Narrative:

For this situation I have referenced the FARS and my company operations manual. I am still confused as to whether I have erred or not with my duty hours. I was on reserve at my domicile. I was assigned a section originating at a different airport, therefore my day would start and finish with a deadhead. I reported at XA40 for an XB00 am deadhead flight. I was placed on a return deadhead scheduled for XC20 to arrive back at my domicile at XC55. Based on these times, my duty time would be 15 hours and 15 mins. The return flight was ready for departure at XD20. The engines were running and the door was closed. We waited at the gate like this for 15 mins while the crew checked one of the system. We actually arrived back at my domicile about XE15. My confusion is: is the scheduled arrival time of the deadhead flight the governing factor for my duty limitations considering the door was closed and the engines running at departure time. Secondly, I reported 20 mins before my first deadhead departure. Is this recognized as my reporting time or is there some FAA prescribed period, eg, 45 mins before. There is, regularly, confusion about this and other time limitation issues among the pilot group and company people, ie, flight control. It is often felt that there is too much ambiguity about the contents of these FARS.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN ATX QUESTIONS WHETHER THE TOTAL DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS WERE MET DUE TO AN ACFT SYS PROB DELAY.

Narrative: FOR THIS SIT I HAVE REFED THE FARS AND MY COMPANY OPS MANUAL. I AM STILL CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER I HAVE ERRED OR NOT WITH MY DUTY HRS. I WAS ON RESERVE AT MY DOMICILE. I WAS ASSIGNED A SECTION ORIGINATING AT A DIFFERENT ARPT, THEREFORE MY DAY WOULD START AND FINISH WITH A DEADHEAD. I RPTED AT XA40 FOR AN XB00 AM DEADHEAD FLT. I WAS PLACED ON A RETURN DEADHEAD SCHEDULED FOR XC20 TO ARRIVE BACK AT MY DOMICILE AT XC55. BASED ON THESE TIMES, MY DUTY TIME WOULD BE 15 HRS AND 15 MINS. THE RETURN FLT WAS READY FOR DEP AT XD20. THE ENGS WERE RUNNING AND THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. WE WAITED AT THE GATE LIKE THIS FOR 15 MINS WHILE THE CREW CHKED ONE OF THE SYS. WE ACTUALLY ARRIVED BACK AT MY DOMICILE ABOUT XE15. MY CONFUSION IS: IS THE SCHEDULED ARR TIME OF THE DEADHEAD FLT THE GOVERNING FACTOR FOR MY DUTY LIMITATIONS CONSIDERING THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND THE ENGS RUNNING AT DEP TIME. SECONDLY, I RPTED 20 MINS BEFORE MY FIRST DEADHEAD DEP. IS THIS RECOGNIZED AS MY RPTING TIME OR IS THERE SOME FAA PRESCRIBED PERIOD, EG, 45 MINS BEFORE. THERE IS, REGULARLY, CONFUSION ABOUT THIS AND OTHER TIME LIMITATION ISSUES AMONG THE PLT GROUP AND COMPANY PEOPLE, IE, FLT CTL. IT IS OFTEN FELT THAT THERE IS TOO MUCH AMBIGUITY ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THESE FARS.

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.