Narrative:

After arriving in the employee parking lot to report for duty; I stepped out of my car and slipped and took a hard fall on a sheet of ice. It was very painful and I could hardly breathe. However; after several mins; I regained my breathing and strength and proceeded to flight operations. Upon arrival at flight operations I called the flight operations duty manager and reported my fall on the ice. He asked if I was ok and if I'd be ok to fly the trip. I told him that I thought I would be able to fly my trip. After 15 mins I started to feel worse (a lot of pain and burning sensation coming from my left rib cage). At this point; I was hesitant to call the duty manager and tell him I would have to be placed on the sick list. The reason is; my air carrier has certain parameters that place you on a special list and one of them is when you call in sick close to your departure time. I feel that my air carrier's sick policy was an intimidating factor of whether or not I should call in sick. I was in a lot of pain and I knew that I should not fly; but I still felt the pressure of 'pilot pushing' from air carrier sick policy. However; after some thought; I knew I was in no shape to fly and called the duty manager and told him to put me on sick list. I then went to the emergency room and had an x-ray taken. The diagnosis was a contusion of the left chest and rib cage. Obviously with this kind of injury I could not fly; and if I did I would be jeopardizing the safety of the flight. I feel that air carrier sick policy monitoring program is inappropriate and definitely has a negative effect on safety. I have known some pilots who do fly sick just so that they will not get in trouble from air carrier and be placed on the sick list special program.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT REPORTS SLIPPING ON ICE AND BEING HESITANT TO CALL IN SICK DUE TO ACR'S POLICY ON SICK CALLS CLOSE TO DEPARTURE TIME.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING IN THE EMPLOYEE PARKING LOT TO RPT FOR DUTY; I STEPPED OUT OF MY CAR AND SLIPPED AND TOOK A HARD FALL ON A SHEET OF ICE. IT WAS VERY PAINFUL AND I COULD HARDLY BREATHE. HOWEVER; AFTER SEVERAL MINS; I REGAINED MY BREATHING AND STRENGTH AND PROCEEDED TO FLT OPS. UPON ARR AT FLT OPS I CALLED THE FLT OPS DUTY MGR AND RPTED MY FALL ON THE ICE. HE ASKED IF I WAS OK AND IF I'D BE OK TO FLY THE TRIP. I TOLD HIM THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO FLY MY TRIP. AFTER 15 MINS I STARTED TO FEEL WORSE (A LOT OF PAIN AND BURNING SENSATION COMING FROM MY L RIB CAGE). AT THIS POINT; I WAS HESITANT TO CALL THE DUTY MGR AND TELL HIM I WOULD HAVE TO BE PLACED ON THE SICK LIST. THE REASON IS; MY ACR HAS CERTAIN PARAMETERS THAT PLACE YOU ON A SPECIAL LIST AND ONE OF THEM IS WHEN YOU CALL IN SICK CLOSE TO YOUR DEP TIME. I FEEL THAT MY ACR'S SICK POLICY WAS AN INTIMIDATING FACTOR OF WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD CALL IN SICK. I WAS IN A LOT OF PAIN AND I KNEW THAT I SHOULD NOT FLY; BUT I STILL FELT THE PRESSURE OF 'PLT PUSHING' FROM ACR SICK POLICY. HOWEVER; AFTER SOME THOUGHT; I KNEW I WAS IN NO SHAPE TO FLY AND CALLED THE DUTY MGR AND TOLD HIM TO PUT ME ON SICK LIST. I THEN WENT TO THE EMER ROOM AND HAD AN X-RAY TAKEN. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A CONTUSION OF THE L CHEST AND RIB CAGE. OBVIOUSLY WITH THIS KIND OF INJURY I COULD NOT FLY; AND IF I DID I WOULD BE JEOPARDIZING THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. I FEEL THAT ACR SICK POLICY MONITORING PROGRAM IS INAPPROPRIATE AND DEFINITELY HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON SAFETY. I HAVE KNOWN SOME PLTS WHO DO FLY SICK JUST SO THAT THEY WILL NOT GET IN TROUBLE FROM ACR AND BE PLACED ON THE SICK LIST SPECIAL PROGRAM.

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.