Narrative:

Our day was scheduled for 3 flts, totaling 7 hours 49 mins. The first 2 legs were completed without incident in 5 hours 47 mins. The final leg to cvg began normally. The WX was forecast with acceptable visibility and ceiling. Though there were thunderstorms in the area, no alternate was needed. However, about halfway to our destination, the thunderstorms exceeded all expectations and we were rerouted around the storms. The reroute called for backtracking to des moines then onto kansas city over pocket city to join the MOSEY5 arrival into cvg. We did not have sufficient fuel to complete the new route. I discussed alternative routes with ATC, but was told that WX blocked any other route options. We then used ACARS to communicate with company dispatch to determine our course of action. I gave our situation including the reroute instructions from ATC, fuel on board and expected fuel on arrival. I then asked dispatch what they wanted us to do and I suggested that we land at dsm to take on fuel, so that we might continue to the original destination. Dispatch, apparently busy, responded by asking how much fuel I had. I restated the fuel and asked what course of action dispatch preferred. In response, dispatch asked whether we were landing at dsm. I responded that I did intend to land at dsm, and we were dispatched to dsm to get fuel. After landing, clearance informed us that cvg had posted a ground stop for the next 45 mins. The storms were level 5 over cvg. I called dispatch to discuss our course of action. We then deplaned the passenger and received our fuel and paperwork to continue to cvg. At 15 mins prior to the ground stop release, we called clearance for an update. They said that the ground stop was still in effect. 5 mins later, clearance informed us that the cvg ground stop had been extended an hour. At this time, I called dispatch and asked what they wanted us to do. I thought about duty time, noted that we were good for another 4+ hours, and waited for the dispatch to check on things on his end. Dispatch eventually decided that we would not get to cvg due to the apparently huge and building thunderstorms over and approaching our destination. They decided to have us fly back to msp. We were released, at which time we gathered up our passenger and got our releases, WX package, closeout, and load information. A while after we took off, we received an ACARS message asking if we had passenger on board. We thought this a bit odd. We sent a message back stating that yes we did and would someone please take care of seeing that the passenger were rebooked and taken care of. The flight, which lasted 1 hour and 26 mins, was completed without incident. When we got to msp and went to find out what we were to do the next day, we realized that we may not have been within time limits to have left the fuel stop for any reason other than continuing to our original destination. The third leg of the day was 1 hour and 38 mins. This put us at 7 hours and 25 mins of flight for the day upon landing at dsm. When our schedule was changed none of us, not myself, my first officer, or dispatch checked on our scheduled flight time for the day. The flight back to our point of origin was scheduled for 69 mins. This put our scheduled day at 8 hours 34 mins. A crew day scheduled with little room for changes, a diversion for WX and fuel, an oversight on the part of the flight crew and dispatch, and a dispatcher that appeared to be task saturated. All of us desiring to safely complete the flight and take care of the passenger with as little inconvenience to them as possible. The diversion was an unusual operation for both of us, this was the first time in my career that a diversion did not continue to the original destination. We should have replanned our scheduled day from the point of diversion to ensure that we were legal to continue the flight with passenger. We should also have requested that dispatch verify the status of the final leg with crew scheduling prior to takeoff. As captain, I am accustomed to closely monitoring crew rest and duty parameters, but the unusual circumstances of this particular flight caused all parties involved to overlook scheduled flight time. Needless to say, I will replan and verify with dispatch and crew scheduling any future flts that involve diversions and changes to my schedule.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER EXTENSIVE REROUTING FOR WX FACTORS AND LNDG AT AN ALTERNATE ARPT, A CRJ FLT CREW EXCEEDS THEIR MAX ALLOWABLE FLT TIME WHEN PERFORMING A RETURN FLT BACK TO ORIGINAL DEP ARPT FROM DSM, IA.

