Narrative:

I was assigned to a trip (11:30 hours block time) planned for oct/thu/06. I was told by scheduling that I was to travel to hahn; germany on oct/mon/06. Our company purchased a commercial ticket to eddf. I called the scheduling to check my schedule after check in at the airport. At that time I was informed about my work schedule including that oct/tue-wed/06; would be my off duty days. I called scheduling 3 times prior to my flight to germany to inform about WX delay; I was not informed any schedule changes. I arrived in frankfurt; germany oct/tue/06. I arrived at the hotel and checked in to my room. I consumed alcohol during approximately half hour time period. Thereafter; one of our company flight attendants mentioned to me that I had a trip the next day with departure time 11 hours after consuming alcohol. This is the first indication I received that my schedule had been changed. Our company regulation (approved by FAA) is clearly stated; no consumption of alcohol within the 12 hours prior to operation. When I was made aware that I was to be on duty the following morning; it was already less than 12 hours prior to the assigned flight. This meant I would not be able to meet our company regulation regarding alcohol if I were to fly the following morning. Had I been notified by our company scheduling department that a change was made to my schedule; I would not have consumed alcohol. However; I was in no way made aware of a change to my schedule until my conversation with our flight attendant suggested so. I called scheduling to inquire about the possible change. When I notified them I had consumed alcohol; scheduling stated that they had notified me previously regarding my schedule change. I was never notified. Before I had left for germany on oct/mon/06; I called scheduling and was informed that there had been no changes made to my schedule. In fact; I called scheduling 3 times regarding the WX delay; still there was no notification that any change had been made to my schedule. There were no messages for me when I checked in to my hotel; neither at the front desk nor on the room telephone voice mail. There was no phone conversation; no email and no message; neither written; nor voice mail; nor verbal; regarding a change to my schedule. Scheduling notified chief pilot about the situation. Chief pilot called me and I notified him that I consumed alcohol. Chief pilot told me to fly the trip on oct/wed/06; even though I told him that I had consumed alcohol. He told me that our company would waive the 12 hour alcohol regulation and apply the less restrictive FAA 8-HR limit. Chief pilot stated I would receive a faxed written statement from him that I was to 'waive' the 12 hour alcohol regulation and implement the FAA 8 hour limit in my current situation. At no time in my aviation career have I ever consumed alcohol prior to an assigned flight. Chief pilot's solution to our company's regulation of no alcohol consumption 12 hours prior to operation; was to 'waive' our company's FAA approved policy to the minimal 8 hours. After considering the minimal amount of alcohol I consumed; I believe 8 hours was adequate to operate under no influence of alcohol. However; I consider our company policy of 12 hours to be more conservative.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BECAUSE OF SCHEDULE CHANGE; A B757 FO CONSUMED ALCOHOL WITHIN 12 HRS OF DEP IN VIOLATION OF HIS COMPANY POLICIES. HIS CHIEF PLT AUTH USING THE LESS RESTRICTIVE FAA 8 HR POLICY.