Narrative:

On jul/xa/97 I received a reserve assignment while on standby. The trip was basically a modified pattern X. I was to dead head to tpa, then resume pattern X. The night before, I went to sleep at XA30 (normal for me). After the first duty period, I went to sleep at XF00 phx time. The next duty period, I was expected to get up at XD30 phx time and fly an 11 hour duty day. After very little total sleep, I finally called crew scheduling at XA00 phx time and told them I was not legal to fly the trip past phx. They took me off from the las turn, but I was assigned a 'refused assignment' for complying with the FARS. First of all, anyone in operations knows all the NASA studies show you cannot get adequate rest when totally FLIP-flopping duty periods. Second of all, it is unfair to record me as refusing an assignment, when I'm not far legal for it. We have pilots who fly these trips tired all the time, because they don't want a refused assignment or to lose the trip credit. The company is wrong to build these types of assignments and wrong to characterize removing oneself from a trip for far legalities as a refused assignment. This is not news to you, but I will continue to document this practice every time it occurs to me.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CAPT FOR AN ACR REFUSED TO FLY BEYOND HIS LEGAL MAX DUTY TIME AND WAS RELIEVED. THE COMPANY SCHEDULING DEPT INDICATED THAT HE HAD REFUSED AN ASSIGNMENT RATHER THAN SHOW HIM AT FAR MAXS.

Narrative: ON JUL/XA/97 I RECEIVED A RESERVE ASSIGNMENT WHILE ON STANDBY. THE TRIP WAS BASICALLY A MODIFIED PATTERN X. I WAS TO DEAD HEAD TO TPA, THEN RESUME PATTERN X. THE NIGHT BEFORE, I WENT TO SLEEP AT XA30 (NORMAL FOR ME). AFTER THE FIRST DUTY PERIOD, I WENT TO SLEEP AT XF00 PHX TIME. THE NEXT DUTY PERIOD, I WAS EXPECTED TO GET UP AT XD30 PHX TIME AND FLY AN 11 HR DUTY DAY. AFTER VERY LITTLE TOTAL SLEEP, I FINALLY CALLED CREW SCHEDULING AT XA00 PHX TIME AND TOLD THEM I WAS NOT LEGAL TO FLY THE TRIP PAST PHX. THEY TOOK ME OFF FROM THE LAS TURN, BUT I WAS ASSIGNED A 'REFUSED ASSIGNMENT' FOR COMPLYING WITH THE FARS. FIRST OF ALL, ANYONE IN OPS KNOWS ALL THE NASA STUDIES SHOW YOU CANNOT GET ADEQUATE REST WHEN TOTALLY FLIP-FLOPPING DUTY PERIODS. SECOND OF ALL, IT IS UNFAIR TO RECORD ME AS REFUSING AN ASSIGNMENT, WHEN I'M NOT FAR LEGAL FOR IT. WE HAVE PLTS WHO FLY THESE TRIPS TIRED ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT A REFUSED ASSIGNMENT OR TO LOSE THE TRIP CREDIT. THE COMPANY IS WRONG TO BUILD THESE TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS AND WRONG TO CHARACTERIZE REMOVING ONESELF FROM A TRIP FOR FAR LEGALITIES AS A REFUSED ASSIGNMENT. THIS IS NOT NEWS TO YOU, BUT I WILL CONTINUE TO DOCUMENT THIS PRACTICE EVERY TIME IT OCCURS TO ME.

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.