Narrative:

I was on a reserve on feb/thu. On feb/wed, I was assigned an assignment of XA00-XO54 for thursday. In the morning on thursday, I checked the computer to find that during my rest period (XO00) I had been assigned sequence that signed in at XE00. I checked to see when the first day's duty ended and it was scheduled to end at XN00 (before the XO00 end of my assignment) so I felt I was legal to fly. However, when I signed in for the trip, I noticed that my schedule noted began thursday at XE27 and ended friday at XQ00. Since the flight was scheduled to be completed before what I considered to be the end of my assignment (XQ52) I didn't react to the friday XQ52 time. I deadheaded to mia for my leg to atl. The aircraft we were supposed to take to atl was late arriving. We were late getting started to atl and then, after leaving the gate, we lost our left pack. This necessitated a return to the gate for maintenance action and fuel. In the confusion and desire to successfully get the flight to atl, I quickly checked to make sure I would be down by the end of my assignment which, according to my schedule, was now XQ52 on friday. We did manage to make it to atl before XQ52. As I reviewed the record of my sequence this afternoon (monday) I believe that my originally assigned assignment on thursday should have ended at XQ00 on friday XA00 (start time plus 16 hours). Thus, I believe I may have inadvertently gone illegal on my leg to atl. I checked this afternoon and they confirmed my belief. If this is the case, then I think my schedule was wrong to show that my assignment began at sign-in (XE27) and ended at XQ52 on friday. As I understand it, once XM00 passes on the day prior and I am assigned an assignment (in this case, an XA00-XO59 assignment) then my duty day starts at XA00 and scheduling can't change that and displaying a new start time for my assignment on the schedule is misleading. My schedule should have stated that my assignment ended at XO59. If I am wrong about this, then I have no idea how they arrived at an assignment end time of XQ52 on that friday. I know this is confusing, but I think this should be clarified in order to keep us from inadvertently going illegal while adhering to the information on the schedule. By the way, I cannot remember what the mandatory off-time was on the flight plan. I should have recalled that, but I didn't since I wasn't aware of a problem during the flight. Hope you can follow this. Please let me know if I did something wrong or have a misunderstanding about the duty day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SCHEDULING PROBS AND ADJUSTMENTS OF ASSIGNMENT TIMES AFTER THE DUTY PERIOD BEGINS IS ALLEGED TO HAVE RESULTED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH PLT DUTY TIME RULES.

Narrative: I WAS ON A RESERVE ON FEB/THU. ON FEB/WED, I WAS ASSIGNED AN ASSIGNMENT OF XA00-XO54 FOR THURSDAY. IN THE MORNING ON THURSDAY, I CHKED THE COMPUTER TO FIND THAT DURING MY REST PERIOD (XO00) I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED SEQUENCE THAT SIGNED IN AT XE00. I CHKED TO SEE WHEN THE FIRST DAY'S DUTY ENDED AND IT WAS SCHEDULED TO END AT XN00 (BEFORE THE XO00 END OF MY ASSIGNMENT) SO I FELT I WAS LEGAL TO FLY. HOWEVER, WHEN I SIGNED IN FOR THE TRIP, I NOTICED THAT MY SCHEDULE NOTED BEGAN THURSDAY AT XE27 AND ENDED FRIDAY AT XQ00. SINCE THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE THE END OF MY ASSIGNMENT (XQ52) I DIDN'T REACT TO THE FRIDAY XQ52 TIME. I DEADHEADED TO MIA FOR MY LEG TO ATL. THE ACFT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE TO ATL WAS LATE ARRIVING. WE WERE LATE GETTING STARTED TO ATL AND THEN, AFTER LEAVING THE GATE, WE LOST OUR L PACK. THIS NECESSITATED A RETURN TO THE GATE FOR MAINT ACTION AND FUEL. IN THE CONFUSION AND DESIRE TO SUCCESSFULLY GET THE FLT TO ATL, I QUICKLY CHKED TO MAKE SURE I WOULD BE DOWN BY THE END OF MY ASSIGNMENT WHICH, ACCORDING TO MY SCHEDULE, WAS NOW XQ52 ON FRIDAY. WE DID MANAGE TO MAKE IT TO ATL BEFORE XQ52. AS I REVIEWED THE RECORD OF MY SEQUENCE THIS AFTERNOON (MONDAY) I BELIEVE THAT MY ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED ASSIGNMENT ON THURSDAY SHOULD HAVE ENDED AT XQ00 ON FRIDAY XA00 (START TIME PLUS 16 HRS). THUS, I BELIEVE I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY GONE ILLEGAL ON MY LEG TO ATL. I CHKED THIS AFTERNOON AND THEY CONFIRMED MY BELIEF. IF THIS IS THE CASE, THEN I THINK MY SCHEDULE WAS WRONG TO SHOW THAT MY ASSIGNMENT BEGAN AT SIGN-IN (XE27) AND ENDED AT XQ52 ON FRIDAY. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, ONCE XM00 PASSES ON THE DAY PRIOR AND I AM ASSIGNED AN ASSIGNMENT (IN THIS CASE, AN XA00-XO59 ASSIGNMENT) THEN MY DUTY DAY STARTS AT XA00 AND SCHEDULING CAN'T CHANGE THAT AND DISPLAYING A NEW START TIME FOR MY ASSIGNMENT ON THE SCHEDULE IS MISLEADING. MY SCHEDULE SHOULD HAVE STATED THAT MY ASSIGNMENT ENDED AT XO59. IF I AM WRONG ABOUT THIS, THEN I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY ARRIVED AT AN ASSIGNMENT END TIME OF XQ52 ON THAT FRIDAY. I KNOW THIS IS CONFUSING, BUT I THINK THIS SHOULD BE CLARIFIED IN ORDER TO KEEP US FROM INADVERTENTLY GOING ILLEGAL WHILE ADHERING TO THE INFO ON THE SCHEDULE. BY THE WAY, I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT THE MANDATORY OFF-TIME WAS ON THE FLT PLAN. I SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THAT, BUT I DIDN'T SINCE I WASN'T AWARE OF A PROB DURING THE FLT. HOPE YOU CAN FOLLOW THIS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I DID SOMETHING WRONG OR HAVE A MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE DUTY DAY.

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.