Narrative:

First I was not on duty for 29 hours; I was only on for 16 hours 46 mins; but the company says I could have been on duty much longer. I am a short call B757 domestic reserve. On saturday; I went on duty as a short call reserve when my rest period ended at 4:00 a.M. Shortly thereafter; scheduling called and assigned me a trip for a 6:45 a.M. Report time for a 7:45 a.M. Deadhead to fly a turn. I questioned the reason for using a ZZZ reserve to fly a YYY trip and was told that they had no one available in phl because of their rest period times. I was the only one available in ZZZ because of rest period times. While showering; it occurred to me that this might exceed my maximum duty day. Upon checking the flight times; I saw that I was scheduling back into YYY at 18:54 or 6 mins before my rest period was scheduled to begin; so I was legal. My scheduled connect time in YYY was only 20 mins and; of course; my deadhead flight was late and I arrived at the first flight at departure time. This wasn't a problem because we were still waiting for the ground crews to load the aircraft. While waiting for the ground crews to finish; I made a quick call to scheduling and told the scheduler that we had exceeded the 6 mins I had to play with and I thought there might be a problem departing stt knowing I would fly into my rest period. She said not to worry because I could fly 1 hour into my rest period and besides stt is considered an international trip and that rest periods don't apply to international trips. I said I realized that but I went on duty at 4:00 a.M. (As a domestic short call reserve) and a maximum 15 hour duty day would end at 7:00 P.M. She insisted that since this is an international trip my duty started at 6:45 a.M. Which is the report time as per international rules. I told her that I felt my duty had started at 4:00 a.M. But since I could fly 1 hour onto my rest period; I would still be legal. After taxi out and waiting in line; we were finally #3 for departure. Wouldn't you know it; the left reverser light started flashing on and off. After recycling it several times it was staying on more than it was off. We contacted maintenance and returned to the gate. While waiting for maintenance; I once again contacted scheduling and informed her that now I would be exceeding the 1 hour I could fly into my rest period. I was once again that that rest periods don't apply to international trip and that I had gone on duty at 6:45 a.M. And not 4:00 a.M. So I could legally fly until 21:45. Maintenance cycled the reverser once with the engine shut down and the light went out; we assured him we had done this with the engine running and the light continued to flash; he said that it just wasn't properly seated and signed us off and sent us on our way. Of course after the engine had run for a while and we were about #3 for takeoff again; the light started flashing again. A call to maintenance and back to the gate we went again. While waiting for maintenance; I once again made a call to scheduling. I was told once again by daily and by system scheduling that I was legal because I went on duty at 6:45 and not at 4:00 a.M. When my rest period ended and I went on short call reserve. The scheduler tried to get a 3-WAY call with my chief pilot so he could explain to me how this could be legal but he wasn't available. I then spoke with the duty manager whom I assume is over system scheduling. He explained tome that since this was an international trip that I didn't go on duty until 6:45 a.M. And that this happened all the time. I then questioned him and asked him that if I went on call at 4:00 a.M. As I had this morning but instead of being given this trip at for a report at 6:45 a.M.; that if later in the day I had been given the same trip except