Narrative:

On feb/xa/00, I was acting as sic of learjet on an 'on-demand' charter, operated under far part 135. This flight departed fwa at approximately XA45 am, empty, to pick up freight in IRS. Then on to lrd to clear customs, then to mmlo, arriving in mmlo at approximately XF27 pm. This I understand was the end of my duty day and commercial flying for that day, as there was no more flying or freight to move. I am in preparation to enter an upgrade course this month, and the last few 'upgrades' that have attended this course have failed due to skill level, inexperience, knowledge -- causing my employer financial hardship. My captain on this flight was the aircraft owner and I/we determined this would be a fine opportunity to practice and test my knowledge and skill prior to attending the course. This is accomplished under far part 91. Knowing that there may be some freight that might need to be moved at various locations throughout the united states, we took advantage of the opportunity and, under far part 91, practiced IFR procedures, emergency procedures -- again cleared customs in lrd. From there, it was determined that perhaps some more testing for me may be in order. Since there was not much in the way of business going on, we again went flying, ending up in ipl. This was just as good a place as any to end the flight. At approximately AB00 pm, dispatch had informed us that a load may be generated there in ipl and would we be legally available to take it. In accordance with far 135.267, our commercial flying was completed nearly 10 hours ago, and since we have had our rest period in accordance, we determined that we were indeed legal to take this dispatch. We left ipl for pia then to buf then back home to fwa. All within accordance with the applicable regulations, or so we thought. It turns out we inadvertently miscalculated the time zones and we were off duty only 8 hours and 57 mins. However, I have now been informed that our training/fun flight can be considered as 'relocating the aircraft for the purpose of work,' and that this is considered all 1 flight of nearly 14 hours flight time and nearly 19 hours duty time. There are no FARS that differentiate where this was a flight under part 91, or if this was relocating the aircraft under part 135. With the exception of only getting nearly 9 hours rest, these flts were not in violation. Purpose and intent must be implemented in the FARS to keep me from being violated by someone who may insist that we were deliberately relocating the aircraft for commercial purpose.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A CHARTER CARGO LEARJET 24 EXCEEDED FLT DUTY TIMES.

Narrative: ON FEB/XA/00, I WAS ACTING AS SIC OF LEARJET ON AN 'ON-DEMAND' CHARTER, OPERATED UNDER FAR PART 135. THIS FLT DEPARTED FWA AT APPROX XA45 AM, EMPTY, TO PICK UP FREIGHT IN IRS. THEN ON TO LRD TO CLR CUSTOMS, THEN TO MMLO, ARRIVING IN MMLO AT APPROX XF27 PM. THIS I UNDERSTAND WAS THE END OF MY DUTY DAY AND COMMERCIAL FLYING FOR THAT DAY, AS THERE WAS NO MORE FLYING OR FREIGHT TO MOVE. I AM IN PREPARATION TO ENTER AN UPGRADE COURSE THIS MONTH, AND THE LAST FEW 'UPGRADES' THAT HAVE ATTENDED THIS COURSE HAVE FAILED DUE TO SKILL LEVEL, INEXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE -- CAUSING MY EMPLOYER FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. MY CAPT ON THIS FLT WAS THE ACFT OWNER AND I/WE DETERMINED THIS WOULD BE A FINE OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE AND TEST MY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL PRIOR TO ATTENDING THE COURSE. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED UNDER FAR PART 91. KNOWING THAT THERE MAY BE SOME FREIGHT THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE MOVED AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND, UNDER FAR PART 91, PRACTICED IFR PROCS, EMER PROCS -- AGAIN CLRED CUSTOMS IN LRD. FROM THERE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT PERHAPS SOME MORE TESTING FOR ME MAY BE IN ORDER. SINCE THERE WAS NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF BUSINESS GOING ON, WE AGAIN WENT FLYING, ENDING UP IN IPL. THIS WAS JUST AS GOOD A PLACE AS ANY TO END THE FLT. AT APPROX AB00 PM, DISPATCH HAD INFORMED US THAT A LOAD MAY BE GENERATED THERE IN IPL AND WOULD WE BE LEGALLY AVAILABLE TO TAKE IT. IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 135.267, OUR COMMERCIAL FLYING WAS COMPLETED NEARLY 10 HRS AGO, AND SINCE WE HAVE HAD OUR REST PERIOD IN ACCORDANCE, WE DETERMINED THAT WE WERE INDEED LEGAL TO TAKE THIS DISPATCH. WE LEFT IPL FOR PIA THEN TO BUF THEN BACK HOME TO FWA. ALL WITHIN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE REGS, OR SO WE THOUGHT. IT TURNS OUT WE INADVERTENTLY MISCALCULATED THE TIME ZONES AND WE WERE OFF DUTY ONLY 8 HRS AND 57 MINS. HOWEVER, I HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED THAT OUR TRAINING/FUN FLT CAN BE CONSIDERED AS 'RELOCATING THE ACFT FOR THE PURPOSE OF WORK,' AND THAT THIS IS CONSIDERED ALL 1 FLT OF NEARLY 14 HRS FLT TIME AND NEARLY 19 HRS DUTY TIME. THERE ARE NO FARS THAT DIFFERENTIATE WHERE THIS WAS A FLT UNDER PART 91, OR IF THIS WAS RELOCATING THE ACFT UNDER PART 135. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONLY GETTING NEARLY 9 HRS REST, THESE FLTS WERE NOT IN VIOLATION. PURPOSE AND INTENT MUST BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FARS TO KEEP ME FROM BEING VIOLATED BY SOMEONE WHO MAY INSIST THAT WE WERE DELIBERATELY RELOCATING THE ACFT FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSE.

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.