Far. Flight crew exceeds their maximum allowable duty time.

Attributes
ACN	300746
Time
Date	199504
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sat
State Reference	TX
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1750 flight time type : 950
ASRS Report	300746
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On apr/sat/95, our duty day began at XA45 with an air ambulance flight. Upon completion of that flight, we were advised that there was another air ambulance flight forthcoming. This second flight was being chartered out by a local hospital instead of our normal flight nurses. Therefore, it took an excessive amount of time to coordinate the flight. Dispatch should have seen that this lengthy delay would increase the risk of us exceeding our duty day and should have tried to expedite the process. Since this second flight was not with our regular hospital team, our dispatcher should have been made clear to them that we had already started our duty day and that the flight would have to launch by a certain time or else the flight would have to be delayed 10 hours for crew rest. However, since the mission only had 2 1/2-hour legs, it could have been accomplished if launched promptly. We launched on the second flight at XX50 and with the intent of being able to complete the flight within our duty day. Unfortunately, the medical transport team ended up taking 2 extra hours stabilizing the patient at the hospital, which resulted in us exceeding our duty day by nearly 2 hours.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAR. FLC EXCEEDS THEIR MAX ALLOWABLE DUTY TIME.

Narrative: ON APR/SAT/95, OUR DUTY DAY BEGAN AT XA45 WITH AN AIR AMBULANCE FLT. UPON COMPLETION OF THAT FLT, WE WERE ADVISED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER AIR AMBULANCE FLT FORTHCOMING. THIS SECOND FLT WAS BEING CHARTERED OUT BY A LCL HOSPITAL INSTEAD OF OUR NORMAL FLT NURSES. THEREFORE, IT TOOK AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME TO COORDINATE THE FLT. DISPATCH SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT THIS LENGTHY DELAY WOULD INCREASE THE RISK OF US EXCEEDING OUR DUTY DAY AND SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS. SINCE THIS SECOND FLT WAS NOT WITH OUR REGULAR HOSPITAL TEAM, OUR DISPATCHER SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE CLR TO THEM THAT WE HAD ALREADY STARTED OUR DUTY DAY AND THAT THE FLT WOULD HAVE TO LAUNCH BY A CERTAIN TIME OR ELSE THE FLT WOULD HAVE TO BE DELAYED 10 HRS FOR CREW REST. HOWEVER, SINCE THE MISSION ONLY HAD 2 1/2-HR LEGS, IT COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IF LAUNCHED PROMPTLY. WE LAUNCHED ON THE SECOND FLT AT XX50 AND WITH THE INTENT OF BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE THE FLT WITHIN OUR DUTY DAY. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MEDICAL TRANSPORT TEAM ENDED UP TAKING 2 EXTRA HRS STABILIZING THE PATIENT AT THE HOSPITAL, WHICH RESULTED IN US EXCEEDING OUR DUTY DAY BY NEARLY 2 HRS.

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.