND ENDS AT 2400. YOU CAN AND USUALLY ARE ASSIGNED UP TO 6 DAYS OF RESERVE IN A ROW. THIS PARTICULAR SIT, I FEEL IS NOT SAFE. WHEN DO I SLEEP, EAT OR SHOWER? THE PROB OCCURRED ON APR/MON/94. I WAS ON RESERVE STARTING AT 0000 THAT MORNING. THE COMPANY CALLED ME AT XS15 THAT EVENING AND ASSIGNED ME TO DEAD HEAD FROM ALO-MSP-SUX. AT SUX WE HAD TO REPOSITION AN ACFT TO MEM AND FERRY AN ACFT BACK TO SUX. THE FLTS WERE QUITE CHALLENGING DUE TO SEVERE TSTMS, AND TORNADO WATCH BOXES. UPON OUR ARR BACK IN SUX, WE WERE BOTH VERY FATIGUED. I ORIGINALLY AWOKE THAT MORNING AT XJ00, WAS CALLED TO DO THE ABOVE FLTS AT XS15 AND WE WERE OFF DUTY ARRIVING BACK AT SUX AT XH30 THE NEXT MORNING. I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT 24 HRS OF RESERVE IS NOT SAFE ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY CAN CALL AT ANY TIME DURING THE DAY AND THEN BE ASSIGNED UP TO 16 HRS OF DUTY AND 8 HRS OF FLYING IN SEVERE FLYING CONDITIONS. THERE SHOULD BE AN ASSIGNED TIME PERIOD FOR DUTY IF NEEDED AND AN ASSIGNED PERIOD FOR REST. THIS 24 HR RESERVE THING SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED AND NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.

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.