Narrative:

Crew schedule pushing pilots with unsafe reassignments: on the night of jul/thu/05 at 2130; I was on vacation with family a good 450 mi from airport. My cell phone rang and I answered it. Crew scheduler abc wanted me to take a reassignment for next afternoon. I believe the sign-in was around 1530-1600 time frame. I told her I was at least a 10 hour drive from airport if there were no traffic delays. She told me if I couldn't do the trip; then the first leg might have to be canceled. I told her again that I was 10 hours away and no way I could be at airport and properly rested for a trip the following afternoon. She then told me she was taking me off my 3 day trip for jul/sat/05 and reassigning me to the next day's trip. I told her there was no way I could be there and she then threatened me that I would receive a missed trip. I then asked her if she expected me to leave then and drive all night after having been up since early that morning or did she expect me to go to bed; then get up at 0530 on jul/fri/05; drive 10 hours to airport and then be properly rested to fly a trip that afternoon and night? I then reiterated to her that either way; I would not be properly rested to fly the trip and it was unsafe. She said she wasn't trying to tell me what to do; but the reassignment was mine. I then told her that it was unsafe and I wasn't doing it and she better get on the phone and find somebody else that was closer. I also told her I was calling union and my chief pilot. A short time later the chief pilot on duty called me and agreed that it was unsafe and would be legitimate grounds for calling in fatigued. He said he would call crew scheduling and get me taken off the reassignment and put back on my regular trip. My chief pilot then called and he agreed that the crew scheduler was being unreasonable. This dovetails with another crew schedule incident on the night of jul/thu/05. I had a trip on the following morning; jul/fri/05; with a sign-in time of 0905. I went to bed at 2230 on jul/thu/05. At about 2250 the phone awakened me. It was crew scheduling wanting me to take a reassignment for the following morning with a sign-in of 0645. The crew scheduler insinuated I was the only guy available and the trip would have to be canceled if I couldn't do it (I believe this scheduler might have been abc from the above incident). I initially accepted it because of being awakened out of a deep sleep. After hanging up the phone; I stared at my clock and realized that I would only get 4 1/2 hours of sleep before having to get up at 0330 for the reassignment. I called back and said it was unsafe because I wouldn't get enough sleep. The crew scheduler then asked if I could fly 1 leg ZZZ1-ZZZ2 and then deadhead back. I said no; it was still not safe. He then put me back on my regular trip. This type of unsafe reassignment needs to stop!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT COMMENTS ON HIS ACR'S LACK OF REGARD FOR PLT'S REST REQUIREMENTS WHEN ASSIGNING FUTURE TRIPS.

Narrative: CREW SCHEDULE PUSHING PLTS WITH UNSAFE REASSIGNMENTS: ON THE NIGHT OF JUL/THU/05 AT 2130; I WAS ON VACATION WITH FAMILY A GOOD 450 MI FROM ARPT. MY CELL PHONE RANG AND I ANSWERED IT. CREW SCHEDULER ABC WANTED ME TO TAKE A REASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT AFTERNOON. I BELIEVE THE SIGN-IN WAS AROUND 1530-1600 TIME FRAME. I TOLD HER I WAS AT LEAST A 10 HR DRIVE FROM ARPT IF THERE WERE NO TFC DELAYS. SHE TOLD ME IF I COULDN'T DO THE TRIP; THEN THE FIRST LEG MIGHT HAVE TO BE CANCELED. I TOLD HER AGAIN THAT I WAS 10 HRS AWAY AND NO WAY I COULD BE AT ARPT AND PROPERLY RESTED FOR A TRIP THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON. SHE THEN TOLD ME SHE WAS TAKING ME OFF MY 3 DAY TRIP FOR JUL/SAT/05 AND REASSIGNING ME TO THE NEXT DAY'S TRIP. I TOLD HER THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD BE THERE AND SHE THEN THREATENED ME THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A MISSED TRIP. I THEN ASKED HER IF SHE EXPECTED ME TO LEAVE THEN AND DRIVE ALL NIGHT AFTER HAVING BEEN UP SINCE EARLY THAT MORNING OR DID SHE EXPECT ME TO GO TO BED; THEN GET UP AT 0530 ON JUL/FRI/05; DRIVE 10 HRS TO ARPT AND THEN BE PROPERLY RESTED TO FLY A TRIP THAT AFTERNOON AND NIGHT? I THEN REITERATED TO HER THAT EITHER WAY; I WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY RESTED TO FLY THE TRIP AND IT WAS UNSAFE. SHE SAID SHE WASN'T TRYING TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO; BUT THE REASSIGNMENT WAS MINE. I THEN TOLD HER THAT IT WAS UNSAFE AND I WASN'T DOING IT AND SHE BETTER GET ON THE PHONE AND FIND SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WAS CLOSER. I ALSO TOLD HER I WAS CALLING UNION AND MY CHIEF PLT. A SHORT TIME LATER THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY CALLED ME AND AGREED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE AND WOULD BE LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR CALLING IN FATIGUED. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL CREW SCHEDULING AND GET ME TAKEN OFF THE REASSIGNMENT AND PUT BACK ON MY REGULAR TRIP. MY CHIEF PLT THEN CALLED AND HE AGREED THAT THE CREW SCHEDULER WAS BEING UNREASONABLE. THIS DOVETAILS WITH ANOTHER CREW SCHEDULE INCIDENT ON THE NIGHT OF JUL/THU/05. I HAD A TRIP ON THE FOLLOWING MORNING; JUL/FRI/05; WITH A SIGN-IN TIME OF 0905. I WENT TO BED AT 2230 ON JUL/THU/05. AT ABOUT 2250 THE PHONE AWAKENED ME. IT WAS CREW SCHEDULING WANTING ME TO TAKE A REASSIGNMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING MORNING WITH A SIGN-IN OF 0645. THE CREW SCHEDULER INSINUATED I WAS THE ONLY GUY AVAILABLE AND THE TRIP WOULD HAVE TO BE CANCELED IF I COULDN'T DO IT (I BELIEVE THIS SCHEDULER MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABC FROM THE ABOVE INCIDENT). I INITIALLY ACCEPTED IT BECAUSE OF BEING AWAKENED OUT OF A DEEP SLEEP. AFTER HANGING UP THE PHONE; I STARED AT MY CLOCK AND REALIZED THAT I WOULD ONLY GET 4 1/2 HRS OF SLEEP BEFORE HAVING TO GET UP AT 0330 FOR THE REASSIGNMENT. I CALLED BACK AND SAID IT WAS UNSAFE BECAUSE I WOULDN'T GET ENOUGH SLEEP. THE CREW SCHEDULER THEN ASKED IF I COULD FLY 1 LEG ZZZ1-ZZZ2 AND THEN DEADHEAD BACK. I SAID NO; IT WAS STILL NOT SAFE. HE THEN PUT ME BACK ON MY REGULAR TRIP. THIS TYPE OF UNSAFE REASSIGNMENT NEEDS TO STOP!

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.