Narrative:

I was the relief first officer on this flight from osaka, japan, to oakland, ca. The scheduled block time greater than 8 hours required a crew of 3 pilots and a crew rest area. On our aircraft (an MD11) the crew rest area contained 2 courier seats off of the flight deck bulkhead. When we arrived at the aircraft, the release document indicated a maintenance write-up deeming the 2 courier seats inoperative (MEL). This write-up, we thought, technically indicated we had no crew rest area for the flight. (The captain indicated he knew of a situation where a pilot was fired for breaking a crew rest far -- one that says you can't spend more than 8 continuous hours in the cockpit.) since we didn't have an far on board, we could not quote the exact regulation. Anyway, we discussed this information with airline operations and the duty officer. They told the captain that we 'can' crew rest in the cockpit, although they could not cite a specific regulation. Airline 'forced' us to accept their interpretation of 'crew rest' facility and take the plane as scheduled. After demanding and receiving a written statement from the duty officer authorizing us to proceed, we flew to oakland as scheduled without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT TIME LIMITATIONS WITH RELATIONSHIP TO ONBOARD CREW REST FACILITIES WAS QUESTIONED BY AN ACR CARGO RELIEF PLT IN RJOO, FO.

Narrative: I WAS THE RELIEF FO ON THIS FLT FROM OSAKA, JAPAN, TO OAKLAND, CA. THE SCHEDULED BLOCK TIME GREATER THAN 8 HRS REQUIRED A CREW OF 3 PLTS AND A CREW REST AREA. ON OUR ACFT (AN MD11) THE CREW REST AREA CONTAINED 2 COURIER SEATS OFF OF THE FLT DECK BULKHEAD. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT, THE RELEASE DOCUMENT INDICATED A MAINT WRITE-UP DEEMING THE 2 COURIER SEATS INOP (MEL). THIS WRITE-UP, WE THOUGHT, TECHNICALLY INDICATED WE HAD NO CREW REST AREA FOR THE FLT. (THE CAPT INDICATED HE KNEW OF A SIT WHERE A PLT WAS FIRED FOR BREAKING A CREW REST FAR -- ONE THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T SPEND MORE THAN 8 CONTINUOUS HRS IN THE COCKPIT.) SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN FAR ON BOARD, WE COULD NOT QUOTE THE EXACT REG. ANYWAY, WE DISCUSSED THIS INFO WITH AIRLINE OPS AND THE DUTY OFFICER. THEY TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE 'CAN' CREW REST IN THE COCKPIT, ALTHOUGH THEY COULD NOT CITE A SPECIFIC REG. AIRLINE 'FORCED' US TO ACCEPT THEIR INTERP OF 'CREW REST' FACILITY AND TAKE THE PLANE AS SCHEDULED. AFTER DEMANDING AND RECEIVING A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM THE DUTY OFFICER AUTHORIZING US TO PROCEED, WE FLEW TO OAKLAND AS SCHEDULED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.