Narrative:

My company scheduled my first officer for 28:55 of flight time in 6 days. Part 121.71 a (3) and (G) limits flight time to 30 hours in 7 days. After 22 flts in 6 days, the first officer had flown 29:13 and was still scheduled to fly 1 more 1 hour flight. The scheduling department was informed of the situation, however, scheduling said the last remaining flight could be flown by the first officer because the excess flight time was due to WX delays accumulated over the 6 day period, and since the schedule was legal at the time, it was first assigned to the first officer. He was legal to fly the last leg. I, as captain of the flight, am responsible for my crews legality in regards to flight time limitations, so I called the company chief pilot who informed me that crew scheduling was correct and that we should fly the last flight. I do not believe it is the intent of 121.47 (G) to allow the company to schedule a pilot for 30 hours of flight time and then never be required to review the pilot schedule again to see if they have accumulated more actual flight time then they were scheduled for originally. If the company interpretation of 121.471 is correct, pilot will be routinely exceeding 30 hours in 7 days, because you do not have to add much time to each leg of 23 leg schedules to exceed 30 hours. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the saab 340 for a large commuter air carrier. He was advised that he is not responsible for monitoring any persons flight time except his own and that the situation, as he presented it in his report, is legal under the FARS. The reporter feels that his company treats its pilots as a 'third world country' as far as human rights are concerned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMUTER ACR PLT COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING SCHEDULED VERY CLOSE TO 30 HRS IN 7 DAYS.

Narrative: MY COMPANY SCHEDULED MY FO FOR 28:55 OF FLT TIME IN 6 DAYS. PART 121.71 A (3) AND (G) LIMITS FLT TIME TO 30 HRS IN 7 DAYS. AFTER 22 FLTS IN 6 DAYS, THE FO HAD FLOWN 29:13 AND WAS STILL SCHEDULED TO FLY 1 MORE 1 HR FLT. THE SCHEDULING DEPT WAS INFORMED OF THE SIT, HOWEVER, SCHEDULING SAID THE LAST REMAINING FLT COULD BE FLOWN BY THE FO BECAUSE THE EXCESS FLT TIME WAS DUE TO WX DELAYS ACCUMULATED OVER THE 6 DAY PERIOD, AND SINCE THE SCHEDULE WAS LEGAL AT THE TIME, IT WAS FIRST ASSIGNED TO THE FO. HE WAS LEGAL TO FLY THE LAST LEG. I, AS CAPT OF THE FLT, AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY CREWS LEGALITY IN REGARDS TO FLT TIME LIMITATIONS, SO I CALLED THE COMPANY CHIEF PLT WHO INFORMED ME THAT CREW SCHEDULING WAS CORRECT AND THAT WE SHOULD FLY THE LAST FLT. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS THE INTENT OF 121.47 (G) TO ALLOW THE COMPANY TO SCHEDULE A PLT FOR 30 HRS OF FLT TIME AND THEN NEVER BE REQUIRED TO REVIEW THE PLT SCHEDULE AGAIN TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ACCUMULATED MORE ACTUAL FLT TIME THEN THEY WERE SCHEDULED FOR ORIGINALLY. IF THE COMPANY INTERP OF 121.471 IS CORRECT, PLT WILL BE ROUTINELY EXCEEDING 30 HRS IN 7 DAYS, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ADD MUCH TIME TO EACH LEG OF 23 LEG SCHEDULES TO EXCEED 30 HRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE SAAB 340 FOR A LARGE COMMUTER ACR. HE WAS ADVISED THAT HE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING ANY PERSONS FLT TIME EXCEPT HIS OWN AND THAT THE SIT, AS HE PRESENTED IT IN HIS RPT, IS LEGAL UNDER THE FARS. THE RPTR FEELS THAT HIS COMPANY TREATS ITS PLTS AS A 'THIRD WORLD COUNTRY' AS FAR AS HUMAN RIGHTS ARE CONCERNED.

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.