Narrative:

Flight was delayed from 'phl' following aircraft swap from B757 to B767 for 4 hours and 30 mins. Maintenance was unable to download software for 'latin america' operation; so aircraft was released with 'both FMC' not operational. Our concern about lack of proper procedure; rvsm; and particularly 'flight time duty' were relayed and discussed with maintenance operations; dispatch; and daily scheduling. To my personal dissatisfaction with above; flight was released to a special airport; non ETOPS; exceeding flight time limitations; crew duty time; and no clear plan. As it is always the case; re/release procedures weren't followed properly; and upon departure oil check (engine) and APU check was not done. Crew was pressured to save time on departure; because of duty time and possible cancellation of their trip on the next day. We cut short of our filed flight plan and possibly few beyond the non-ETOPS limits. Flight arrived in phl at XA32 in the morning; while the crew had exceeded '16 hour duty day' by more than 25 mins. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that although he made every attempt to operate safely and within the appropriate restrs inherent to the difficult operation; he and his crew did so with the ultimate goal of getting the task done. He stated that; even with this 'get the job done' mentality; if he were again in this position he would be hard pressed to continue. He felt the fatigue generated by the delays and the difficulty of performing the additional workloads associated with the nonstandard navigation system configuration -- as well as the restrs in flight path generated by their resultant non-ETOPS status -- was so great that any abnormality or WX problem encountered at the conclusion of the round trip may well have overtaxed their capabilities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B767 PRESSURED TO OPERATE ROUND TRIP LATIN AMERICAN FLT WITH LENGTHY DELAYS WHICH RESULT IN EXCEEDING CONTRACTUAL DUTY LIMITS. ACFT FMC CONFIGURATION INCOMPATIBLE WITH LATIN AMERICAN DEST RESULTS IN DISPATCH WITH INOPERABLE FMC REQUIRING MANUAL INPUT OF ALL WAYPOINTS AND OTHER NON STANDARD NAV OPS.

Narrative: FLT WAS DELAYED FROM 'PHL' FOLLOWING ACFT SWAP FROM B757 TO B767 FOR 4 HRS AND 30 MINS. MAINT WAS UNABLE TO DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE FOR 'LATIN AMERICA' OPERATION; SO ACFT WAS RELEASED WITH 'BOTH FMC' NOT OPERATIONAL. OUR CONCERN ABOUT LACK OF PROPER PROC; RVSM; AND PARTICULARLY 'FLT TIME DUTY' WERE RELAYED AND DISCUSSED WITH MAINT OPS; DISPATCH; AND DAILY SCHEDULING. TO MY PERSONAL DISSATISFACTION WITH ABOVE; FLT WAS RELEASED TO A SPECIAL ARPT; NON ETOPS; EXCEEDING FLT TIME LIMITATIONS; CREW DUTY TIME; AND NO CLEAR PLAN. AS IT IS ALWAYS THE CASE; RE/RELEASE PROCS WEREN'T FOLLOWED PROPERLY; AND UPON DEP OIL CHK (ENG) AND APU CHK WAS NOT DONE. CREW WAS PRESSURED TO SAVE TIME ON DEP; BECAUSE OF DUTY TIME AND POSSIBLE CANCELLATION OF THEIR TRIP ON THE NEXT DAY. WE CUT SHORT OF OUR FILED FLT PLAN AND POSSIBLY FEW BEYOND THE NON-ETOPS LIMITS. FLT ARRIVED IN PHL AT XA32 IN THE MORNING; WHILE THE CREW HAD EXCEEDED '16 HR DUTY DAY' BY MORE THAN 25 MINS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT ALTHOUGH HE MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO OPERATE SAFELY AND WITHIN THE APPROPRIATE RESTRS INHERENT TO THE DIFFICULT OP; HE AND HIS CREW DID SO WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GETTING THE TASK DONE. HE STATED THAT; EVEN WITH THIS 'GET THE JOB DONE' MENTALITY; IF HE WERE AGAIN IN THIS POSITION HE WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO CONTINUE. HE FELT THE FATIGUE GENERATED BY THE DELAYS AND THE DIFFICULTY OF PERFORMING THE ADDITIONAL WORKLOADS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NONSTANDARD NAV SYSTEM CONFIGURATION -- AS WELL AS THE RESTRS IN FLT PATH GENERATED BY THEIR RESULTANT NON-ETOPS STATUS -- WAS SO GREAT THAT ANY ABNORMALITY OR WX PROB ENCOUNTERED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE ROUND TRIP MAY WELL HAVE OVERTAXED THEIR CAPABILITIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.