Narrative:

I am submitting this report as a whole because it has to be the worst trip of my career. It was the second leg of the second day of a 3 day trip. Both the copilot and I had flown all-nighters 2 days before going out on this trip, and the first night of this trip was late and the layover shorter than scheduled. Maybe this had something to do with our poor performance. I got along with the copilot, but just did not feel that we were meshing all that well. It was bothering me that he was trying to do too much, and yet was not positive enough for me and was not telling me 'checklist complete' after it was run. This might seem like a small thing, but there is so much repetition in what we do and there are so many distrs these days that it is an important part of my staying abreast of how we are doing. Several yrs ago when I was a copilot myself, capts expected this would be done. As a captain, it allows me to monitor how things are going as the final check and ultimate responsibility. These days, however, in an attempt to keep the captain in the loop, we share the responsibility of seeing that all things are done. Psychologically, I believe this sets up the situation where it is possible for each person to think that the other person has accomplished something when in fact it was not, even though theoretically we both are checking each other. As a captain, this makes my job very difficult because of instead of 2 competent people working together in a coordinated way, we are increasing each person's workload because both pilots are responsible for everything, and yet the final responsibility is still mine (just as it has always been). So, instead of my being able to oversee (isn't it easier to see another person's mistakes rather than our own?), I become part of the problem. This makes me feel overloaded because, really, I must be both copilot and captain to fulfill my company directed and moral obligations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC REPORTER CITES COMPANY POLICY AND PROC AS DETRIMENTAL TO EXECUTION OF CHECKLISTS AND PIC'S ABILITY TO OVERSEE THE COCKPIT MANAGEMENT AND COORD.

Narrative: I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT AS A WHOLE BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE THE WORST TRIP OF MY CAREER. IT WAS THE SECOND LEG OF THE SECOND DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. BOTH THE COPLT AND I HAD FLOWN ALL-NIGHTERS 2 DAYS BEFORE GOING OUT ON THIS TRIP, AND THE FIRST NIGHT OF THIS TRIP WAS LATE AND THE LAYOVER SHORTER THAN SCHEDULED. MAYBE THIS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR POOR PERFORMANCE. I GOT ALONG WITH THE COPLT, BUT JUST DID NOT FEEL THAT WE WERE MESHING ALL THAT WELL. IT WAS BOTHERING ME THAT HE WAS TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH, AND YET WAS NOT POSITIVE ENOUGH FOR ME AND WAS NOT TELLING ME 'CHKLIST COMPLETE' AFTER IT WAS RUN. THIS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A SMALL THING, BUT THERE IS SO MUCH REPETITION IN WHAT WE DO AND THERE ARE SO MANY DISTRS THESE DAYS THAT IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY STAYING ABREAST OF HOW WE ARE DOING. SEVERAL YRS AGO WHEN I WAS A COPLT MYSELF, CAPTS EXPECTED THIS WOULD BE DONE. AS A CAPT, IT ALLOWS ME TO MONITOR HOW THINGS ARE GOING AS THE FINAL CHK AND ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY. THESE DAYS, HOWEVER, IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE CAPT IN THE LOOP, WE SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SEEING THAT ALL THINGS ARE DONE. PSYCHOLOGICALLY, I BELIEVE THIS SETS UP THE SITUATION WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE FOR EACH PERSON TO THINK THAT THE OTHER PERSON HAS ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING WHEN IN FACT IT WAS NOT, EVEN THOUGH THEORETICALLY WE BOTH ARE CHKING EACH OTHER. AS A CAPT, THIS MAKES MY JOB VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF INSTEAD OF 2 COMPETENT PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER IN A COORDINATED WAY, WE ARE INCREASING EACH PERSON'S WORKLOAD BECAUSE BOTH PLTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING, AND YET THE FINAL RESPONSIBILITY IS STILL MINE (JUST AS IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN). SO, INSTEAD OF MY BEING ABLE TO OVERSEE (ISN'T IT EASIER TO SEE ANOTHER PERSON'S MISTAKES RATHER THAN OUR OWN?), I BECOME PART OF THE PROB. THIS MAKES ME FEEL OVERLOADED BECAUSE, REALLY, I MUST BE BOTH COPLT AND CAPT TO FULFILL MY COMPANY DIRECTED AND MORAL OBLIGATIONS.

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.