Narrative:

Due to WX and operational delays, my crew and I were on duty for 15.5 hours. At the end of the duty period, I contacted crew scheduling at XA14 and talked to mr X. He told me the scheduling computer indicated we needed 9 hours of rest based on our present duty day and rest the night before, and modified our duty in from XI00 local to XI15 local to achieve the 9 hours. I questioned this with him and our need for 10 hours rest. While waiting for the hotel van to arrive, I contacted our pilot union scheduling representative for further clarification, and he indicated that 10 hours of rest were in order based on our duty day. I contacted mr X in crew scheduling again at XA30 and asked him to double check crew scheduling's determination, citing my belief for our need to have 10 hours rest. He said we did not need 10 hours rest because our block time flown for the day was under 8 hours and we had normal rest the night before. At this point we were tired and we proceeded to the hotel. Early the next morning, I attempted to contact the chief pilot on call at XH50, and left a voice message for him to contact me regarding clarification of the rest issue. I never received a response. I then placed another call to crew scheduling at XH52 and asked to speak with a supervisor. Mrs Y came on the phone and I brought the rest issue to her attention as I had the night before with mr X. She again stated that 9 hours of rest were sufficient for our situation and that we should duty in at XI15 local. Fearing repercussions, we continued the trip as assigned by crew scheduling under protest. There seems to be ambiguity in both the far's and the crew scheduling program air carrier uses, regarding rest requirements covering all of the variables that may arise in a duty period. To further complicate the issue, it proved impossible to get a definitive ruling in a timely fashion. My only desire in this mater was to operate both safely and legally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARJ CREW CONTINUES THEIR FLT SEQUENCE UNDER PROTEST AFTER A DISAGREEMENT ARISES OVER REQUIRED REST PERIOD REQUIREMENTS AFTER AN EXTENDED DUTY DAY BROUGHT ON BY OPERATIONAL AND WX DELAYS.

Narrative: DUE TO WX AND OPERATIONAL DELAYS, MY CREW AND I WERE ON DUTY FOR 15.5 HRS. AT THE END OF THE DUTY PERIOD, I CONTACTED CREW SCHEDULING AT XA14 AND TALKED TO MR X. HE TOLD ME THE SCHEDULING COMPUTER INDICATED WE NEEDED 9 HRS OF REST BASED ON OUR PRESENT DUTY DAY AND REST THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND MODIFIED OUR DUTY IN FROM XI00 LCL TO XI15 LCL TO ACHIEVE THE 9 HRS. I QUESTIONED THIS WITH HIM AND OUR NEED FOR 10 HRS REST. WHILE WAITING FOR THE HOTEL VAN TO ARRIVE, I CONTACTED OUR PLT UNION SCHEDULING REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION, AND HE INDICATED THAT 10 HRS OF REST WERE IN ORDER BASED ON OUR DUTY DAY. I CONTACTED MR X IN CREW SCHEDULING AGAIN AT XA30 AND ASKED HIM TO DOUBLE CHK CREW SCHEDULING'S DETERMINATION, CITING MY BELIEF FOR OUR NEED TO HAVE 10 HRS REST. HE SAID WE DID NOT NEED 10 HRS REST BECAUSE OUR BLOCK TIME FLOWN FOR THE DAY WAS UNDER 8 HRS AND WE HAD NORMAL REST THE NIGHT BEFORE. AT THIS POINT WE WERE TIRED AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE HOTEL. EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE CHIEF PLT ON CALL AT XH50, AND LEFT A VOICE MESSAGE FOR HIM TO CONTACT ME REGARDING CLARIFICATION OF THE REST ISSUE. I NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. I THEN PLACED ANOTHER CALL TO CREW SCHEDULING AT XH52 AND ASKED TO SPEAK WITH A SUPVR. MRS Y CAME ON THE PHONE AND I BROUGHT THE REST ISSUE TO HER ATTN AS I HAD THE NIGHT BEFORE WITH MR X. SHE AGAIN STATED THAT 9 HRS OF REST WERE SUFFICIENT FOR OUR SIT AND THAT WE SHOULD DUTY IN AT XI15 LCL. FEARING REPERCUSSIONS, WE CONTINUED THE TRIP AS ASSIGNED BY CREW SCHEDULING UNDER PROTEST. THERE SEEMS TO BE AMBIGUITY IN BOTH THE FAR'S AND THE CREW SCHEDULING PROGRAM ACR USES, REGARDING REST REQUIREMENTS COVERING ALL OF THE VARIABLES THAT MAY ARISE IN A DUTY PERIOD. TO FURTHER COMPLICATE THE ISSUE, IT PROVED IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A DEFINITIVE RULING IN A TIMELY FASHION. MY ONLY DESIRE IN THIS MATER WAS TO OPERATE BOTH SAFELY AND LEGALLY.

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.