Narrative:

Captain and I had just completed flight and arrived ZZZ1 over 2 hours late. We had just finished a 12 hour 45 min duty period in very challenging winter WX conditions. We were very fatigued having come all the way from ZZZ2 earlier that day. Because our flight had been very delayed in ZZZ3 we would not have been able to receive adequate rest to depart on-time for the next leg. We called the crew desk to inform them of our problem and the captain spoke to a crew scheduler on duty. The scheduler informed us that the company was unwilling to delay the departure of the outbound ZZZ-ZZZ3. We were scheduled to fly a 10+ hour duty day that day and were very concerned about fatigue. The scheduler informed us that we could either take the flight as scheduled or lose the pay as a result of another crew being assigned to the trip. I don't believe that the crew scheduler had the intent to pressure us to do something unsafe but that was the net result. We could either fly the trip fatigued and not lose any pay; or get the appropriate crew rest and lose the pay. We decided to give up the pay and opted for safety. Pay can be a big incentive to do something unsafe or push the boundaries of safety; especially in the current environment of hostile pilot work contracts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW WAS THREATENED WITH PAY LOSS FOR REFUSING TO FLY A TRIP THE NEXT DAY BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE REST FOLLOWING WX DELAYED FLTS THAT DAY.

Narrative: CAPT AND I HAD JUST COMPLETED FLT AND ARRIVED ZZZ1 OVER 2 HRS LATE. WE HAD JUST FINISHED A 12 HR 45 MIN DUTY PERIOD IN VERY CHALLENGING WINTER WX CONDITIONS. WE WERE VERY FATIGUED HAVING COME ALL THE WAY FROM ZZZ2 EARLIER THAT DAY. BECAUSE OUR FLT HAD BEEN VERY DELAYED IN ZZZ3 WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE ADEQUATE REST TO DEPART ON-TIME FOR THE NEXT LEG. WE CALLED THE CREW DESK TO INFORM THEM OF OUR PROB AND THE CAPT SPOKE TO A CREW SCHEDULER ON DUTY. THE SCHEDULER INFORMED US THAT THE COMPANY WAS UNWILLING TO DELAY THE DEP OF THE OUTBOUND ZZZ-ZZZ3. WE WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY A 10+ HR DUTY DAY THAT DAY AND WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT FATIGUE. THE SCHEDULER INFORMED US THAT WE COULD EITHER TAKE THE FLT AS SCHEDULED OR LOSE THE PAY AS A RESULT OF ANOTHER CREW BEING ASSIGNED TO THE TRIP. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE CREW SCHEDULER HAD THE INTENT TO PRESSURE US TO DO SOMETHING UNSAFE BUT THAT WAS THE NET RESULT. WE COULD EITHER FLY THE TRIP FATIGUED AND NOT LOSE ANY PAY; OR GET THE APPROPRIATE CREW REST AND LOSE THE PAY. WE DECIDED TO GIVE UP THE PAY AND OPTED FOR SAFETY. PAY CAN BE A BIG INCENTIVE TO DO SOMETHING UNSAFE OR PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF SAFETY; ESPECIALLY IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT OF HOSTILE PLT WORK CONTRACTS.

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.