Narrative:

In the morning I called the dispatch desk about XA30 and asked him for the proposed block-to-block time for flight ZZZ-ZZZZ. I did this because the same flight on a previous trip had gone over 12 hours. I was informed of a block time of 12 hours 21 mins but that this would be updated later with new winds. I then called crew tracking; trying to be proactive; and not knowingly allow air carrier to violate far rule 121.473; since we still had over 3 hours prior to scheduled departure and a reserve could be called out. They informed me there was nothing they could do and to call a chief. I called the chief pilot but he was out. I called operations and spoke with the chief on duty and he said he would make a call. Chief pilot returned my call and said there was nothing he could do. I then called the FAA cmo and tried to speak with them. This flight has gone over 12 hours over 50% of the time during the months of december and january; and yet the safety of our passenger from flying with a fatigued crew versus the economics of flying with 3 pilots has never been overruled. I then proceeded to the gate and discovered that we had a maintenance problem which would take about 1 hour to fix. I then called crew tracking about duty day. Our normal limit with an XD50 block time is XF30. We had a known block time of 12 hours 24 mins and I did not want to violate the contract limit of 15 hour duty day. I thought my time to push off the gate should be reduced to XE56. I was informed that the time was still based on scheduled. I now realized I was being backed into a corner -- legal but stupid -- over 12 hours block time and the possibility of over 15 hours of duty day. Luckily we pushed back at XE52. We arrived in ZZZZ with a 12 hour 23 min block time and duty day of 14 hours 55 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 CREW REPORTS THAT AN INTL FLT EXCEEDS 12 HOURS MORE THAN 50% OF THE TIME BUT HIS ACR WILL ONLY SCHEDULE 3 PLTS; VIOLATING FAR 121.473.

Narrative: IN THE MORNING I CALLED THE DISPATCH DESK ABOUT XA30 AND ASKED HIM FOR THE PROPOSED BLOCK-TO-BLOCK TIME FOR FLT ZZZ-ZZZZ. I DID THIS BECAUSE THE SAME FLT ON A PREVIOUS TRIP HAD GONE OVER 12 HRS. I WAS INFORMED OF A BLOCK TIME OF 12 HRS 21 MINS BUT THAT THIS WOULD BE UPDATED LATER WITH NEW WINDS. I THEN CALLED CREW TRACKING; TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE; AND NOT KNOWINGLY ALLOW ACR TO VIOLATE FAR RULE 121.473; SINCE WE STILL HAD OVER 3 HRS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP AND A RESERVE COULD BE CALLED OUT. THEY INFORMED ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND TO CALL A CHIEF. I CALLED THE CHIEF PLT BUT HE WAS OUT. I CALLED OPS AND SPOKE WITH THE CHIEF ON DUTY AND HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE A CALL. CHIEF PLT RETURNED MY CALL AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. I THEN CALLED THE FAA CMO AND TRIED TO SPEAK WITH THEM. THIS FLT HAS GONE OVER 12 HRS OVER 50% OF THE TIME DURING THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY; AND YET THE SAFETY OF OUR PAX FROM FLYING WITH A FATIGUED CREW VERSUS THE ECONOMICS OF FLYING WITH 3 PLTS HAS NEVER BEEN OVERRULED. I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE GATE AND DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD A MAINT PROB WHICH WOULD TAKE ABOUT 1 HR TO FIX. I THEN CALLED CREW TRACKING ABOUT DUTY DAY. OUR NORMAL LIMIT WITH AN XD50 BLOCK TIME IS XF30. WE HAD A KNOWN BLOCK TIME OF 12 HRS 24 MINS AND I DID NOT WANT TO VIOLATE THE CONTRACT LIMIT OF 15 HR DUTY DAY. I THOUGHT MY TIME TO PUSH OFF THE GATE SHOULD BE REDUCED TO XE56. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIME WAS STILL BASED ON SCHEDULED. I NOW REALIZED I WAS BEING BACKED INTO A CORNER -- LEGAL BUT STUPID -- OVER 12 HRS BLOCK TIME AND THE POSSIBILITY OF OVER 15 HRS OF DUTY DAY. LUCKILY WE PUSHED BACK AT XE52. WE ARRIVED IN ZZZZ WITH A 12 HR 23 MIN BLOCK TIME AND DUTY DAY OF 14 HRS 55 MINS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.