Narrative:

During our preflight for our trip; the lower EICAS screen was on placard MEL. All data was now read on the upper EICAS screen; including the status page with all its warnings and information. The MEL warns of a second du failure and consideration to land at the nearest airport. During the climb; out of 10000 ft we lost the ability to monitor any of the status page information and warnings. As the first officer flew the aircraft; I went through the QRH only to find no procedure for this event. I powered up the efb; and split screen on 2 other manuals; still to find no procedure. I contacted commercial radio for a patch for dispatch and maintenance. Maintenance confirmed that there was no procedure for the problem we had; because it was not supposed to happen; a compound failure. Being overweight; we entered a hold and continued our research with company. I made the decision to return to ZZZ and declare an emergency being overweight and loss of our status warning system and all information on the screen. Center worked us and we landed with a normal landing just under maximum landing weight; at 197500 pounds. I requested crash fire rescue equipment as precaution and they followed us to the gate; inspected the brakes for heat and then returned to the station. The landing was a non-event. Maintenance came on the aircraft and said they would fix the aircraft and have us on our way in 15 mins. After having an emergency landing; the passenger are usually a bit shaken up no matter what the event was. The last thing I wanted was to fly this ship out anywhere again. However; the question remains; if the aircraft could have been fixed in 15 mins why wasn't it fixed before we left in the first place? This is a constant state lately; placard until failure; no time to fix the problem. Although sometimes the paperwork for a placard actually takes longer than the fix itself; ie; a landing light lamp change. As it turned out; they could not fix the aircraft in 15 mins and we got another aircraft. The time is now XQ23 hours in ZZZ. I personally got up this day at XA00 hours and planned to take a nap later in the day to be rested for our normal flight. The flight normally leaves at XM35 hours and lands at XP50 hours -- still a long day. Enter now the emergency landing and the new departure at XQ47 hours. I called scheduling to see if we were legal to fly now all night long; especially after an emergency landing. The tracker said 'oh you just came back to the gate?' after I explained what happened; he said the regulations do not take into consideration a long day or emergency into any part of the legal duty time; you can go till XT15 hours and be legal. He didn't see a problem; nor understand that I was now going to be awake approximately 23 hours straight. I know that I could have claimed fatigue and the flight would have been canceled and more paperwork to put in to explain why I wasn't rested for my trip. I inquired to the status and health of the crew members -- all said they were up for the continued trip. I too was not feeling sleepy; but had no way to judge my status upon landing some 7 hours from now. Off we flew and landed with no issues or none that we know of. Although I did try to nap at XJ00 hours; that rarely happens with small children and a busy home. At XX40 hours I entered my room almost now awake 24 hours with no sleep. I called tracking to inform them that we flew over 8 hours and I was now awake for 24 hours straight and asked them to start the 10-hour clock for duty rest. The tracker stated that they could reduce the rest to 9 hours 30 mins and take out transport time and that the 9 hours 30 mins would be block-to-block time or 8 hours 10 mins behind the door. It took us almost 1 hour to block in and get into our rooms at the local hotel due to transportation. It took another 40 mins to get back to the airport from the hotel later that day. I asked the tracker to please give us the 10 hours of rest in the room. She mentioned that she would; but I would be charged with the delay and have to answer for it. This; after a hellish night with an emergency landing. The duty regulations can be manipulated in any way to fit into the airline needs; but not the crew members. Now I am well aware that as captain I could push back and get what I think is needed. That; however; comes with a price -- of reports; phone calls; and perhaps a hearing with the company and my union representative; just to get what is right. We should not have to do this time and time again. We were lucky on this trip; no incident; no accident; no injuries and no missed radio calls. Some day the luck may not be with us and a different report will be written. When will the FAA look into the way crew members are scheduled and list hard times for duty rest without the captain having to do it for them?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 EICAS SCREEN FAILED; WHICH INHIBITED WARNINGS FROM BEING DISPLAYED. FLT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT; AND THE SUBSEQUENT DELAY RESULTED IN FATIGUED FLT CREW.

