An air carrier so cites excessive paperwork as a safety hazard and distraction.

Attributes
ACN	272378
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 95 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2300
ASRS Report	272378
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The air freight operation based in ind is an overnight delivery hub and spoke operation based on another air carrier's concept. The government has stringent requirements for on-time performance, both in departures and arrs. Heavy fines are imposed on the contract acrs for a wide variety of 'violations,' many of them cumulative per incident. The pressure on the flight and ground crews is enormous to cut corners, rush checklists, and do nonstandard procedures. The paperwork required and logging of data far excess that required by the supplemental air carrier's normal operations. Most of this data is not required for normal flight operations but does put undue burden on the flight engineer during the course of his normal duties. (In other words, the government has made a secretary out of a flight crew member). The intent of far 121.542 is stretched on every departure and landing (almost 100 times/night -- 6 days/week). Our company is not going to do anything as long as there are not FAA company violations, incidents or accidents. I hate to see a crew member be violated by the FAA (especially me) and definitely hope there are no incidents or accidents related to this undue workload burden.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR SO CITES EXCESSIVE PAPERWORK AS A SAFETY HAZARD AND DISTR.

Narrative: THE AIR FREIGHT OP BASED IN IND IS AN OVERNIGHT DELIVERY HUB AND SPOKE OP BASED ON ANOTHER ACR'S CONCEPT. THE GOV HAS STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS FOR ON-TIME PERFORMANCE, BOTH IN DEPS AND ARRS. HVY FINES ARE IMPOSED ON THE CONTRACT ACRS FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF 'VIOLATIONS,' MANY OF THEM CUMULATIVE PER INCIDENT. THE PRESSURE ON THE FLT AND GND CREWS IS ENORMOUS TO CUT CORNERS, RUSH CHKLISTS, AND DO NONSTANDARD PROCS. THE PAPERWORK REQUIRED AND LOGGING OF DATA FAR EXCESS THAT REQUIRED BY THE SUPPLEMENTAL ACR'S NORMAL OPS. MOST OF THIS DATA IS NOT REQUIRED FOR NORMAL FLT OPS BUT DOES PUT UNDUE BURDEN ON THE FE DURING THE COURSE OF HIS NORMAL DUTIES. (IN OTHER WORDS, THE GOV HAS MADE A SECRETARY OUT OF A FLT CREW MEMBER). THE INTENT OF FAR 121.542 IS STRETCHED ON EVERY DEP AND LNDG (ALMOST 100 TIMES/NIGHT -- 6 DAYS/WK). OUR COMPANY IS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS THERE ARE NOT FAA COMPANY VIOLATIONS, INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS. I HATE TO SEE A CREW MEMBER BE VIOLATED BY THE FAA (ESPECIALLY ME) AND DEFINITELY HOPE THERE ARE NO INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS RELATED TO THIS UNDUE WORKLOAD BURDEN.

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.