for a 6:45 P.M. Report time if that would have been legal to fly it and he stated that I would. So I questioned him and asked him if in fact I could be on duty fro 4:00 a.M. Until 6:45 P.M. (14 hours 45 mins) as a domestic short call reserve and then assigned a trip the company feels is 'international' for an additional 14 hours duty which could run over to 15 hours and still be legal. He said yes! I stated that this would be 29 hours 45 mins on duty and I didn't feel this would be legal. He stated that my reserve duty obligation to the company and the far duty times were completely separate and had nothing to do with each other. I told him that the only way I would fly the trip out of stt is that if he put in my records that I was flying under protest and that I felt that I was exceeding my 15 hour duty day. Needless to say they were out of pilots and he would do anything to have covered the flight. I don't think this is the intent of the far's; I don't think this is the way the FAA would interpretation the rules; and I don't think this is safe or legal. So be warned if you are a short call reserve and scheduling calls with an international trip; the time you have already spent on duty as a domestic reserve that day instantly changes from being on duty to your rest period; and your new duty (15 hours maximum) begins at check-in time. It has also come to my attention that scheduling can call and assign a short call reserve an 'international' trip at any time. It does not matter if you are on your rest period or if it interferes with your rest period because 'rest periods don't apply to international trips.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 PLT IS CONCERNED WITH EXCEEDING FARS DUTY TIME REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: FIRST I WAS NOT ON DUTY FOR 29 HRS; I WAS ONLY ON FOR 16 HRS 46 MINS; BUT THE COMPANY SAYS I COULD HAVE BEEN ON DUTY MUCH LONGER. I AM A SHORT CALL B757 DOMESTIC RESERVE. ON SATURDAY; I WENT ON DUTY AS A SHORT CALL RESERVE WHEN MY REST PERIOD ENDED AT 4:00 A.M. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; SCHEDULING CALLED AND ASSIGNED ME A TRIP FOR A 6:45 A.M. RPT TIME FOR A 7:45 A.M. DEADHEAD TO FLY A TURN. I QUESTIONED THE REASON FOR USING A ZZZ RESERVE TO FLY A YYY TRIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD NO ONE AVAILABLE IN PHL BECAUSE OF THEIR REST PERIOD TIMES. I WAS THE ONLY ONE AVAILABLE IN ZZZ BECAUSE OF REST PERIOD TIMES. WHILE SHOWERING; IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THIS MIGHT EXCEED MY MAX DUTY DAY. UPON CHKING THE FLT TIMES; I SAW THAT I WAS SCHEDULING BACK INTO YYY AT 18:54 OR 6 MINS BEFORE MY REST PERIOD WAS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN; SO I WAS LEGAL. MY SCHEDULED CONNECT TIME IN YYY WAS ONLY 20 MINS AND; OF COURSE; MY DEADHEAD FLT WAS LATE AND I ARRIVED AT THE FIRST FLT AT DEP TIME. THIS WASN'T A PROB BECAUSE WE WERE STILL WAITING FOR THE GND CREWS TO LOAD THE ACFT. WHILE WAITING FOR THE GND CREWS TO FINISH; I MADE A QUICK CALL TO SCHEDULING AND TOLD THE SCHEDULER THAT WE HAD EXCEEDED THE 6 MINS I HAD TO PLAY WITH AND I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE A PROB DEPARTING STT KNOWING I WOULD FLY INTO MY REST PERIOD. SHE SAID NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE I COULD FLY 1 HR INTO MY REST PERIOD AND BESIDES STT IS CONSIDERED AN INTL TRIP AND THAT REST PERIODS DON'T APPLY TO INTL TRIPS. I SAID I REALIZED THAT BUT I WENT ON DUTY AT 4:00 A.M. (AS A DOMESTIC SHORT CALL RESERVE) AND A MAX 15 HR DUTY DAY WOULD END AT 7:00 P.M. SHE INSISTED THAT SINCE THIS IS AN INTL TRIP MY DUTY STARTED AT 6:45 A.M. WHICH IS THE RPT TIME AS PER INTL RULES. I TOLD HER THAT I FELT MY DUTY HAD STARTED AT 4:00 A.M. BUT SINCE I COULD FLY 1 HR ONTO MY REST PERIOD; I WOULD