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3 reports from a B727 crew regarding their concerns about exceeding 8 hours of scheduled flight time in a 24 hour period. Crew felt that the pre scheduled fuel stop for excessive headwinds was affecting their legality by having them going over 8 hours.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 423437 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cvg |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 423437 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer |
| ASRS Report | 423581 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Prior to reporting for duty, duty day scheduled for 7 hour 31 min block flying hours. Due to stronger than anticipated headwinds, a fuel stop was added. Duty day now scheduled for 8 hours 42 min block flying hours, over 4 legs. Upon completion of first 3 legs, block hours actually flown was 7 hours 2 mins. 4TH leg was scheduled for 1 hour 20 min block hours. Upon completion of 4TH leg, actual block hours flown totaled 8 hours 9 mins. It appears that either the entire duty period was illegally scheduled (greater than 8 block flying hours), and/or that the 4TH leg should not have been flown in order to comply with the 8 hours of flying per day duty period. Additional clarification to the FARS would help to make interpretation of this limit more clear to the pilot. Existing FARS seem to allow greater than 8 hours flying per duty period of the excess flying is WX or maintenance related, but not for operational reasons.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 3 RPTS FROM A B727 CREW REGARDING THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT EXCEEDING 8 HRS OF SCHEDULED FLT TIME IN A 24 HR PERIOD. CREW FELT THAT THE PRE SCHEDULED FUEL STOP FOR EXCESSIVE HEADWINDS WAS AFFECTING THEIR LEGALITY BY HAVING THEM GOING OVER 8 HRS.
Narrative: PRIOR TO RPTING FOR DUTY, DUTY DAY SCHEDULED FOR 7 HR 31 MIN BLOCK FLYING HRS. DUE TO STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED HEADWINDS, A FUEL STOP WAS ADDED. DUTY DAY NOW SCHEDULED FOR 8 HRS 42 MIN BLOCK FLYING HRS, OVER 4 LEGS. UPON COMPLETION OF FIRST 3 LEGS, BLOCK HRS ACTUALLY FLOWN WAS 7 HRS 2 MINS. 4TH LEG WAS SCHEDULED FOR 1 HR 20 MIN BLOCK HRS. UPON COMPLETION OF 4TH LEG, ACTUAL BLOCK HRS FLOWN TOTALED 8 HRS 9 MINS. IT APPEARS THAT EITHER THE ENTIRE DUTY PERIOD WAS ILLEGALLY SCHEDULED (GREATER THAN 8 BLOCK FLYING HRS), AND/OR THAT THE 4TH LEG SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FLOWN IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE 8 HRS OF FLYING PER DAY DUTY PERIOD. ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION TO THE FARS WOULD HELP TO MAKE INTERP OF THIS LIMIT MORE CLR TO THE PLT. EXISTING FARS SEEM TO ALLOW GREATER THAN 8 HRS FLYING PER DUTY PERIOD OF THE EXCESS FLYING IS WX OR MAINT RELATED, BUT NOT FOR OPERATIONAL REASONS.
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.