Narrative:

I submitted numerous as soon as possible's this past summer regarding the scheduled block times versus actual block times on flts abc and abd jfk-ZZZZ-jfk turns and the addition of the third crew member. My final response from the ert included thinly veiled suggestions that pilots were manipulating block times to retain the third pilot. I hope that this legitimate safety information will be met with greater professionalism. The company has scheduled a late morning jfk ZZZZ flight with a return starting in november. The flight numbers are efg and ehi, and the trip is blocked for 7 hours 51 mins and staffed with 2 crew members. I am concerned that this decision does not reflect accurate block time history and the company is attempting to manipulate block times on this trip to avoid scheduling a third pilot. This same trip was operated dec/02-mar/03 most recently (there were also a few operations in april that I was not able to obtain data on). Here are the statistics: average block time efg-ehi was 8 hours 12 mins, percentage of total operations over 8 hours was 59%, total operations was 56. The scheduled block time represents a reduction of 21 mins over the average block during most recent operations. No navigation shortcut justifies this reduction, as the previous messages from the company relating to my earlier as soon as possible's suggest that the new routing saves only 9 mins. This trip absolutely should not be operated with 2 pilots. It is a safety issue, pure and simple. I ask that in the interest of safety that the company staff this trip appropriately with a third pilot as is justified by historical data. Any other result would be a serious error in safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CITING LONGER THAN SCHEDULED FLT TIMES OCCURRING ROUTINELY ON INTL FLTS, A CREW MEMBER CONTENDS THAT THE ACR IS NOT USING REALISTIC SCHEDULED TIMES IN ORDER TO AVOID THE ASSIGNMENT OF AN ADDITIONAL CREW MEMBER ON A 2 PLT CREWED ACFT.

Narrative: I SUBMITTED NUMEROUS ASAP'S THIS PAST SUMMER REGARDING THE SCHEDULED BLOCK TIMES VERSUS ACTUAL BLOCK TIMES ON FLTS ABC AND ABD JFK-ZZZZ-JFK TURNS AND THE ADDITION OF THE THIRD CREW MEMBER. MY FINAL RESPONSE FROM THE ERT INCLUDED THINLY VEILED SUGGESTIONS THAT PLTS WERE MANIPULATING BLOCK TIMES TO RETAIN THE THIRD PLT. I HOPE THAT THIS LEGITIMATE SAFETY INFO WILL BE MET WITH GREATER PROFESSIONALISM. THE COMPANY HAS SCHEDULED A LATE MORNING JFK ZZZZ FLT WITH A RETURN STARTING IN NOVEMBER. THE FLT NUMBERS ARE EFG AND EHI, AND THE TRIP IS BLOCKED FOR 7 HRS 51 MINS AND STAFFED WITH 2 CREW MEMBERS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS DECISION DOES NOT REFLECT ACCURATE BLOCK TIME HISTORY AND THE COMPANY IS ATTEMPTING TO MANIPULATE BLOCK TIMES ON THIS TRIP TO AVOID SCHEDULING A THIRD PLT. THIS SAME TRIP WAS OPERATED DEC/02-MAR/03 MOST RECENTLY (THERE WERE ALSO A FEW OPS IN APRIL THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO OBTAIN DATA ON). HERE ARE THE STATISTICS: AVERAGE BLOCK TIME EFG-EHI WAS 8 HRS 12 MINS, PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL OPS OVER 8 HRS WAS 59%, TOTAL OPS WAS 56. THE SCHEDULED BLOCK TIME REPRESENTS A REDUCTION OF 21 MINS OVER THE AVERAGE BLOCK DURING MOST RECENT OPS. NO NAV SHORTCUT JUSTIFIES THIS REDUCTION, AS THE PREVIOUS MESSAGES FROM THE COMPANY RELATING TO MY EARLIER ASAP'S SUGGEST THAT THE NEW ROUTING SAVES ONLY 9 MINS. THIS TRIP ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT BE OPERATED WITH 2 PLTS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, PURE AND SIMPLE. I ASK THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY THAT THE COMPANY STAFF THIS TRIP APPROPRIATELY WITH A THIRD PLT AS IS JUSTIFIED BY HISTORICAL DATA. ANY OTHER RESULT WOULD BE A SERIOUS ERROR IN SAFETY.

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.