Narrative:

I arrived in las and was advised that our flight X to san had been cancelled and we were to ron in las at the hotel. (Our flight attendants deadheaded home.) I contacted crew scheduling and asked them to change the ACARS from X to Y. This was due to disembarking passenger while waiting for ground power. I also asked what we were scheduled to fly the next day. They said we were to report at xa:49 to deadhead to phx to pick up the remainder of our pairing. At approximately xk:20; I contacted crew scheduling again to ask where our ground transportation was. They replied that the hotel provides its own transportation and I should call the hotel directly. Their shuttle arrived at xk:43 and we arrived at the hotel at approximately xl:00. Since I had ground time of 1259 minutes remaining; I went to sleep at xn:00. At xu:00 local time; I was awakened by a phone call from crew scheduling. Crew scheduling advised me that since that flight was running late; I now have a xv:10 report time to keep my phx to dfw flight on time. I advised her that she was violating my rest. She said it was legal per the FARS. I asked her who made this decision and she said it was the floor supervisor. I requested to speak to the floor supervisor. I advised her that I did not get to sleep until xn:00 and they woke me from a sound sleep at xv:00. In addition; the van only leaves the hotel at 45 minutes past the hour. This would only give me 45 minutes from the time they called to be dressed; ready; and to get something to eat before I had to depart the hotel. I advised the floor supervisor that I hadn't had enough rest and she said I had two choices -- to either accept the trip or call in fatigued. I advised her that I was calling in fatigued. She then proceeded to dock me 8 hours of pay because I did not accept them reducing my crew rest and interrupting my rest. This is not an unusual situation at our company. If a pilot calls in fatigued; he will be docked pay and it will become his burden to either plead his case to the chief pilot's office and hope someone will do the right thing; or he will lose the pay or use sick time from his sick bank and mask the true problem. My suggestion is that they take a pro-active stance and not immediately dock the pay of a pilot for making a safety of flight decision. It needs to become the responsibility of the chief pilot's office to research the facts to determine if he is being forced into an unsafe situation by the company before his pay is docked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT COMPLAINS HIS CREW SCHEDULING DEPT VIOLATES FARS BY INTERRUPTING REQUIRED CREW REST PERIODS FOR REASSIGNMENTS AND DOCKING PLT PAY WHEN CREWS INSIST ON REST; FREE FROM DUTY AS REQUIRED BY THE REGULATIONS.

Narrative: I ARRIVED IN LAS AND WAS ADVISED THAT OUR FLT X TO SAN HAD BEEN CANCELLED AND WE WERE TO RON IN LAS AT THE HOTEL. (OUR FLT ATTENDANTS DEADHEADED HOME.) I CONTACTED CREW SCHEDULING AND ASKED THEM TO CHANGE THE ACARS FROM X TO Y. THIS WAS DUE TO DISEMBARKING PAX WHILE WAITING FOR GND POWER. I ALSO ASKED WHAT WE WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY THE NEXT DAY. THEY SAID WE WERE TO REPORT AT XA:49 TO DEADHEAD TO PHX TO PICK UP THE REMAINDER OF OUR PAIRING. AT APPROX XK:20; I CONTACTED CREW SCHEDULING AGAIN TO ASK WHERE OUR GND TRANSPORTATION WAS. THEY REPLIED THAT THE HOTEL PROVIDES ITS OWN TRANSPORTATION AND I SHOULD CALL THE HOTEL DIRECTLY. THEIR SHUTTLE ARRIVED AT XK:43 AND WE ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL AT APPROX XL:00. SINCE I HAD GND TIME OF 1259 MINUTES REMAINING; I WENT TO SLEEP AT XN:00. AT XU:00 LOCAL TIME; I WAS AWAKENED BY A PHONE CALL FROM CREW SCHEDULING. CREW SCHEDULING ADVISED ME THAT SINCE THAT FLT WAS RUNNING LATE; I NOW HAVE A XV:10 REPORT TIME TO KEEP MY PHX TO DFW FLT ON TIME. I ADVISED HER THAT SHE WAS VIOLATING MY REST. SHE SAID IT WAS LEGAL PER THE FARS. I ASKED HER WHO MADE THIS DECISION AND SHE SAID IT WAS THE FLOOR SUPVR. I REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO THE FLOOR SUPVR. I ADVISED HER THAT I DID NOT GET TO SLEEP UNTIL XN:00 AND THEY WOKE ME FROM A SOUND SLEEP AT XV:00. IN ADDITION; THE VAN ONLY LEAVES THE HOTEL AT 45 MINUTES PAST THE HOUR. THIS WOULD ONLY GIVE ME 45 MINUTES FROM THE TIME THEY CALLED TO BE DRESSED; READY; AND TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT BEFORE I HAD TO DEPART THE HOTEL. I ADVISED THE FLOOR SUPVR THAT I HADN'T HAD ENOUGH REST AND SHE SAID I HAD TWO CHOICES -- TO EITHER ACCEPT THE TRIP OR CALL IN FATIGUED. I ADVISED HER THAT I WAS CALLING IN FATIGUED. SHE THEN PROCEEDED TO DOCK ME 8 HOURS OF PAY BECAUSE I DID NOT ACCEPT THEM REDUCING MY CREW REST AND INTERRUPTING MY REST. THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL SIT AT OUR COMPANY. IF A PLT CALLS IN FATIGUED; HE WILL BE DOCKED PAY AND IT WILL BECOME HIS BURDEN TO EITHER PLEAD HIS CASE TO THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE AND HOPE SOMEONE WILL DO THE RIGHT THING; OR HE WILL LOSE THE PAY OR USE SICK TIME FROM HIS SICK BANK AND MASK THE TRUE PROB. MY SUGGESTION IS THAT THEY TAKE A PRO-ACTIVE STANCE AND NOT IMMEDIATELY DOCK THE PAY OF A PLT FOR MAKING A SAFETY OF FLT DECISION. IT NEEDS TO BECOME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE TO RESEARCH THE FACTS TO DETERMINE IF HE IS BEING FORCED INTO AN UNSAFE SIT BY THE COMPANY BEFORE HIS PAY IS DOCKED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.