Narrative:

Was reading callback #130 'the fatigue factor'. I think this guy has hit the nail on the head -- my ability to solve problems when I am very fatigued. I fly for air carrier C, based out of newark, nj as an first officer on the large transport. I have over 10000 hours total time and over 10 yrs in far 121 operations. The 30 in 7 rule seems to be sufficient to solve the flight fatigue problem, except for maximum duty day which I believe should receive additional limitations, I think 14 hours would be fair. My base flies mostly domes to pairings with the exception of some 1-DAY international pairings between ewr and some caribbean destinations. We are assigned schedules on a monthly basis. When there is a conflict (such as 30 in 7) between the flying in the last 10 days of the current month and the scheduled flying in the first 10 days of the next month, the company is supposed to 'adjust' the scheduled flying in the next month to avoid the conflict. They are very good at it. I had such a conflict a few months ago (over 30 in 7). The company solved the problem by removing the domestic pairing which would have put me over 30 in 7, and replacing it with an international pairing which put me further over 30 hours in 7 days than the domestic pairing did -- all within FARS. Safety and crew rest cost money. The pairing I was assigned was ewr-aua (aruba)-ewr. The aua-ewr leg sometimes required a fuel stop in miami. I mentioned this to my chief pilot. He said don't worry, there's an exception in the FARS which defines the mia-ewr segment as a 'continuation' of an international flight, so 30 in 7 still doesn't apply. I guess money really does talk. Wish I had some.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER DETAILS VARIATIONS IN THE 30 FLYING HOURS IN 7 DAYS RULE WITHIN THE SAME COMPANY.

Narrative: WAS READING CALLBACK #130 'THE FATIGUE FACTOR'. I THINK THIS GUY HAS HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD -- MY ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WHEN I AM VERY FATIGUED. I FLY FOR ACR C, BASED OUT OF NEWARK, NJ AS AN F/O ON THE LGT. I HAVE OVER 10000 HRS TOTAL TIME AND OVER 10 YRS IN FAR 121 OPERATIONS. THE 30 IN 7 RULE SEEMS TO BE SUFFICIENT TO SOLVE THE FLT FATIGUE PROBLEM, EXCEPT FOR MAX DUTY DAY WHICH I BELIEVE SHOULD RECEIVE ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS, I THINK 14 HRS WOULD BE FAIR. MY BASE FLIES MOSTLY DOMES TO PAIRINGS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME 1-DAY INTERNATIONAL PAIRINGS BETWEEN EWR AND SOME CARIBBEAN DESTINATIONS. WE ARE ASSIGNED SCHEDULES ON A MONTHLY BASIS. WHEN THERE IS A CONFLICT (SUCH AS 30 IN 7) BETWEEN THE FLYING IN THE LAST 10 DAYS OF THE CURRENT MONTH AND THE SCHEDULED FLYING IN THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF THE NEXT MONTH, THE COMPANY IS SUPPOSED TO 'ADJUST' THE SCHEDULED FLYING IN THE NEXT MONTH TO AVOID THE CONFLICT. THEY ARE VERY GOOD AT IT. I HAD SUCH A CONFLICT A FEW MONTHS AGO (OVER 30 IN 7). THE COMPANY SOLVED THE PROBLEM BY REMOVING THE DOMESTIC PAIRING WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT ME OVER 30 IN 7, AND REPLACING IT WITH AN INTERNATIONAL PAIRING WHICH PUT ME FURTHER OVER 30 HRS IN 7 DAYS THAN THE DOMESTIC PAIRING DID -- ALL WITHIN FARS. SAFETY AND CREW REST COST MONEY. THE PAIRING I WAS ASSIGNED WAS EWR-AUA (ARUBA)-EWR. THE AUA-EWR LEG SOMETIMES REQUIRED A FUEL STOP IN MIAMI. I MENTIONED THIS TO MY CHIEF PLT. HE SAID DON'T WORRY, THERE'S AN EXCEPTION IN THE FARS WHICH DEFINES THE MIA-EWR SEGMENT AS A 'CONTINUATION' OF AN INTERNATIONAL FLT, SO 30 IN 7 STILL DOESN'T APPLY. I GUESS MONEY REALLY DOES TALK. WISH I HAD SOME.

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.