Narrative:

On duty illness. Reporter was PF, captain, 10000 hours total time, 140 hours last 90 days, 7000 plus hours in type, ATP multieng. Aircraft was low fixed wing, 2 engine turboprop, advanced cockpit, scheduled passenger carrier (commuter). It has a crew of 3 (including flight attendant), seats 30, gross weight of 25353 pounds. The flight was a passenger flight on an IFR flight plan. In a TCA (class B), on ground talking to sfo ground. Night VMC. The event occurred during taxi on taxiway a at taxiway south. My airline has been in contract negotiations with the pilots for over 2 yrs. To say the negotiations were going poorly would be an understatement. Additionally, our ceo has been characterized as 'another obnoxious character.' as a result of this, pilots staged an impromptu sick out on friday. The company's response was to randomly (so they say, appears to be senior, respected capts) fire 9 pilots (20 percent) of those who did not report for work. This action was taken regardless of a legitimate illness, doctor's note, and/or past attendance. Sunday was rumored to be another 'blue flu' day. My husband (also a pilot for the company, on family leave of absence) and I agonized over whether I should call in sick or not. We decided that family finances (having just returned from a 5 month maternity leave, and my husband being on family leave of absence) dictated not participating in any illegal job actions. This in mind, I reported for work on sunday. After 2 legs of a 6 leg day, I started feeling nauseous. By the end of 4 legs (incidentally at our domicile), I felt that vomiting would make me feel better, I also had gas and incipient diarrhea. I felt this was due to 'mild' food poisoning. On landing (at our domicile) I told my flight attendant to hold boarding until I returned. I went to the bathroom to relieve my gut and to decide if I should continue. My judgement said don't push it. But considering that no one knew I wasn't feeling well, I did not look sick yet, the rumored sick out, and worst of all, I was at my domicile, I decided I would probably get fired, so I had better fly the next leg. Upon returning to the airplane a gate agent, my flight attendant and first officer all asked if I was all right. To each I answered 'so-so.' I also explained to my first officer I was nauseous, but felt the worst that would happen would be to fill a sick sack. My first officer was uncomfortable with my decision, but didn't press the issue. The flight was uneventful. However, during the taxi in I had to stop and fill (completely) the sick sack before continuing. At this point there was no question about doing the last leg home. My first officer called scheduling while I cleaned myself up. Since we were the last flight home, it looked for a while like we would be spending the night. Eventually, dispatch routed the last 2 remaining airplanes through our domicile, so that my crew and passenger got to their destinations. I spent the following day in bed and didn't eat anything. The second day I felt normal, but weak by late afternoon. The third day I returned to work. When I returned to work at least the following people asked how I was feeling: my domicile station manager, a coffee bar cashier at sfo, and several pilots from various domiciles. I feel the only thing protecting me from being fired is that my illness was 'publicly' noted. This is because I am very senior, well respected, and I 'bested' (twice) the very egotistical director of personnel with regards to my recent maternity leave and my husband's family leave of absence. Unfortunately, to retain my job, I feel I would have to use the same poor judgement again.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER CAPT THREATENED BY RECENT WORK FORCE REDUCTION, CONTINUED TO FLY TRIP WHILE ILL.

