Narrative:

I was 'junior manned' by crew scheduling, which means I was called at home on my day off and involuntarily assigned to a trip because crew scheduling had failed to assign a crew for this trip pairing. The trip was flight gum-tpe. I was then supposed to layover in tpe until that evening and then fly flight tpe-gum arriving in gum around XA50 and that was the end of the trip. When we got to tpe, crew scheduling advised us that we were the crew for flight tpe-ror (the city of koror, on the island of babeltaup in the palau islands). When we got to ror, crew scheduling informed us that we must operate flight ror-tpe and then check into the hotel for crew rest. By the time we got back to tpe, we had accumulated 11:32 mins of actual flying time. We were sent to a hotel for 9 hours of crew rest and then flew flight from tpe back to gum, my home base. I was told by my captain, the flight engineer, and crew scheduling, that the 9 hours of crew rest made us legal for the flight back home. I voiced my opinion several times in the cockpit (on the way back to taipei) and on the ground when we got to taipei, that I thought this trip was illegal and would put us over the maximum flying time. The general consensus of the other 2 pilots was that I did not understand the rule and that we were legal because of the 9 hours of impending crew rest. I accepted their word for it. There was no time during the day to research this problem and, by the time we got back to taipei (11:32 flight hours later), all I could think about was going to the hotel. I was exhausted by this time and could not think straight. I just wanted some sleep. I didn't even have a copy of the FARS with me. The first officer is not required to carry it in his flight bag. In reality, our 9 hours of crew rest turned into about 7 hours of crew rest. The agent who met the crew was supposed to escort the entire crew to the hotel van but he left us in customs (which took about 1/2 hour to clear) and we then spent over 1/2 hour waiting at the airport for the entire crew to find the hotel bus. By the time I got to my room, I was so tired, all I wanted to do was sleep. Our van show time was about XX00 am guam time. We got back to our airplane for the flight back to guam and after completing all our checks, sat in the cockpit waiting for the ACARS to say ZZ48Z so we could 'block out.' we had blocked in at YY48Z and XX48Z would give us 9 hours and make us legal, so we thought. Well, that was wrong. By the time I arrived in guam, I had 15:34 of actual flight time in 24 hours. I discovered the problem when director of training called me on sunday morning and advised me that I had violated far 121.471. As I see it, the problem arose for several reasons: 1) far 121.471 is not definitive enough. Too much of it is a gray area, ie, a flight crew member is not considered to be scheduled for duty in excess of flight time limitations, etc. Just give me definitive answers, not gray areas. 3 pilots (with college degrees) made the same interpretation of the regulations. 2) company crew scheduling does not understand the regulations and may have been trying to bail themselves out of a 'situation' ie, they forgot to schedule a crew for the pairing and may have been trying to cover it up. 3) I trusted that the system would take care of me and I was wrong. I should have questioned it further. I doubted my own judgement and experience. 4) I was also worried about job security and did not push the issue. I should have called crew scheduling myself and then refused to continue the trip. I was worried about standing in front of the chief pilot's desk trying to explain myself if I was wrong. 5) I was exhausted and could not think clearly. 6) 9 hours of crew rest is a joke. It just fills all the proper squares and looks good on paper. Even our own in-house newspaper details how important it is to get the proper rest so you can make proper decisions. How can one reset their biological clock and get the proper rest so they can think clearly when asked to sleep outside of their normal schedules. The rule should read 8 hours of sleep! We sat in the cockpit watching the clock go by for at least 15 mins so we could show the proper block time. I plan on correcting the problem by carrying with me a copy of far 121.471 and referring to it frequently. I will follow my instinct and choose the safest course of action when it comes to duty and flight times and I will not fly when I am exhausted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXCEEDED FLT TIME IN 24 HRS.

