Narrative:

Received aircraft #XXX for my trip. The aircraft had 2 gear doors missing. List calls for fuel and weight restrs, as well as a reduction in speed to mach .78. The flight time for the day is already very close to 8 hours. I questioned dispatch about the added time with respect to our slowed speed as it related to our flight time. I was worried about going over 8 hours flight time. Their response was that they would take their chances that the flight would be under 8 hours. We landed in lax. Our message showed 8 hours and 13 mins of flight. Myself and my first officer both questioned the legality of continuing. I called crew scheduling and their response was quickly stated that we were legal. I asked for the chief pilot's office. I talked to XXX. In turn he talked to YYY. YYY said that we were legal to finish. My question is that this is a known problem that is within the company's control. The regulations say that if time is exceeded it has to be out of the control of the company, ie, unforecast WX, etc. This was not unforecast. YYY stated that this flight has flown under 8 hours before. While I agree with that assessment, I would present the fact that he had 140 KT headwinds on top of the mach .78 restr. Both items are forecast and known by the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW QUESTIONS THE COMPANY SCHEDULING OF MORE THAN 8 HRS OF FLT TIME BASED ON THE USE OF AN ACFT THAT WAS RESTR IN SPD.

Narrative: RECEIVED ACFT #XXX FOR MY TRIP. THE ACFT HAD 2 GEAR DOORS MISSING. LIST CALLS FOR FUEL AND WT RESTRS, AS WELL AS A REDUCTION IN SPD TO MACH .78. THE FLT TIME FOR THE DAY IS ALREADY VERY CLOSE TO 8 HRS. I QUESTIONED DISPATCH ABOUT THE ADDED TIME WITH RESPECT TO OUR SLOWED SPD AS IT RELATED TO OUR FLT TIME. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT GOING OVER 8 HRS FLT TIME. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WOULD TAKE THEIR CHANCES THAT THE FLT WOULD BE UNDER 8 HRS. WE LANDED IN LAX. OUR MESSAGE SHOWED 8 HRS AND 13 MINS OF FLT. MYSELF AND MY FO BOTH QUESTIONED THE LEGALITY OF CONTINUING. I CALLED CREW SCHEDULING AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS QUICKLY STATED THAT WE WERE LEGAL. I ASKED FOR THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE. I TALKED TO XXX. IN TURN HE TALKED TO YYY. YYY SAID THAT WE WERE LEGAL TO FINISH. MY QUESTION IS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROB THAT IS WITHIN THE COMPANY'S CTL. THE REGS SAY THAT IF TIME IS EXCEEDED IT HAS TO BE OUT OF THE CTL OF THE COMPANY, IE, UNFORECAST WX, ETC. THIS WAS NOT UNFORECAST. YYY STATED THAT THIS FLT HAS FLOWN UNDER 8 HRS BEFORE. WHILE I AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT, I WOULD PRESENT THE FACT THAT HE HAD 140 KT HEADWINDS ON TOP OF THE MACH .78 RESTR. BOTH ITEMS ARE FORECAST AND KNOWN BY THE COMPANY.

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.