Narrative:

In compliance to the flight operation manual (fom) and at the request of director of flight operations, I am submitting this written report. I have enclosed a copy of my scheduled pattern, that I had started on feb/wed/97. The flts were all operated as scheduled with overnights at bji and at lnk, but problems started the morning of feb xx (the third day of the trip). We (crew) reported in the morning (XA35 local) as normal and proceeded with our preflight duties in order to depart 'on time' from lincoln-flight. Around XA55 am the station manager came into the cockpit and had advised us about a crew rest and a rescheduled departure for XB25 am. This crew rest requirement was a complete surprise and made no sense to me or the first officer so, I decided to go inside operations and give scheduling a call. I was able to reach a scheduler and asked about the crew rest. The scheduler seemed confused so I explained to him that we had arrived in lincoln at WR50 pm last night with an off time of WS05 pm. After establishing the off time and a required rest of 8.0 hours the scheduled departure was permissible (reduced rest of 8 hours with an 11 hour required payback). While I was on the phone the station manager showed me the crew rest message sent to lincoln, but it was for the flight crew of another trip. It became evident to me that the rest was for another flight crew and we had the minimum rest required so I told the scheduler that we will button up this plane and get out of here! We departed lincoln on flight with an out time of XB10 am. About 50 NM outside of minneapolis the first officer called dispatch about the plans for the next flts: XXX and YYY (msp-lse-rst-msp). The dispatcher had advised us that I was to switch planes and flts (from lacrosse- rochester to watertown and aberdeen) while the first officer and flight attendant were to remain on the original schedule in the same plane and to call back on the ground for fuel plans. The flight arrived in the gate at minneapolis at XC48 am. After completing shut down checklists and signing the paperwork I started to gather up my belongings and overnight bag. The first officer called back dispatch for the fuel plans and found out that I was to remain on board the same plane and take it to watertown with a new first officer and flight attendant. I resettled myself in the cockpit and went inside to call scheduling again. After arriving inside operations (about XC55 am XD00 am) I saw another msp DHC8 captain on the phone with scheduling discussing the reason why his trip (watertown-aberdeen) was switched with my original trip (lacrosse-rochester). Just after he got off the phone I asked him why we were switching trips. The only reason given was for 'legal reasons' (a mystery to both of us). Since he talked to scheduling and the new assigned trip was scheduled to leave in 5 mins, I thought that it was unnecessary to make another call to scheduling. I quickly returned to the cockpit and added up the scheduled flight time in a 24 hour period -- 8.9 hours requiring a minimum rest of 8 hours. I also reviewed the paperwork -- release, WX and other associated factors concerning the flight and found it satisfactory for the trip to watertown. The flight for watertown left the gate from minneapolis at XD10 am 5 mins late and returned to minneapolis at XG28 pm. Upon returning to minneapolis from aberdeen the first officer called in range with aircraft and the plans for his next trip. The dispatcher advised that scheduling had another trip for me to moline and bloomington with a deadhead return. I then added the flight times scheduled in a 24 hour period and had discovered that I did not have adequate rest -- 9 hours minimum was required prior to completing the watertown-aberdeen flts (my first flight time calculation was in error). After verifying this oversight I called scheduling about the next added assignment and told them that I wouldn't fly any additional trips until I spoke with flight operations. After telling this to the scheduler, the scheduler simply hung up on me with no response. I have been with this company for more than 9 yrs of service and I am certainly familiar with the far rest requirements. Ithink the scheduling department had altered my schedule a couple of days prior to my untimely notification. Had I been given a printed version of the modified trip I am sure that there would be no far conflicts. I realize that both scheduling and the pilot share the responsibility for legal flight assignments. Due to a chain of events beyond my control, scheduling changed my legal schedule to one with an unfortunate error. My failure (as I consider it) is a small math error that went undetected. The flts still operated safely and without further incident. I am disappointed with the scheduling department's inexperienced staff and their ability to keep such errors from occurring. I have always worked to operate planes in a safe and legal manner and I will continue to do so in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DH8 CAPT REASSIGNED SEQUENCE OF FLTS. MADE ERROR IN COMPUTING LEGALITY RESULTING IN FLYING A SEQUENCE HE HAD NOT HAD ADEQUATE REST.

