Narrative:

In sum: this is a summary of a relief pilot's report on a return-home-overwater flight on a B747-400. The check pilot, captain 'M.' who had just finished re-qualifying the operating captain 'Y,' came down with the flu. The operating captain 'Y' wanted the blessings of the rest of the cockpit crew in allowing the ill check pilot 'M' to return to the united states, riding in the cockpit. Neither of the capts wanted to involve the crew desk in this issue, thus saving any sick leave that might be charged to the captain 'M.' the use of 3 crew members was legal in view of the shortened length of the eastbound flight time. The relief pilot was against this idea, not wanting himself, or any other person, to come in contact with said check pilot 'M' and possibly get the flu virus. Captain 'Y' had stated that a consensus would be reached at operations in a session of 'clear' this never occurred. As to the delay in coming to a final resolution over captain 'M,' captain 'Y' said '...he was trying to keep the situation dynamic...' to this the relief pilot said '...if he kept the situation much more dynamic, that it was going to be too late to do much of anything that was acceptable to anyone, except captain M...' the aircraft was completely full so captain 'M' rode home in the crew rest area in the cockpit, arousing the indignation of the chief purser as well over this 'charade.' captain 'Y' wasn't concerned as '...he had already had the flu.' this letter continued with contacts with the chief pilot and the company doctor over the situation. The relief pilot wanted to have this event logged in case he came down with the flu. He didn't want his regular sick leave charged, but attach this to an occupational sick leave code. This was approved by all and the relief pilot did, in a few days, come down with the flu. He is going to contact the union and company professional standards '...as soon as my voice returns.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RELIEF PLT RPT REGARDING THE DEADHEADING HOME FROM FOREIGN AIRSPACE OF AN ILL CHK PLT. RPTR HAD NOT WANTED SAID CHK PLT ON BOARD AT ALL. THE ACFT WAS FULL SO THE CONTAGIOUS PERSON STAYED IN THE COCKPIT. RPTR DID NOT WANT HIS SICK LEAVE CHARGED TO 'PERSONAL' IF HE CAME DOWN WITH THE FLU.

Narrative: IN SUM: THIS IS A SUMMARY OF A RELIEF PLT'S RPT ON A RETURN-HOME-OVERWATER FLT ON A B747-400. THE CHK PLT, CAPT 'M.' WHO HAD JUST FINISHED RE-QUALIFYING THE OPERATING CAPT 'Y,' CAME DOWN WITH THE FLU. THE OPERATING CAPT 'Y' WANTED THE BLESSINGS OF THE REST OF THE COCKPIT CREW IN ALLOWING THE ILL CHK PLT 'M' TO RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES, RIDING IN THE COCKPIT. NEITHER OF THE CAPTS WANTED TO INVOLVE THE CREW DESK IN THIS ISSUE, THUS SAVING ANY SICK LEAVE THAT MIGHT BE CHARGED TO THE CAPT 'M.' THE USE OF 3 CREW MEMBERS WAS LEGAL IN VIEW OF THE SHORTENED LENGTH OF THE EBOUND FLT TIME. THE RELIEF PLT WAS AGAINST THIS IDEA, NOT WANTING HIMSELF, OR ANY OTHER PERSON, TO COME IN CONTACT WITH SAID CHK PLT 'M' AND POSSIBLY GET THE FLU VIRUS. CAPT 'Y' HAD STATED THAT A CONSENSUS WOULD BE REACHED AT OPS IN A SESSION OF 'CLR' THIS NEVER OCCURRED. AS TO THE DELAY IN COMING TO A FINAL RESOLUTION OVER CAPT 'M,' CAPT 'Y' SAID '...HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP THE SIT DYNAMIC...' TO THIS THE RELIEF PLT SAID '...IF HE KEPT THE SIT MUCH MORE DYNAMIC, THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE TOO LATE TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO ANYONE, EXCEPT CAPT M...' THE ACFT WAS COMPLETELY FULL SO CAPT 'M' RODE HOME IN THE CREW REST AREA IN THE COCKPIT, AROUSING THE INDIGNATION OF THE CHIEF PURSER AS WELL OVER THIS 'CHARADE.' CAPT 'Y' WASN'T CONCERNED AS '...HE HAD ALREADY HAD THE FLU.' THIS LETTER CONTINUED WITH CONTACTS WITH THE CHIEF PLT AND THE COMPANY DOCTOR OVER THE SIT. THE RELIEF PLT WANTED TO HAVE THIS EVENT LOGGED IN CASE HE CAME DOWN WITH THE FLU. HE DIDN'T WANT HIS REGULAR SICK LEAVE CHARGED, BUT ATTACH THIS TO AN OCCUPATIONAL SICK LEAVE CODE. THIS WAS APPROVED BY ALL AND THE RELIEF PLT DID, IN A FEW DAYS, COME DOWN WITH THE FLU. HE IS GOING TO CONTACT THE UNION AND COMPANY PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS '...AS SOON AS MY VOICE RETURNS.'

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.