Narrative:

I'm not sure that this qualifies as a type of report desired by NASA, but there are some interesting circumstances that led to the event. I was scheduled to fly a shift consisting of 5 hours. I finished the shift in 4.7 hours and was asked by a different captain if I wanted to take another couple of legs. He had been called off reserve because a plane was broken and was still waiting for a reserve first officer who was very late. I said yes, if it was ok with dispatch. He called dispatch and they said go. To make a long story short, I ended up flying an additional 4.0 hours for a total of 8.7 hours in a period of 12.5 duty hours. When I got home I talked to a captain who said that was not legal. That started me thinking. I talked to 2 more capts who said it wasn't legal. Additionally, I talked to 2 capts, including our director of operations, who said it was ok. I'm still not sure if it was legal or not. My concern is that some regulations, this one included, require a doctorate in law to understand. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: added flying was in a faster aircraft used because of equipment substitution and dispatcher said its scheduled flight time was fast enough to stay under 8 scheduled hours. As it turns out, he used wrong figures and actual plus scheduled on added flying did exceed 8 hours. Reporter not certain if dispatcher really knew and just wanted to get flight departed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR SMT PLT FLEW OVER 8 HOURS IN 24 WITHOUT DUTY BREAK.

Narrative: I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS QUALIFIES AS A TYPE OF RPT DESIRED BY NASA, BUT THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO THE EVENT. I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY A SHIFT CONSISTING OF 5 HRS. I FINISHED THE SHIFT IN 4.7 HRS AND WAS ASKED BY A DIFFERENT CAPT IF I WANTED TO TAKE ANOTHER COUPLE OF LEGS. HE HAD BEEN CALLED OFF RESERVE BECAUSE A PLANE WAS BROKEN AND WAS STILL WAITING FOR A RESERVE F/O WHO WAS VERY LATE. I SAID YES, IF IT WAS OK WITH DISPATCH. HE CALLED DISPATCH AND THEY SAID GO. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I ENDED UP FLYING AN ADDITIONAL 4.0 HRS FOR A TOTAL OF 8.7 HRS IN A PERIOD OF 12.5 DUTY HRS. WHEN I GOT HOME I TALKED TO A CAPT WHO SAID THAT WAS NOT LEGAL. THAT STARTED ME THINKING. I TALKED TO 2 MORE CAPTS WHO SAID IT WASN'T LEGAL. ADDITIONALLY, I TALKED TO 2 CAPTS, INCLUDING OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS, WHO SAID IT WAS OK. I'M STILL NOT SURE IF IT WAS LEGAL OR NOT. MY CONCERN IS THAT SOME REGS, THIS ONE INCLUDED, REQUIRE A DOCTORATE IN LAW TO UNDERSTAND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ADDED FLYING WAS IN A FASTER ACFT USED BECAUSE OF EQUIP SUBSTITUTION AND DISPATCHER SAID ITS SCHEDULED FLT TIME WAS FAST ENOUGH TO STAY UNDER 8 SCHEDULED HRS. AS IT TURNS OUT, HE USED WRONG FIGURES AND ACTUAL PLUS SCHEDULED ON ADDED FLYING DID EXCEED 8 HRS. RPTR NOT CERTAIN IF DISPATCHER REALLY KNEW AND JUST WANTED TO GET FLT DEPARTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.