Narrative: IN COMPLIANCE TO THE FLT OP MANUAL (FOM) AND AT THE REQUEST OF DIRECTOR OF FLT OPS, I AM SUBMITTING THIS WRITTEN RPT. I HAVE ENCLOSED A COPY OF MY SCHEDULED PATTERN, THAT I HAD STARTED ON FEB/WED/97. THE FLTS WERE ALL OPERATED AS SCHEDULED WITH OVERNIGHTS AT BJI AND AT LNK, BUT PROBS STARTED THE MORNING OF FEB XX (THE THIRD DAY OF THE TRIP). WE (CREW) RPTED IN THE MORNING (XA35 LCL) AS NORMAL AND PROCEEDED WITH OUR PREFLT DUTIES IN ORDER TO DEPART 'ON TIME' FROM LINCOLN-FLT. AROUND XA55 AM THE STATION MGR CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND HAD ADVISED US ABOUT A CREW REST AND A RESCHEDULED DEP FOR XB25 AM. THIS CREW REST REQUIREMENT WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE AND MADE NO SENSE TO ME OR THE FO SO, I DECIDED TO GO INSIDE OPS AND GIVE SCHEDULING A CALL. I WAS ABLE TO REACH A SCHEDULER AND ASKED ABOUT THE CREW REST. THE SCHEDULER SEEMED CONFUSED SO I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT WE HAD ARRIVED IN LINCOLN AT WR50 PM LAST NIGHT WITH AN OFF TIME OF WS05 PM. AFTER ESTABLISHING THE OFF TIME AND A REQUIRED REST OF 8.0 HRS THE SCHEDULED DEP WAS PERMISSIBLE (REDUCED REST OF 8 HRS WITH AN 11 HR REQUIRED PAYBACK). WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE THE STATION MGR SHOWED ME THE CREW REST MESSAGE SENT TO LINCOLN, BUT IT WAS FOR THE FLC OF ANOTHER TRIP. IT BECAME EVIDENT TO ME THAT THE REST WAS FOR ANOTHER FLC AND WE HAD THE MINIMUM REST REQUIRED SO I TOLD THE SCHEDULER THAT WE WILL BUTTON UP THIS PLANE AND GET OUT OF HERE! WE DEPARTED LINCOLN ON FLT WITH AN OUT TIME OF XB10 AM. ABOUT 50 NM OUTSIDE OF MINNEAPOLIS THE FO CALLED DISPATCH ABOUT THE PLANS FOR THE NEXT FLTS: XXX AND YYY (MSP-LSE-RST-MSP). THE DISPATCHER HAD ADVISED US THAT I WAS TO SWITCH PLANES AND FLTS (FROM LACROSSE- ROCHESTER TO WATERTOWN AND ABERDEEN) WHILE THE FO AND FLT ATTENDANT WERE TO REMAIN ON THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE IN THE SAME PLANE AND TO CALL BACK ON THE GND FOR FUEL PLANS. THE FLT ARRIVED IN THE GATE AT MINNEAPOLIS AT XC48 AM. AFTER COMPLETING SHUT DOWN CHKLISTS AND SIGNING THE PAPERWORK I STARTED TO GATHER UP MY BELONGINGS AND OVERNIGHT BAG. THE FO CALLED BACK DISPATCH FOR THE FUEL PLANS AND FOUND OUT THAT I WAS TO REMAIN ON BOARD THE SAME PLANE AND TAKE IT TO WATERTOWN WITH A NEW FO AND FLT ATTENDANT. I RESETTLED MYSELF IN THE COCKPIT AND WENT INSIDE TO CALL SCHEDULING AGAIN. AFTER ARRIVING INSIDE OPS (ABOUT XC55 AM XD00 AM) I SAW ANOTHER MSP DHC8 CAPT ON THE PHONE WITH SCHEDULING DISCUSSING THE REASON WHY HIS TRIP (WATERTOWN-ABERDEEN) WAS