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO A TRIP (11:30 HRS BLOCK TIME) PLANNED FOR OCT/THU/06. I WAS TOLD BY SCHEDULING THAT I WAS TO TRAVEL TO HAHN; GERMANY ON OCT/MON/06. OUR COMPANY PURCHASED A COMMERCIAL TICKET TO EDDF. I CALLED THE SCHEDULING TO CHK MY SCHEDULE AFTER CHK IN AT THE ARPT. AT THAT TIME I WAS INFORMED ABOUT MY WORK SCHEDULE INCLUDING THAT OCT/TUE-WED/06; WOULD BE MY OFF DUTY DAYS. I CALLED SCHEDULING 3 TIMES PRIOR TO MY FLT TO GERMANY TO INFORM ABOUT WX DELAY; I WAS NOT INFORMED ANY SCHEDULE CHANGES. I ARRIVED IN FRANKFURT; GERMANY OCT/TUE/06. I ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL AND CHKED IN TO MY ROOM. I CONSUMED ALCOHOL DURING APPROX HALF HOUR TIME PERIOD. THEREAFTER; ONE OF OUR COMPANY FLT ATTENDANTS MENTIONED TO ME THAT I HAD A TRIP THE NEXT DAY WITH DEP TIME 11 HOURS AFTER CONSUMING ALCOHOL. THIS IS THE FIRST INDICATION I RECEIVED THAT MY SCHEDULE HAD BEEN CHANGED. OUR COMPANY REG (APPROVED BY FAA) IS CLRLY STATED; NO CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL WITHIN THE 12 HRS PRIOR TO OP. WHEN I WAS MADE AWARE THAT I WAS TO BE ON DUTY THE FOLLOWING MORNING; IT WAS ALREADY LESS THAN 12 HRS PRIOR TO THE ASSIGNED FLT. THIS MEANT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MEET OUR COMPANY REG REGARDING ALCOHOL IF I WERE TO FLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING. HAD I BEEN NOTIFIED BY OUR COMPANY SCHEDULING DEPT THAT A CHANGE WAS MADE TO MY SCHEDULE; I WOULD NOT HAVE CONSUMED ALCOHOL. HOWEVER; I WAS IN NO WAY MADE AWARE OF A CHANGE TO MY SCHEDULE UNTIL MY CONVERSATION WITH OUR FLT ATTENDANT SUGGESTED SO. I CALLED SCHEDULING TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE POSSIBLE CHANGE. WHEN I NOTIFIED THEM I HAD CONSUMED ALCOHOL; SCHEDULING STATED THAT THEY HAD NOTIFIED ME PREVIOUSLY REGARDING MY SCHEDULE CHANGE. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. BEFORE I HAD LEFT FOR GERMANY ON OCT/MON/06; I CALLED SCHEDULING AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO CHANGES MADE TO MY SCHEDULE. IN FACT; I CALLED SCHEDULING 3 TIMES REGARDING THE WX DELAY; STILL THERE WAS NO NOTIFICATION THAT ANY CHANGE HAD BEEN MADE TO MY SCHEDULE. THERE WERE NO MESSAGES FOR ME WHEN I CHKED IN TO MY HOTEL; NEITHER AT THE FRONT DESK NOR ON THE ROOM TELEPHONE VOICE MAIL. THERE WAS NO PHONE CONVERSATION; NO EMAIL AND NO MESSAGE; NEITHER WRITTEN; NOR VOICE MAIL; NOR VERBAL; REGARDING A CHANGE TO MY SCHEDULE. SCHEDULING NOTIFIED CHIEF PLT ABOUT THE SITUATION. CHIEF PLT CALLED ME AND I NOTIFIED HIM THAT I CONSUMED ALCOHOL. CHIEF PLT TOLD ME TO FLY THE TRIP ON OCT/WED/06; EVEN THOUGH I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD CONSUMED ALCOHOL. HE TOLD ME THAT OUR COMPANY WOULD WAIVE THE 12 HR ALCOHOL REG AND APPLY THE LESS RESTRICTIVE FAA 8-HR LIMIT. CHIEF PLT STATED I WOULD RECEIVE A FAXED WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM HIM THAT I WAS TO 'WAIVE' THE 12 HR ALCOHOL REG AND IMPLEMENT THE FAA 8 HR LIMIT IN MY CURRENT SITUATION. AT NO TIME IN MY AVIATION CAREER HAVE I EVER CONSUMED ALCOHOL PRIOR TO AN ASSIGNED FLT. CHIEF PLT'S SOLUTION TO OUR COMPANY'S REG OF NO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION 12 HRS PRIOR TO OP; WAS TO 'WAIVE' OUR COMPANY'S FAA APPROVED POLICY TO THE MINIMAL 8 HRS. AFTER CONSIDERING THE MINIMAL AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL I CONSUMED; I BELIEVE 8 HRS WAS ADEQUATE TO OPERATE UNDER NO INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. HOWEVER; I CONSIDER OUR COMPANY POLICY OF 12 HRS TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE.

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.