ATR captain reports his company intimidates pilots to fly when sick.

Attributes
ACN	587489
Time
Date	200307
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier Other
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 2700
ASRS Report	587489
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

I let management pressure intimidate me into flying while coming down with a head cold. Management has been harassing pilots by making adverse personnel record entries for sick calls. I had called in sick a few months prior and chose not to fight this battle. Besides, I wanted to get home from the outstation and figured I could make it through the short 35 min flight to san juan. When I got there, they gave me another flight turn which I also flew. I was not terribly ill, but the fact that I felt it would be better to let the first officer do the flying should have been enough to call in sick.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATR CAPT RPTS HIS COMPANY INTIMIDATES PLTS TO FLY WHEN SICK.

Narrative: I LET MGMNT PRESSURE INTIMIDATE ME INTO FLYING WHILE COMING DOWN WITH A HEAD COLD. MGMNT HAS BEEN HARASSING PLTS BY MAKING ADVERSE PERSONNEL RECORD ENTRIES FOR SICK CALLS. I HAD CALLED IN SICK A FEW MONTHS PRIOR AND CHOSE NOT TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE. BESIDES, I WANTED TO GET HOME FROM THE OUTSTATION AND FIGURED I COULD MAKE IT THROUGH THE SHORT 35 MIN FLT TO SAN JUAN. WHEN I GOT THERE, THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER FLT TURN WHICH I ALSO FLEW. I WAS NOT TERRIBLY ILL, BUT THE FACT THAT I FELT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO LET THE FO DO THE FLYING SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO CALL IN SICK.

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.