Narrative:

I am a first officer and international relief officer for a supplemental 121 carrier. On jan/wed/03, I was first officer on a 2 man crew for a flight from latin america back to the states. We blocked out at XA12Z and arrived at EA20Z block time would be 5 hours and 8 mins. After arrival, I spoke to dispatch. My schedule included a trip the next day with a NA00Z departure and MA00Z show time. We agreed that I would need to use a reduced rest of 8 hours. My show time would be MA35Z. Nobody was in crew scheduling at this time. The next morning, I arrived to be part of a 3 man crew. We would fly to the caribbean and back with a scheduled block time of 9 hours and 25 mins. Scheduling advised the captain that would still fly the trip. I did not situation at the controls on the 1ST leg. I did, however, act as the first officer on the return leg. Our block-out time was TA43Z, and we arrived at ZA00Z with a block time of 5 hours and 17 mins. I was not at the controls the whole time. I was relieved for approximately 1/2 hour. That would put my flight time at 4 hours and 47 mins. Crew scheduling never advised me that I would be illegal. The scheduler and the duty officer did not know the regulation on going from a 2 man crew to a 3 man crew. I questioned a few of the other pilots, but nobody knew the answer. It was not until I spoke with 1 of the senior check airman, that I realized that I was restr to 8 hours no matter 2 man or 3 man crew. I feel my crew scheduler failed at his job by not advising me. However, he can't shoulder all the blame. I assume the blame for not being familiar with the flight time regulation thoroughly. I know a 2 man crew's limitation is 8 in 24, and 3 man crew's limit is 12 in 24. I made the assumption that going from the 2 man to 3 man in a 24 hour period, there would be some type of median number. Now, I understand, a pilot cannot occupy the seat for more than 8 hours, no matter what size crew. This whole situation showed me that I cannot rely on the crew scheduler. I will now question him on all my flight time assignments when I have doubt. I have also become more familiar with operations manual in regards to flight time limitations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FO WAS SCHEDULED AND FLEW OVER 8 IN 24 BY THE ACR CREW DESK.

Narrative: I AM A FO AND INTL RELIEF OFFICER FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL 121 CARRIER. ON JAN/WED/03, I WAS FO ON A 2 MAN CREW FOR A FLT FROM LATIN AMERICA BACK TO THE STATES. WE BLOCKED OUT AT XA12Z AND ARRIVED AT EA20Z BLOCK TIME WOULD BE 5 HRS AND 8 MINS. AFTER ARR, I SPOKE TO DISPATCH. MY SCHEDULE INCLUDED A TRIP THE NEXT DAY WITH A NA00Z DEP AND MA00Z SHOW TIME. WE AGREED THAT I WOULD NEED TO USE A REDUCED REST OF 8 HRS. MY SHOW TIME WOULD BE MA35Z. NOBODY WAS IN CREW SCHEDULING AT THIS TIME. THE NEXT MORNING, I ARRIVED TO BE PART OF A 3 MAN CREW. WE WOULD FLY TO THE CARIBBEAN AND BACK WITH A SCHEDULED BLOCK TIME OF 9 HRS AND 25 MINS. SCHEDULING ADVISED THE CAPT THAT WOULD STILL FLY THE TRIP. I DID NOT SIT AT THE CTLS ON THE 1ST LEG. I DID, HOWEVER, ACT AS THE FO ON THE RETURN LEG. OUR BLOCK-OUT TIME WAS TA43Z, AND WE ARRIVED AT ZA00Z WITH A BLOCK TIME OF 5 HRS AND 17 MINS. I WAS NOT AT THE CTLS THE WHOLE TIME. I WAS RELIEVED FOR APPROX 1/2 HR. THAT WOULD PUT MY FLT TIME AT 4 HRS AND 47 MINS. CREW SCHEDULING NEVER ADVISED ME THAT I WOULD BE ILLEGAL. THE SCHEDULER AND THE DUTY OFFICER DID NOT KNOW THE REG ON GOING FROM A 2 MAN CREW TO A 3 MAN CREW. I QUESTIONED A FEW OF THE OTHER PLTS, BUT NOBODY KNEW THE ANSWER. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I SPOKE WITH 1 OF THE SENIOR CHK AIRMAN, THAT I REALIZED THAT I WAS RESTR TO 8 HRS NO MATTER 2 MAN OR 3 MAN CREW. I FEEL MY CREW SCHEDULER FAILED AT HIS JOB BY NOT ADVISING ME. HOWEVER, HE CAN'T SHOULDER ALL THE BLAME. I ASSUME THE BLAME FOR NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE FLT TIME REG THOROUGHLY. I KNOW A 2 MAN CREW'S LIMITATION IS 8 IN 24, AND 3 MAN CREW'S LIMIT IS 12 IN 24. I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT GOING FROM THE 2 MAN TO 3 MAN IN A 24 HR PERIOD, THERE WOULD BE SOME TYPE OF MEDIAN NUMBER. NOW, I UNDERSTAND, A PLT CANNOT OCCUPY THE SEAT FOR MORE THAN 8 HRS, NO MATTER WHAT SIZE CREW. THIS WHOLE SIT SHOWED ME THAT I CANNOT RELY ON THE CREW SCHEDULER. I WILL NOW QUESTION HIM ON ALL MY FLT TIME ASSIGNMENTS WHEN I HAVE DOUBT. I HAVE ALSO BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH OPS MANUAL IN REGARDS TO FLT TIME LIMITATIONS.

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.