STILL BE LEGAL. AFTER TAXI OUT AND WAITING IN LINE; WE WERE FINALLY #3 FOR DEP. WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT; THE L REVERSER LIGHT STARTED FLASHING ON AND OFF. AFTER RECYCLING IT SEVERAL TIMES IT WAS STAYING ON MORE THAN IT WAS OFF. WE CONTACTED MAINT AND RETURNED TO THE GATE. WHILE WAITING FOR MAINT; I ONCE AGAIN CONTACTED SCHEDULING AND INFORMED HER THAT NOW I WOULD BE EXCEEDING THE 1 HR I COULD FLY INTO MY REST PERIOD. I WAS ONCE AGAIN THAT THAT REST PERIODS DON'T APPLY TO INTL TRIP AND THAT I HAD GONE ON DUTY AT 6:45 A.M. AND NOT 4:00 A.M. SO I COULD LEGALLY FLY UNTIL 21:45. MAINT CYCLED THE REVERSER ONCE WITH THE ENG SHUT DOWN AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT; WE ASSURED HIM WE HAD DONE THIS WITH THE ENG RUNNING AND THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLASH; HE SAID THAT IT JUST WASN'T PROPERLY SEATED AND SIGNED US OFF AND SENT US ON OUR WAY. OF COURSE AFTER THE ENG HAD RUN FOR A WHILE AND WE WERE ABOUT #3 FOR TKOF AGAIN; THE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AGAIN. A CALL TO MAINT AND BACK TO THE GATE WE WENT AGAIN. WHILE WAITING FOR MAINT; I ONCE AGAIN MADE A CALL TO SCHEDULING. I WAS TOLD ONCE AGAIN BY DAILY AND BY SYS SCHEDULING THAT I WAS LEGAL BECAUSE I WENT ON DUTY AT 6:45 AND NOT AT 4:00 A.M. WHEN MY REST PERIOD ENDED AND I WENT ON SHORT CALL RESERVE. THE SCHEDULER TRIED TO GET A 3-WAY CALL WITH MY CHIEF PLT SO HE COULD EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS COULD BE LEGAL BUT HE WASN'T AVAILABLE. I THEN SPOKE WITH THE DUTY MGR WHOM I ASSUME IS OVER SYS SCHEDULING. HE EXPLAINED TOME THAT SINCE THIS WAS AN INTL TRIP THAT I DIDN'T GO ON DUTY UNTIL 6:45 A.M. AND THAT THIS HAPPENED ALL THE TIME. I THEN QUESTIONED HIM AND ASKED HIM THAT IF I WENT ON CALL AT 4:00 A.M. AS I HAD THIS MORNING BUT INSTEAD OF BEING GIVEN THIS TRIP AT FOR A RPT AT 6:45 A.M.; THAT IF LATER IN THE DAY I HAD BEEN GIVEN THE SAME TRIP EXCEPT FOR A 6:45 P.M. RPT TIME IF THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LEGAL TO FLY IT AND HE STATED THAT I WOULD. SO I QUESTIONED HIM AND ASKED HIM IF IN FACT I COULD BE ON DUTY FRO 4:00 A.M. UNTIL 6:45 P.M. (14 HRS 45 MINS) AS A DOMESTIC SHORT CALL RESERVE AND THEN ASSIGNED A TRIP THE COMPANY FEELS IS 'INTL' FOR AN ADDITIONAL 14 HRS DUTY WHICH COULD RUN OVER TO 15 HRS AND STILL BE LEGAL. HE SAID YES! I STATED THAT THIS WOULD BE 29 HRS 45 MINS ON DUTY AND I DIDN'T FEEL THIS WOULD BE LEGAL. HE STATED THAT MY RESERVE DUTY OBLIGATION TO THE COMPANY AND THE FAR DUTY TIMES WERE COMPLETELY SEPARATE AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER. I TOLD HIM THAT THE ONLY WAY I WOULD FLY THE TRIP OUT OF STT IS THAT IF HE PUT IN MY RECORDS THAT I WAS FLYING UNDER PROTEST AND THAT I FELT THAT I WAS EXCEEDING MY 15 HR DUTY DAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY WERE OUT OF PLTS AND HE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO HAVE COVERED THE FLT. I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE INTENT OF THE FAR'S; I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE WAY THE FAA WOULD INTERP THE RULES; AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS SAFE OR LEGAL. SO BE WARNED IF YOU ARE A SHORT CALL RESERVE AND SCHEDULING CALLS WITH AN INTL TRIP; THE TIME YOU HAVE ALREADY SPENT ON DUTY AS A DOMESTIC RESERVE THAT DAY INSTANTLY CHANGES FROM BEING ON DUTY TO YOUR REST PERIOD; AND YOUR NEW DUTY (15 HRS MAX) BEGINS AT CHK-IN TIME. IT HAS ALSO COME TO MY ATTN THAT SCHEDULING CAN CALL AND ASSIGN A SHORT CALL RESERVE AN 'INTL' TRIP AT ANY TIME. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU ARE ON YOUR REST PERIOD OR IF IT INTERFERES WITH YOUR REST PERIOD BECAUSE 'REST PERIODS DON'T APPLY TO INTL TRIPS.

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.