Narrative:

I am a pilot for air carrier 'X,' airlines. We are on reserve 24 hours a day for 4-6 days at a time. We only have 1 1/2 - 2 hours to get to the airport after they call. I have spoken to several FAA inspectors from regional FSDO's, as well as the chief counsels office in washington dc. Every one of them agrees that this scheduling practice is in direct violation of far 121.471. The FAA has been aware of this far violation for several yrs, and has done nothing about it. One of the inspectors I spoke with said that our pilot's union should take care of this problem. I always thought it was the FAA's responsibility to enforce the regulations. Several weeks ago I received a call from crew scheduling, asking me to fly a trip in the middle of the night, and they needed me there in 2 hours. I hadn't even gone to bed yet, so I would have had to fly with no sleep since the previous night. I chose to not accept the trip. The company's response was to remove me from duty for 24 hours, dock my pay for more than $100, and place a written warning in my personnel file (strike 1, leaving 2 more, and then I'm fired). This is extreme pressure from management, for us to fly without rest. Practically every time I fly, I am breaking regulations, since I haven't had the required rest period, in the previous 24 hours. Time spent on reserve cannot be considered rest also. It's one or the other. Air carrier 'Y' has an excellent, legal reserve system, that should be used as a model for the rest of the industry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC FOR A COMMUTER ACR COMPLAINS OF HIS AIRLINE MGMNT POLICY ON FLC WORK SCHEDULING.

Narrative: I AM A PLT FOR ACR 'X,' AIRLINES. WE ARE ON RESERVE 24 HRS A DAY FOR 4-6 DAYS AT A TIME. WE ONLY HAVE 1 1/2 - 2 HRS TO GET TO THE ARPT AFTER THEY CALL. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL FAA INSPECTORS FROM REGIONAL FSDO'S, AS WELL AS THE CHIEF COUNSELS OFFICE IN WASHINGTON DC. EVERY ONE OF THEM AGREES THAT THIS SCHEDULING PRACTICE IS IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF FAR 121.471. THE FAA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS FAR VIOLATION FOR SEVERAL YRS, AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE INSPECTORS I SPOKE WITH SAID THAT OUR PLT'S UNION SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROB. I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS THE FAA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENFORCE THE REGS. SEVERAL WKS AGO I RECEIVED A CALL FROM CREW SCHEDULING, ASKING ME TO FLY A TRIP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND THEY NEEDED ME THERE IN 2 HRS. I HADN'T EVEN GONE TO BED YET, SO I WOULD HAVE HAD TO FLY WITH NO SLEEP SINCE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. I CHOSE TO NOT ACCEPT THE TRIP. THE COMPANY'S RESPONSE WAS TO REMOVE ME FROM DUTY FOR 24 HRS, DOCK MY PAY FOR MORE THAN $100, AND PLACE A WRITTEN WARNING IN MY PERSONNEL FILE (STRIKE 1, LEAVING 2 MORE, AND THEN I'M FIRED). THIS IS EXTREME PRESSURE FROM MGMNT, FOR US TO FLY WITHOUT REST. PRACTICALLY EVERY TIME I FLY, I AM BREAKING REGS, SINCE I HAVEN'T HAD THE REQUIRED REST PERIOD, IN THE PREVIOUS 24 HRS. TIME SPENT ON RESERVE CANNOT BE CONSIDERED REST ALSO. IT'S ONE OR THE OTHER. ACR 'Y' HAS AN EXCELLENT, LEGAL RESERVE SYS, THAT SHOULD BE USED AS A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE INDUSTRY.

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.