Narrative: I WAS 'JUNIOR MANNED' BY CREW SCHEDULING, WHICH MEANS I WAS CALLED AT HOME ON MY DAY OFF AND INVOLUNTARILY ASSIGNED TO A TRIP BECAUSE CREW SCHEDULING HAD FAILED TO ASSIGN A CREW FOR THIS TRIP PAIRING. THE TRIP WAS FLT GUM-TPE. I WAS THEN SUPPOSED TO LAYOVER IN TPE UNTIL THAT EVENING AND THEN FLY FLT TPE-GUM ARRIVING IN GUM AROUND XA50 AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE TRIP. WHEN WE GOT TO TPE, CREW SCHEDULING ADVISED US THAT WE WERE THE CREW FOR FLT TPE-ROR (THE CITY OF KOROR, ON THE ISLAND OF BABELTAUP IN THE PALAU ISLANDS). WHEN WE GOT TO ROR, CREW SCHEDULING INFORMED US THAT WE MUST OPERATE FLT ROR-TPE AND THEN CHK INTO THE HOTEL FOR CREW REST. BY THE TIME WE GOT BACK TO TPE, WE HAD ACCUMULATED 11:32 MINS OF ACTUAL FLYING TIME. WE WERE SENT TO A HOTEL FOR 9 HRS OF CREW REST AND THEN FLEW FLT FROM TPE BACK TO GUM, MY HOME BASE. I WAS TOLD BY MY CAPT, THE FE, AND CREW SCHEDULING, THAT THE 9 HRS OF CREW REST MADE US LEGAL FOR THE FLT BACK HOME. I VOICED MY OPINION SEVERAL TIMES IN THE COCKPIT (ON THE WAY BACK TO TAIPEI) AND ON THE GND WHEN WE GOT TO TAIPEI, THAT I THOUGHT THIS TRIP WAS ILLEGAL AND WOULD PUT US OVER THE MAX FLYING TIME. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF THE OTHER 2 PLTS WAS THAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE RULE AND THAT WE WERE LEGAL BECAUSE OF THE 9 HRS OF IMPENDING CREW REST. I ACCEPTED THEIR WORD FOR IT. THERE WAS NO TIME DURING THE DAY TO RESEARCH THIS PROB AND, BY THE TIME WE GOT BACK TO TAIPEI (11:32 FLT HRS LATER), ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS GOING TO THE HOTEL. I WAS EXHAUSTED BY THIS TIME AND COULD NOT THINK STRAIGHT. I JUST WANTED SOME SLEEP. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A COPY OF THE FARS WITH ME. THE FO IS NOT REQUIRED TO CARRY IT IN HIS FLT BAG. IN REALITY, OUR 9 HRS OF CREW REST TURNED INTO ABOUT 7 HRS OF CREW REST. THE AGENT WHO MET THE CREW WAS SUPPOSED TO ESCORT THE ENTIRE CREW TO THE HOTEL VAN BUT HE LEFT US IN CUSTOMS (WHICH TOOK ABOUT 1/2 HR TO CLR) AND WE THEN SPENT OVER 1/2 HR WAITING AT THE ARPT FOR THE ENTIRE CREW TO FIND THE HOTEL BUS. BY THE TIME I GOT TO MY ROOM, I WAS SO TIRED, ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS SLEEP. OUR VAN SHOW TIME WAS ABOUT XX00 AM GUAM TIME. WE GOT BACK TO OUR AIRPLANE FOR THE FLT BACK TO GUAM AND AFTER COMPLETING ALL OUR CHKS, SAT IN THE COCKPIT WAITING FOR THE ACARS TO SAY ZZ48Z SO WE COULD 'BLOCK OUT.' WE HAD BLOCKED IN AT YY48Z AND XX48Z WOULD GIVE US 9 HRS AND MAKE US LEGAL, SO WE THOUGHT. WELL, THAT WAS WRONG. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED IN GUAM, I HAD 15:34 OF ACTUAL FLT TIME IN 24 HRS. I DISCOVERED THE PROB WHEN DIRECTOR OF TRAINING CALLED ME ON SUNDAY MORNING AND ADVISED ME THAT I HAD VIOLATED FAR 121.471. AS I SEE IT, THE PROB AROSE FOR SEVERAL REASONS: 1) FAR 121.471 IS NOT DEFINITIVE ENOUGH. TOO MUCH OF IT IS A GRAY AREA, IE, A FLC MEMBER IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE SCHEDULED FOR DUTY IN EXCESS OF FLT TIME LIMITATIONS, ETC. JUST GIVE ME DEFINITIVE ANSWERS, NOT GRAY AREAS. 3 PLTS (WITH COLLEGE DEGREES) MADE THE SAME INTERP OF THE REGS. 2) COMPANY CREW SCHEDULING DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE REGS AND MAY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BAIL THEMSELVES OUT OF A 'SIT' IE, THEY FORGOT TO SCHEDULE A CREW FOR THE PAIRING AND MAY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO COVER IT UP. 3) I TRUSTED THAT THE SYS WOULD TAKE CARE OF ME AND I WAS WRONG. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED IT FURTHER. I DOUBTED MY OWN JUDGEMENT AND EXPERIENCE. 4) I WAS ALSO WORRIED ABOUT JOB SECURITY AND DID NOT PUSH THE ISSUE. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED CREW SCHEDULING MYSELF AND THEN REFUSED TO CONTINUE THE TRIP. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT STANDING IN FRONT OF THE CHIEF PLT'S DESK TRYING TO EXPLAIN MYSELF IF I WAS WRONG. 5) I WAS EXHAUSTED AND COULD NOT THINK CLRLY. 6) 9 HRS OF CREW REST IS A JOKE. IT JUST FILLS ALL THE PROPER SQUARES AND LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER. EVEN OUR OWN IN-HOUSE NEWSPAPER DETAILS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET THE PROPER REST SO YOU CAN MAKE PROPER DECISIONS. HOW CAN ONE RESET THEIR BIOLOGICAL CLOCK AND GET THE PROPER REST SO THEY CAN THINK CLRLY WHEN ASKED TO SLEEP OUTSIDE OF THEIR NORMAL SCHEDULES. THE RULE SHOULD READ 8 HRS OF SLEEP! WE SAT IN THE COCKPIT WATCHING THE CLOCK GO BY FOR AT LEAST 15 MINS SO WE COULD SHOW THE PROPER BLOCK TIME. I PLAN ON CORRECTING THE PROB BY CARRYING WITH ME A COPY OF FAR 121.471 AND REFERRING TO IT FREQUENTLY. I WILL FOLLOW MY INSTINCT AND CHOOSE THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WHEN IT COMES TO DUTY AND FLT TIMES AND I WILL NOT FLY WHEN I AM EXHAUSTED.

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.