Narrative:

My concern is over the way different acrs set up their crew member flight and duty time sheets/reports to show compliance with far flight; duty; and rest requirements. These system vary from carrier to carrier; and they are tailored for different types of air carrier operations. These report forms can be confusing and cumbersome to fill out and maintain; creating an environment for errors when it comes to recording the information. These errors could lead to overlooking flight; duty or rest requirements and lead to a situation where the crew member is fatigued because of erroneous information that the individual is using to determine far compliance. Furthermore; if a pilot is working for several acrs under different far parts; things get really complicated because you have to keep track of several different flts; duty; and rest requirements. This could be a daunting and time consuming task. Total understanding of what the FARS require and mean can be further grounds for errors because to the lay person; some of the language contained in the FARS is difficult to understand. I may have made mistakes in the past with these types of records. So; to summarize what I am trying to say is that: 1) there are a variety of acrs using different reporting system for flight duty and rest requirements. 2) there are different requirements for flight duty and rest for different types of flying a pilot could engage in. 3) far language can be difficult to understand to ensure compliance by all participants. So what is the solution? This is what I would like to propose: we live in a time where technology is abundant and cheap. I am sitting here right now filling out a form that I accessed electronically. A good solution would be for the appropriate government agency (FAA) to have an on-line site where pilots or crew members could access at any time and fill in appropriate information in regards to flight; duty and rest. This site would then collect this information and generate a report form that shows far compliance in real time and is easy to use and understand. The reports that are generated would be based on the information entered and then expressed in terms of the type of operations that is being conducted by the user. The benefits of this type of system are as follows: 1) far interps are taken out of the equation and human error is reduced because the software would be designed with specific parameters set forth by the FAA. 2) calculations would be entirely accurate by means of computers; further reducing the exposure to human error. 3) the range of different types of reporting system would be eliminated by going to one universal system and simplifying interpretation of the data by users and inspectors. 4) safety would be enhanced through simplification and reliability of information that is used to determine flight time; duty time; and rest requirements. These are but a few benefits that I can envision off the top of my head. Furthermore; this system could be accessed through an 800 number and appropriate data could be entered and accessed in real time through touchtone phones. Additionally; information contained in the database could be linked to the appropriate DOT agency for oversight of acrs in real time; further enhancing safety by keeping acrs and operators accountable in real time. Again; simplifying and enhancing oversight to be proactive versus reactive after an infraction has already occurred. I would like to offer my thoughts and insight to whomever would like to further this concept for the benefit of safety; and reducing the generation of paperwork and tasks for all participants.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR SUGGESTS ELECTRONIC ACCESS TO AN FAA PROGRAM WHICH WILL ANALYZE PLT FLT TIME REGARDING LEGALITY FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF COMMERCIAL FLT TIME.

