Narrative:

Violation of far 121.525(B) involves 2-MAN crew versus 3- man crew flying. Widebody transport is a 2-MAN crew aircraft except when scheduled over 8 hours flying, then 3-MAN crew required. On oct/tue/93, I flew as PIC of widebody transport with a 2-MAN crew from charleston, sc, to savannah, GA, to mcguire air force base, nj. Then, on oct/wed/93, I flew as a 3-MAN crew to cairo, egypt for more than 10 hours. Then, on nov/mon/93, I flew as a 2-MAN crew from osau air base, korea to kadena air base, japan. I was unaware that now I was required to fly only as a 2-MAN crew until nov/sat/93. I then flew on the nov/thu/93 and nov/sun/93 as a 3-MAN crew for more than 8 hours each leg from kadena air base, japan to anc and then on the nov/fri/93 from anc to kadena air base, okinawa, japan. I discovered by violation from a fellow captain at supplemental air carrier. In my 22 yrs at supplemental air carrier, we have never flown 2-MAN aircraft, so we have been unaware of this 121.525(B) restrictions on crew operations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that this particular far is open to interpretation. His supplemental air carrier has been flying 3-MAN cockpits only until last yr. A fellow pilot found this obscure far and brought it to the attention of the reporter and the air carrier scheduling section. The solution has been to fly with 2 pilots in domestic operation and 3 on overseas operations whether 3-MEN are required or not. The reporter believes that this far will be changed soon as it is expensive for acrs to comply with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CAPT OF AN ACFT THAT CAN BE FLOWN WITH 2 PLTS FINDS THAT THERE IS ANOTHER FAR TO WATCH FOR WHEN THE ACFT IS OPERATED WITH A REQUIRED 3 PLT COCKPIT.

Narrative: VIOLATION OF FAR 121.525(B) INVOLVES 2-MAN CREW VERSUS 3- MAN CREW FLYING. WDB IS A 2-MAN CREW ACFT EXCEPT WHEN SCHEDULED OVER 8 HRS FLYING, THEN 3-MAN CREW REQUIRED. ON OCT/TUE/93, I FLEW AS PIC OF WDB WITH A 2-MAN CREW FROM CHARLESTON, SC, TO SAVANNAH, GA, TO MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, NJ. THEN, ON OCT/WED/93, I FLEW AS A 3-MAN CREW TO CAIRO, EGYPT FOR MORE THAN 10 HRS. THEN, ON NOV/MON/93, I FLEW AS A 2-MAN CREW FROM OSAU AIR BASE, KOREA TO KADENA AIR BASE, JAPAN. I WAS UNAWARE THAT NOW I WAS REQUIRED TO FLY ONLY AS A 2-MAN CREW UNTIL NOV/SAT/93. I THEN FLEW ON THE NOV/THU/93 AND NOV/SUN/93 AS A 3-MAN CREW FOR MORE THAN 8 HRS EACH LEG FROM KADENA AIR BASE, JAPAN TO ANC AND THEN ON THE NOV/FRI/93 FROM ANC TO KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JAPAN. I DISCOVERED BY VIOLATION FROM A FELLOW CAPT AT SUPPLEMENTAL ACR. IN MY 22 YRS AT SUPPLEMENTAL ACR, WE HAVE NEVER FLOWN 2-MAN ACFT, SO WE HAVE BEEN UNAWARE OF THIS 121.525(B) RESTRICTIONS ON CREW OPS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT THIS PARTICULAR FAR IS OPEN TO INTERP. HIS SUPPLEMENTAL ACR HAS BEEN FLYING 3-MAN COCKPITS ONLY UNTIL LAST YR. A FELLOW PLT FOUND THIS OBSCURE FAR AND BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTN OF THE RPTR AND THE ACR SCHEDULING SECTION. THE SOLUTION HAS BEEN TO FLY WITH 2 PLTS IN DOMESTIC OP AND 3 ON OVERSEAS OPS WHETHER 3-MEN ARE REQUIRED OR NOT. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THIS FAR WILL BE CHANGED SOON AS IT IS EXPENSIVE FOR ACRS TO COMPLY WITH.

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.