Narrative:

I was scheduled to fly 4 flts totaling 7 hours 38 mins between rest periods. On second flight, we had an ATC holding delay that was going to make us over 8 hours of flight time for the day. To verify my legality, I checked on the historic flight times for my remaining flts, and discovered that the company had reduced the scheduled times on the previous day. On may/xa/00, my schedule would have been 8 hours 26 mins -- an illegal schedule. I now had to decide whether I was legal to continue flying. By far 121, to exceed 8 hours without rest, it had to be due to circumstances beyond the company's control (ATC delay qualifies), and the schedule had to 'normally be expected to complete within the limitations.' I could not determine a basis for the arbitrary reduction in flight time scheduled, and concluded that I did not meet the second criteria. I then discussed the matter with a flight leader, the assistant chief pilot and finally the senior vice president of flight operations. They assured me that the new scheduled times were legitimate, so I accepted the trip. However, in flying the trip, my actual times with no further delays were much closer to the old schedule, and exceeded 8 hours significantly. Thus, I believe that my company gave me an illegal schedule, and I let them talk me into fly it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot reports the company is now using a realistic schedule time. The FAA had expressed a concern that the records referred to were unrealistic. Because of pilot complaints the company has stopped revising crew schedules.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CAPT HAD HIS FLT TIME ADJUSTED BY THE COMPANY TO MAKE HIM LEGAL TO FLY THE TRIP SEQUENCE.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY 4 FLTS TOTALING 7 HRS 38 MINS BTWN REST PERIODS. ON SECOND FLT, WE HAD AN ATC HOLDING DELAY THAT WAS GOING TO MAKE US OVER 8 HRS OF FLT TIME FOR THE DAY. TO VERIFY MY LEGALITY, I CHKED ON THE HISTORIC FLT TIMES FOR MY REMAINING FLTS, AND DISCOVERED THAT THE COMPANY HAD REDUCED THE SCHEDULED TIMES ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. ON MAY/XA/00, MY SCHEDULE WOULD HAVE BEEN 8 HRS 26 MINS -- AN ILLEGAL SCHEDULE. I NOW HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER I WAS LEGAL TO CONTINUE FLYING. BY FAR 121, TO EXCEED 8 HRS WITHOUT REST, IT HAD TO BE DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THE COMPANY'S CTL (ATC DELAY QUALIFIES), AND THE SCHEDULE HAD TO 'NORMALLY BE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS.' I COULD NOT DETERMINE A BASIS FOR THE ARBITRARY REDUCTION IN FLT TIME SCHEDULED, AND CONCLUDED THAT I DID NOT MEET THE SECOND CRITERIA. I THEN DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH A FLT LEADER, THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT AND FINALLY THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF FLT OPS. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THE NEW SCHEDULED TIMES WERE LEGITIMATE, SO I ACCEPTED THE TRIP. HOWEVER, IN FLYING THE TRIP, MY ACTUAL TIMES WITH NO FURTHER DELAYS WERE MUCH CLOSER TO THE OLD SCHEDULE, AND EXCEEDED 8 HRS SIGNIFICANTLY. THUS, I BELIEVE THAT MY COMPANY GAVE ME AN ILLEGAL SCHEDULE, AND I LET THEM TALK ME INTO FLY IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT RPTS THE COMPANY IS NOW USING A REALISTIC SCHEDULE TIME. THE FAA HAD EXPRESSED A CONCERN THAT THE RECORDS REFERRED TO WERE UNREALISTIC. BECAUSE OF PLT COMPLAINTS THE COMPANY HAS STOPPED REVISING CREW SCHEDULES.

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.