Narrative: ON DUTY ILLNESS. RPTR WAS PF, CAPT, 10000 HRS TOTAL TIME, 140 HRS LAST 90 DAYS, 7000 PLUS HRS IN TYPE, ATP MULTIENG. ACFT WAS LOW FIXED WING, 2 ENG TURBOPROP, ADVANCED COCKPIT, SCHEDULED PAX CARRIER (COMMUTER). IT HAS A CREW OF 3 (INCLUDING FLT ATTENDANT), SEATS 30, GROSS WT OF 25353 LBS. THE FLT WAS A PAX FLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. IN A TCA (CLASS B), ON GND TALKING TO SFO GND. NIGHT VMC. THE EVENT OCCURRED DURING TAXI ON TXWY A AT TXWY S. MY AIRLINE HAS BEEN IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PLTS FOR OVER 2 YRS. TO SAY THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE GOING POORLY WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, OUR CEO HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED AS 'ANOTHER OBNOXIOUS CHARACTER.' AS A RESULT OF THIS, PLTS STAGED AN IMPROMPTU SICK OUT ON FRIDAY. THE COMPANY'S RESPONSE WAS TO RANDOMLY (SO THEY SAY, APPEARS TO BE SENIOR, RESPECTED CAPTS) FIRE 9 PLTS (20 PERCENT) OF THOSE WHO DID NOT RPT FOR WORK. THIS ACTION WAS TAKEN REGARDLESS OF A LEGITIMATE ILLNESS, DOCTOR'S NOTE, AND/OR PAST ATTENDANCE. SUNDAY WAS RUMORED TO BE ANOTHER 'BLUE FLU' DAY. MY HUSBAND (ALSO A PLT FOR THE COMPANY, ON FAMILY LEAVE OF ABSENCE) AND I AGONIZED OVER WHETHER I SHOULD CALL IN SICK OR NOT. WE DECIDED THAT FAMILY FINANCES (HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM A 5 MONTH MATERNITY LEAVE, AND MY HUSBAND BEING ON FAMILY LEAVE OF ABSENCE) DICTATED NOT PARTICIPATING IN ANY ILLEGAL JOB ACTIONS. THIS IN MIND, I RPTED FOR WORK ON SUNDAY. AFTER 2 LEGS OF A 6 LEG DAY, I STARTED FEELING NAUSEOUS. BY THE END OF 4 LEGS (INCIDENTALLY AT OUR DOMICILE), I FELT THAT VOMITING WOULD MAKE ME FEEL BETTER, I ALSO HAD GAS AND INCIPIENT DIARRHEA. I FELT THIS WAS DUE TO 'MILD' FOOD POISONING. ON LNDG (AT OUR DOMICILE) I TOLD MY FLT ATTENDANT TO HOLD BOARDING UNTIL I RETURNED. I WENT TO THE BATHROOM TO RELIEVE MY GUT AND TO DECIDE IF I SHOULD CONTINUE. MY JUDGEMENT SAID DON'T PUSH IT. BUT CONSIDERING THAT NO ONE KNEW I WASN'T FEELING WELL, I DID NOT LOOK SICK YET, THE RUMORED SICK OUT, AND WORST OF ALL, I WAS AT MY DOMICILE, I DECIDED I WOULD PROBABLY GET FIRED, SO I HAD BETTER FLY THE NEXT LEG. UPON RETURNING TO THE AIRPLANE A GATE AGENT, MY FLT ATTENDANT AND FO ALL ASKED IF I WAS ALL RIGHT. TO EACH I ANSWERED 'SO-SO.' I ALSO EXPLAINED TO MY FO I WAS NAUSEOUS, BUT FELT THE WORST THAT WOULD HAPPEN WOULD BE TO FILL A SICK SACK. MY FO WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MY DECISION, BUT DIDN'T PRESS THE ISSUE. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. HOWEVER, DURING THE TAXI IN I HAD TO STOP AND FILL (COMPLETELY) THE SICK SACK BEFORE CONTINUING. AT THIS POINT THERE WAS NO QUESTION ABOUT DOING THE LAST LEG HOME. MY FO CALLED SCHEDULING WHILE I CLEANED MYSELF UP. SINCE WE WERE THE LAST FLT HOME, IT LOOKED FOR A WHILE LIKE WE WOULD BE SPENDING THE NIGHT. EVENTUALLY, DISPATCH ROUTED THE LAST 2 REMAINING AIRPLANES THROUGH OUR DOMICILE, SO THAT MY CREW AND PAX GOT TO THEIR DESTS. I SPENT THE FOLLOWING DAY IN BED AND DIDN'T EAT ANYTHING. THE SECOND DAY I FELT NORMAL, BUT WEAK BY LATE AFTERNOON. THE THIRD DAY I RETURNED TO WORK. WHEN I RETURNED TO WORK AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE ASKED HOW I WAS FEELING: MY DOMICILE STATION MGR, A COFFEE BAR CASHIER AT SFO, AND SEVERAL PLTS FROM VARIOUS DOMICILES. I FEEL THE ONLY THING PROTECTING ME FROM BEING FIRED IS THAT MY ILLNESS WAS 'PUBLICLY' NOTED. THIS IS BECAUSE I AM VERY SENIOR, WELL RESPECTED, AND I 'BESTED' (TWICE) THE VERY EGOTISTICAL DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL WITH REGARDS TO MY RECENT MATERNITY LEAVE AND MY HUSBAND'S FAMILY LEAVE OF ABSENCE. UNFORTUNATELY, TO RETAIN MY JOB, I FEEL I WOULD HAVE TO USE THE SAME POOR JUDGEMENT AGAIN.

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.