Narrative:

I was the first officer on a charter flight. This was my assigned leg and I was the PF. We departed at approximately XA30 local time. Upon reaching cruise and level flight, the captain expressed to me that he had a headache and he was going to remove his headset for a few moments to alleviate the discomfort caused by the headset. Prior to descent, the captain replaced his headset, performed his regular duties, and the remainder of the flight was uneventful. The problem is the following: the day after the flight in question, the general manager advised us (the crew) that he had a report from a passenger accusing or alleging that the captain was sleeping. This person apparently filmed, with his own personal video camera, a side shot of the captain with his eyes closed, his head resting on the headrest, and as previously mentioned, without his headset on his head. The video clip was about 15-20 seconds long and from the angle it was taken (from behind) it could erroneously be interpreted that he was 'sleeping'. I particularly recall that we had been scheduled for a long day and as I mentioned earlier, the captain had advised me he was experiencing a headache. To make matters worse, I recall we were flying directly into the sunlight which can be bothersome even when wearing sunglasses, and in an aircraft that doesn't have air conditioning on a hot summer day. The time the captain was with his eyes closed was between 10-15 mins during cruise and level flight. The safety of the flight was never compromised at any time. Prior to the descent/approach phase of the flight, the captain replaced his headset and resumed his normal duties for the remainder of the flight. Supplemental information from acn 587911: once in level flight, and all in-flight duties completed, I advised the first officer that I was removing my headset to close my eyes for a few mins. At no time was I asleep at controls as it would appear. The safety of the flight was not compromised in any way at any time. I believe the period of time without the headset to be approximately 10 mins, after which time I replaced my headset and performed PNF duties for the remainder of the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC-6 FLT CREW, WHILE TRANSITING TO THEIR DEST, ONE MEMBER IS ACCUSED OF SLEEPING AT THE CTLS.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A CHARTER FLT. THIS WAS MY ASSIGNED LEG AND I WAS THE PF. WE DEPARTED AT APPROX XA30 LCL TIME. UPON REACHING CRUISE AND LEVEL FLT, THE CAPT EXPRESSED TO ME THAT HE HAD A HEADACHE AND HE WAS GOING TO REMOVE HIS HEADSET FOR A FEW MOMENTS TO ALLEVIATE THE DISCOMFORT CAUSED BY THE HEADSET. PRIOR TO DSCNT, THE CAPT REPLACED HIS HEADSET, PERFORMED HIS REGULAR DUTIES, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE PROB IS THE FOLLOWING: THE DAY AFTER THE FLT IN QUESTION, THE GENERAL MGR ADVISED US (THE CREW) THAT HE HAD A RPT FROM A PAX ACCUSING OR ALLEGING THAT THE CAPT WAS SLEEPING. THIS PERSON APPARENTLY FILMED, WITH HIS OWN PERSONAL VIDEO CAMERA, A SIDE SHOT OF THE CAPT WITH HIS EYES CLOSED, HIS HEAD RESTING ON THE HEADREST, AND AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, WITHOUT HIS HEADSET ON HIS HEAD. THE VIDEO CLIP WAS ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS LONG AND FROM THE ANGLE IT WAS TAKEN (FROM BEHIND) IT COULD ERRONEOUSLY BE INTERPED THAT HE WAS 'SLEEPING'. I PARTICULARLY RECALL THAT WE HAD BEEN SCHEDULED FOR A LONG DAY AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CAPT HAD ADVISED ME HE WAS EXPERIENCING A HEADACHE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, I RECALL WE WERE FLYING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUNLIGHT WHICH CAN BE BOTHERSOME EVEN WHEN WEARING SUNGLASSES, AND IN AN ACFT THAT DOESN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING ON A HOT SUMMER DAY. THE TIME THE CAPT WAS WITH HIS EYES CLOSED WAS BTWN 10-15 MINS DURING CRUISE AND LEVEL FLT. THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WAS NEVER COMPROMISED AT ANY TIME. PRIOR TO THE DSCNT/APCH PHASE OF THE FLT, THE CAPT REPLACED HIS HEADSET AND RESUMED HIS NORMAL DUTIES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 587911: ONCE IN LEVEL FLT, AND ALL INFLT DUTIES COMPLETED, I ADVISED THE FO THAT I WAS REMOVING MY HEADSET TO CLOSE MY EYES FOR A FEW MINS. AT NO TIME WAS I ASLEEP AT CTLS AS IT WOULD APPEAR. THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WAS NOT COMPROMISED IN ANY WAY AT ANY TIME. I BELIEVE THE PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT THE HEADSET TO BE APPROX 10 MINS, AFTER WHICH TIME I REPLACED MY HEADSET AND PERFORMED PNF DUTIES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT.

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.