SWITCHED WITH MY ORIGINAL TRIP (LACROSSE-ROCHESTER). JUST AFTER HE GOT OFF THE PHONE I ASKED HIM WHY WE WERE SWITCHING TRIPS. THE ONLY REASON GIVEN WAS FOR 'LEGAL REASONS' (A MYSTERY TO BOTH OF US). SINCE HE TALKED TO SCHEDULING AND THE NEW ASSIGNED TRIP WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE IN 5 MINS, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS UNNECESSARY TO MAKE ANOTHER CALL TO SCHEDULING. I QUICKLY RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND ADDED UP THE SCHEDULED FLT TIME IN A 24 HR PERIOD -- 8.9 HRS REQUIRING A MINIMUM REST OF 8 HRS. I ALSO REVIEWED THE PAPERWORK -- RELEASE, WX AND OTHER ASSOCIATED FACTORS CONCERNING THE FLT AND FOUND IT SATISFACTORY FOR THE TRIP TO WATERTOWN. THE FLT FOR WATERTOWN LEFT THE GATE FROM MINNEAPOLIS AT XD10 AM 5 MINS LATE AND RETURNED TO MINNEAPOLIS AT XG28 PM. UPON RETURNING TO MINNEAPOLIS FROM ABERDEEN THE FO CALLED IN RANGE WITH ACFT AND THE PLANS FOR HIS NEXT TRIP. THE DISPATCHER ADVISED THAT SCHEDULING HAD ANOTHER TRIP FOR ME TO MOLINE AND BLOOMINGTON WITH A DEADHEAD RETURN. I THEN ADDED THE FLT TIMES SCHEDULED IN A 24 HR PERIOD AND HAD DISCOVERED THAT I DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE REST -- 9 HRS MINIMUM WAS REQUIRED PRIOR TO COMPLETING THE WATERTOWN-ABERDEEN FLTS (MY FIRST FLT TIME CALCULATION WAS IN ERROR). AFTER VERIFYING THIS OVERSIGHT I CALLED SCHEDULING ABOUT THE NEXT ADDED ASSIGNMENT AND TOLD THEM THAT I WOULDN'T FLY ANY ADDITIONAL TRIPS UNTIL I SPOKE WITH FLT OPS. AFTER TELLING THIS TO THE SCHEDULER, THE SCHEDULER SIMPLY HUNG UP ON ME WITH NO RESPONSE. I HAVE BEEN WITH THIS COMPANY FOR MORE THAN 9 YRS OF SVC AND I AM CERTAINLY FAMILIAR WITH THE FAR REST REQUIREMENTS. ITHINK THE SCHEDULING DEPT HAD ALTERED MY SCHEDULE A COUPLE OF DAYS PRIOR TO MY UNTIMELY NOTIFICATION. HAD I BEEN GIVEN A PRINTED VERSION OF THE MODIFIED TRIP I AM SURE THAT THERE WOULD BE NO FAR CONFLICTS. I REALIZE THAT BOTH SCHEDULING AND THE PLT SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEGAL FLT ASSIGNMENTS. DUE TO A CHAIN OF EVENTS BEYOND MY CTL, SCHEDULING CHANGED MY LEGAL SCHEDULE TO ONE WITH AN UNFORTUNATE ERROR. MY FAILURE (AS I CONSIDER IT) IS A SMALL MATH ERROR THAT WENT UNDETECTED. THE FLTS STILL OPERATED SAFELY AND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH THE SCHEDULING DEPT'S INEXPERIENCED STAFF AND THEIR ABILITY TO KEEP SUCH ERRORS FROM OCCURRING. I HAVE ALWAYS WORKED TO OPERATE PLANES IN A SAFE AND LEGAL MANNER AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE.

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.