Narrative:

We were carrying a package that contained human body parts for rush delivery to dfw. According to the company flight manual in this situation we 'shall' use the call sign lifeguard and advise ATC. Having done this, the sjt tower said the call sign company flight lifeguard XXX was too long so he would put it into remarks on the computer. The flight number remained XXX and we had a normal flight. The company now and the FAA say we abused the use of the call sign and may have violated the far and company policy. I feel we did not. It is stated in our FAA approved manual 'company flts responding to medical emergencys (first call to an accident scene, carrying patients, organ donors, organs, or other urgently needed lifesaving medical materials) shall use in all radio communications, the call sign lifeguard followed by the flight number. This designation will provide for expeditious handling by ATC.' it is the pilot's responsibility to insure this information is provided to ATC. We were carrying human tissue for rush delivery. As far as we know it was an emergency. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he is grieving this incident through the union. The company has sent a letter of reprimand to flight crew. Reporter feels this is to satisfy the FAA in hope they will drop the matter. Flight crew was beginning the last leg of a 4-DAY trip when the incident occurred. They were cleared direct. The controller had been very chatty when aircraft was parked and flight crew indicated this was their last leg. After the event, the controller wrote a 3 page letter to the company indicating he thought the crew was just trying to get home faster by using the lifeguard call sign. Reporter wonders how the FAA can fault the crew for using a procedure which they have approved in the company manual. Reporter will facsimile a copy of the specific page in the manual which addresses this issue. The aircraft is a saab 340B.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAAB 340B FLC CHARGED WITH USING WRONG CALL SIGN OF LIFEGUARD WHEN CARRYING HUMAN BODY PARTS.

Narrative: WE WERE CARRYING A PACKAGE THAT CONTAINED HUMAN BODY PARTS FOR RUSH DELIVERY TO DFW. ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY FLT MANUAL IN THIS SIT WE 'SHALL' USE THE CALL SIGN LIFEGUARD AND ADVISE ATC. HAVING DONE THIS, THE SJT TWR SAID THE CALL SIGN COMPANY FLT LIFEGUARD XXX WAS TOO LONG SO HE WOULD PUT IT INTO REMARKS ON THE COMPUTER. THE FLT NUMBER REMAINED XXX AND WE HAD A NORMAL FLT. THE COMPANY NOW AND THE FAA SAY WE ABUSED THE USE OF THE CALL SIGN AND MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE FAR AND COMPANY POLICY. I FEEL WE DID NOT. IT IS STATED IN OUR FAA APPROVED MANUAL 'COMPANY FLTS RESPONDING TO MEDICAL EMERS (FIRST CALL TO AN ACCIDENT SCENE, CARRYING PATIENTS, ORGAN DONORS, ORGANS, OR OTHER URGENTLY NEEDED LIFESAVING MEDICAL MATERIALS) SHALL USE IN ALL RADIO COMS, THE CALL SIGN LIFEGUARD FOLLOWED BY THE FLT NUMBER. THIS DESIGNATION WILL PROVIDE FOR EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING BY ATC.' IT IS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO INSURE THIS INFO IS PROVIDED TO ATC. WE WERE CARRYING HUMAN TISSUE FOR RUSH DELIVERY. AS FAR AS WE KNOW IT WAS AN EMER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE IS GRIEVING THIS INCIDENT THROUGH THE UNION. THE COMPANY HAS SENT A LETTER OF REPRIMAND TO FLC. RPTR FEELS THIS IS TO SATISFY THE FAA IN HOPE THEY WILL DROP THE MATTER. FLC WAS BEGINNING THE LAST LEG OF A 4-DAY TRIP WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THEY WERE CLRED DIRECT. THE CTLR HAD BEEN VERY CHATTY WHEN ACFT WAS PARKED AND FLC INDICATED THIS WAS THEIR LAST LEG. AFTER THE EVENT, THE CTLR WROTE A 3 PAGE LETTER TO THE COMPANY INDICATING HE THOUGHT THE CREW WAS JUST TRYING TO GET HOME FASTER BY USING THE LIFEGUARD CALL SIGN. RPTR WONDERS HOW THE FAA CAN FAULT THE CREW FOR USING A PROC WHICH THEY HAVE APPROVED IN THE COMPANY MANUAL. RPTR WILL FAX A COPY OF THE SPECIFIC PAGE IN THE MANUAL WHICH ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. THE ACFT IS A SAAB 340B.

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.