Narrative: OUR DAY WAS SCHEDULED FOR 3 FLTS, TOTALING 7 HRS 49 MINS. THE FIRST 2 LEGS WERE COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT IN 5 HRS 47 MINS. THE FINAL LEG TO CVG BEGAN NORMALLY. THE WX WAS FORECAST WITH ACCEPTABLE VISIBILITY AND CEILING. THOUGH THERE WERE TSTMS IN THE AREA, NO ALTERNATE WAS NEEDED. HOWEVER, ABOUT HALFWAY TO OUR DEST, THE TSTMS EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS AND WE WERE REROUTED AROUND THE STORMS. THE REROUTE CALLED FOR BACKTRACKING TO DES MOINES THEN ONTO KANSAS CITY OVER POCKET CITY TO JOIN THE MOSEY5 ARR INTO CVG. WE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL TO COMPLETE THE NEW RTE. I DISCUSSED ALTERNATIVE ROUTES WITH ATC, BUT WAS TOLD THAT WX BLOCKED ANY OTHER RTE OPTIONS. WE THEN USED ACARS TO COMMUNICATE WITH COMPANY DISPATCH TO DETERMINE OUR COURSE OF ACTION. I GAVE OUR SIT INCLUDING THE REROUTE INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC, FUEL ON BOARD AND EXPECTED FUEL ON ARR. I THEN ASKED DISPATCH WHAT THEY WANTED US TO DO AND I SUGGESTED THAT WE LAND AT DSM TO TAKE ON FUEL, SO THAT WE MIGHT CONTINUE TO THE ORIGINAL DEST. DISPATCH, APPARENTLY BUSY, RESPONDED BY ASKING HOW MUCH FUEL I HAD. I RESTATED THE FUEL AND ASKED WHAT COURSE OF ACTION DISPATCH PREFERRED. IN RESPONSE, DISPATCH ASKED WHETHER WE WERE LNDG AT DSM. I RESPONDED THAT I DID INTEND TO LAND AT DSM, AND WE WERE DISPATCHED TO DSM TO GET FUEL. AFTER LNDG, CLRNC INFORMED US THAT CVG HAD POSTED A GND STOP FOR THE NEXT 45 MINS. THE STORMS WERE LEVEL 5 OVER CVG. I CALLED DISPATCH TO DISCUSS OUR COURSE OF ACTION. WE THEN DEPLANED THE PAX AND RECEIVED OUR FUEL AND PAPERWORK TO CONTINUE TO CVG. AT 15 MINS PRIOR TO THE GND STOP RELEASE, WE CALLED CLRNC FOR AN UPDATE. THEY SAID THAT THE GND STOP WAS STILL IN EFFECT. 5 MINS LATER, CLRNC INFORMED US THAT THE CVG GND STOP HAD BEEN EXTENDED AN HR. AT THIS TIME, I CALLED DISPATCH AND ASKED WHAT THEY WANTED US TO DO. I THOUGHT ABOUT DUTY TIME, NOTED THAT WE WERE GOOD FOR ANOTHER 4+ HRS, AND WAITED FOR THE DISPATCH TO CHK ON THINGS ON HIS END. DISPATCH EVENTUALLY DECIDED THAT WE WOULD NOT GET TO CVG DUE TO THE APPARENTLY HUGE AND BUILDING TSTMS OVER AND APCHING OUR DEST. THEY DECIDED TO HAVE US FLY BACK TO MSP. WE WERE RELEASED, AT WHICH TIME WE GATHERED UP OUR PAX AND GOT OUR RELEASES, WX PACKAGE, CLOSEOUT, AND LOAD INFO. A WHILE AFTER WE TOOK OFF, WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE ASKING IF WE HAD PAX ON BOARD. WE THOUGHT THIS A BIT ODD. WE SENT A MESSAGE BACK STATING THAT YES WE DID AND WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE CARE OF SEEING THAT THE PAX WERE REBOOKED AND TAKEN CARE OF. THE FLT, WHICH LASTED 1 HR AND 26 MINS, WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHEN WE GOT TO MSP AND WENT TO FIND OUT WHAT WE WERE TO DO THE NEXT DAY, WE REALIZED THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WITHIN TIME LIMITS TO HAVE LEFT THE FUEL STOP FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN CONTINUING TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST. THE THIRD LEG OF THE DAY WAS 1 HR AND 38 MINS. THIS PUT US AT 7 HRS AND 25 MINS OF FLT FOR THE DAY UPON LNDG AT DSM. WHEN OUR SCHEDULE WAS CHANGED NONE OF US, NOT MYSELF, MY FO, OR DISPATCH CHKED ON OUR SCHEDULED FLT TIME FOR THE DAY. THE FLT BACK TO OUR POINT OF ORIGIN WAS SCHEDULED FOR 69 MINS. THIS PUT OUR SCHEDULED DAY AT 8 HRS 34 MINS. A CREW DAY SCHEDULED WITH LITTLE ROOM FOR CHANGES, A DIVERSION FOR WX AND FUEL, AN OVERSIGHT ON THE PART OF THE FLT CREW AND DISPATCH, AND A DISPATCHER THAT APPEARED TO BE TASK SATURATED. ALL OF US DESIRING TO SAFELY COMPLETE THE FLT AND TAKE CARE OF THE PAX WITH AS LITTLE INCONVENIENCE TO THEM AS POSSIBLE. THE DIVERSION WAS AN UNUSUAL OP FOR BOTH OF US, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY CAREER THAT A DIVERSION DID NOT CONTINUE TO THE ORIGINAL DEST. WE SHOULD HAVE REPLANNED OUR SCHEDULED DAY FROM THE POINT OF DIVERSION TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE LEGAL TO CONTINUE THE FLT WITH PAX. WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE REQUESTED THAT DISPATCH VERIFY THE STATUS OF THE FINAL LEG WITH CREW SCHEDULING PRIOR TO TKOF. AS CAPT, I AM ACCUSTOMED TO CLOSELY MONITORING CREW REST AND DUTY PARAMETERS, BUT THE UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS PARTICULAR FLT CAUSED ALL PARTIES INVOLVED TO OVERLOOK SCHEDULED FLT TIME. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WILL REPLAN AND VERIFY WITH DISPATCH AND CREW SCHEDULING ANY FUTURE FLTS THAT INVOLVE DIVERSIONS AND CHANGES TO MY SCHEDULE.

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.