Narrative: MY CONCERN IS OVER THE WAY DIFFERENT ACRS SET UP THEIR CREW MEMBER FLT AND DUTY TIME SHEETS/RPTS TO SHOW COMPLIANCE WITH FAR FLT; DUTY; AND REST REQUIREMENTS. THESE SYS VARY FROM CARRIER TO CARRIER; AND THEY ARE TAILORED FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACR OPS. THESE RPT FORMS CAN BE CONFUSING AND CUMBERSOME TO FILL OUT AND MAINTAIN; CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR ERRORS WHEN IT COMES TO RECORDING THE INFO. THESE ERRORS COULD LEAD TO OVERLOOKING FLT; DUTY OR REST REQUIREMENTS AND LEAD TO A SITUATION WHERE THE CREW MEMBER IS FATIGUED BECAUSE OF ERRONEOUS INFO THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS USING TO DETERMINE FAR COMPLIANCE. FURTHERMORE; IF A PLT IS WORKING FOR SEVERAL ACRS UNDER DIFFERENT FAR PARTS; THINGS GET REALLY COMPLICATED BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT FLTS; DUTY; AND REST REQUIREMENTS. THIS COULD BE A DAUNTING AND TIME CONSUMING TASK. TOTAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE FARS REQUIRE AND MEAN CAN BE FURTHER GROUNDS FOR ERRORS BECAUSE TO THE LAY PERSON; SOME OF THE LANGUAGE CONTAINED IN THE FARS IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. I MAY HAVE MADE MISTAKES IN THE PAST WITH THESE TYPES OF RECORDS. SO; TO SUMMARIZE WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT: 1) THERE ARE A VARIETY OF ACRS USING DIFFERENT RPTING SYS FOR FLT DUTY AND REST REQUIREMENTS. 2) THERE ARE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FOR FLT DUTY AND REST FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLYING A PLT COULD ENGAGE IN. 3) FAR LANGUAGE CAN BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE BY ALL PARTICIPANTS. SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? THIS IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE: WE LIVE IN A TIME WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS ABUNDANT AND CHEAP. I AM SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW FILLING OUT A FORM THAT I ACCESSED ELECTRONICALLY. A GOOD SOLUTION WOULD BE FOR THE APPROPRIATE GOV AGENCY (FAA) TO HAVE AN ON-LINE SITE WHERE PLTS OR CREW MEMBERS COULD ACCESS AT ANY TIME AND FILL IN APPROPRIATE INFO IN REGARDS TO FLT; DUTY AND REST. THIS SITE WOULD THEN COLLECT THIS INFO AND GENERATE A RPT FORM THAT SHOWS FAR COMPLIANCE IN REAL TIME AND IS EASY TO USE AND UNDERSTAND. THE RPTS THAT ARE GENERATED WOULD BE BASED ON THE INFO ENTERED AND THEN EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF THE TYPE OF OPS THAT IS BEING CONDUCTED BY THE USER. THE BENEFITS OF THIS TYPE OF SYS ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) FAR INTERPS ARE TAKEN OUT OF THE EQUATION AND HUMAN ERROR IS REDUCED BECAUSE THE SOFTWARE WOULD BE DESIGNED WITH SPECIFIC PARAMETERS SET FORTH BY THE FAA. 2) CALCULATIONS WOULD BE ENTIRELY ACCURATE BY MEANS OF COMPUTERS; FURTHER REDUCING THE EXPOSURE TO HUMAN ERROR. 3) THE RANGE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF RPTING SYS WOULD BE ELIMINATED BY GOING TO ONE UNIVERSAL SYS AND SIMPLIFYING INTERP OF THE DATA BY USERS AND INSPECTORS. 4) SAFETY WOULD BE ENHANCED THROUGH SIMPLIFICATION AND RELIABILITY OF INFO THAT IS USED TO DETERMINE FLT TIME; DUTY TIME; AND REST REQUIREMENTS. THESE ARE BUT A FEW BENEFITS THAT I CAN ENVISION OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. FURTHERMORE; THIS SYS COULD BE ACCESSED THROUGH AN 800 NUMBER AND APPROPRIATE DATA COULD BE ENTERED AND ACCESSED IN REAL TIME THROUGH TOUCHTONE PHONES. ADDITIONALLY; INFO CONTAINED IN THE DATABASE COULD BE LINKED TO THE APPROPRIATE DOT AGENCY FOR OVERSIGHT OF ACRS IN REAL TIME; FURTHER ENHANCING SAFETY BY KEEPING ACRS AND OPERATORS ACCOUNTABLE IN REAL TIME. AGAIN; SIMPLIFYING AND ENHANCING OVERSIGHT TO BE PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE AFTER AN INFRACTION HAS ALREADY OCCURRED. I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER MY THOUGHTS AND INSIGHT TO WHOMEVER WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER THIS CONCEPT FOR THE BENEFIT OF SAFETY; AND REDUCING THE GENERATION OF PAPERWORK AND TASKS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS.

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.