Narrative: DURING OUR PREFLT FOR OUR TRIP; THE LOWER EICAS SCREEN WAS ON PLACARD MEL. ALL DATA WAS NOW READ ON THE UPPER EICAS SCREEN; INCLUDING THE STATUS PAGE WITH ALL ITS WARNINGS AND INFO. THE MEL WARNS OF A SECOND DU FAILURE AND CONSIDERATION TO LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT. DURING THE CLB; OUT OF 10000 FT WE LOST THE ABILITY TO MONITOR ANY OF THE STATUS PAGE INFO AND WARNINGS. AS THE FO FLEW THE ACFT; I WENT THROUGH THE QRH ONLY TO FIND NO PROC FOR THIS EVENT. I POWERED UP THE EFB; AND SPLIT SCREEN ON 2 OTHER MANUALS; STILL TO FIND NO PROC. I CONTACTED COMMERCIAL RADIO FOR A PATCH FOR DISPATCH AND MAINT. MAINT CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO PROC FOR THE PROB WE HAD; BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN; A COMPOUND FAILURE. BEING OVERWT; WE ENTERED A HOLD AND CONTINUED OUR RESEARCH WITH COMPANY. I MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO ZZZ AND DECLARE AN EMER BEING OVERWT AND LOSS OF OUR STATUS WARNING SYS AND ALL INFO ON THE SCREEN. CTR WORKED US AND WE LANDED WITH A NORMAL LNDG JUST UNDER MAX LNDG WT; AT 197500 LBS. I REQUESTED CFR AS PRECAUTION AND THEY FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE; INSPECTED THE BRAKES FOR HEAT AND THEN RETURNED TO THE STATION. THE LNDG WAS A NON-EVENT. MAINT CAME ON THE ACFT AND SAID THEY WOULD FIX THE ACFT AND HAVE US ON OUR WAY IN 15 MINS. AFTER HAVING AN EMER LNDG; THE PAX ARE USUALLY A BIT SHAKEN UP NO MATTER WHAT THE EVENT WAS. THE LAST THING I WANTED WAS TO FLY THIS SHIP OUT ANYWHERE AGAIN. HOWEVER; THE QUESTION REMAINS; IF THE ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN FIXED IN 15 MINS WHY WASN'T IT FIXED BEFORE WE LEFT IN THE FIRST PLACE? THIS IS A CONSTANT STATE LATELY; PLACARD UNTIL FAILURE; NO TIME TO FIX THE PROB. ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES THE PAPERWORK FOR A PLACARD ACTUALLY TAKES LONGER THAN THE FIX ITSELF; IE; A LNDG LIGHT LAMP CHANGE. AS IT TURNED OUT; THEY COULD NOT FIX THE ACFT IN 15 MINS AND WE GOT ANOTHER ACFT. THE TIME IS NOW XQ23 HRS IN ZZZ. I PERSONALLY GOT UP THIS DAY AT XA00 HRS AND PLANNED TO TAKE A NAP LATER IN THE DAY TO BE RESTED FOR OUR NORMAL FLT. THE FLT NORMALLY LEAVES AT XM35 HRS AND LANDS AT XP50 HRS -- STILL A LONG DAY. ENTER NOW THE EMER LNDG AND THE NEW DEP AT XQ47 HRS. I CALLED SCHEDULING TO SEE IF WE WERE LEGAL TO FLY NOW ALL NIGHT LONG; ESPECIALLY AFTER AN EMER LNDG. THE TRACKER SAID 'OH YOU JUST CAME BACK TO THE GATE?' AFTER I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED; HE SAID THE REGS DO NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION A LONG DAY OR EMER INTO ANY PART OF THE LEGAL DUTY TIME; YOU CAN GO TILL XT15 HRS AND BE LEGAL. HE DIDN'T SEE A PROB; NOR UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS NOW GOING TO BE AWAKE APPROX 23 HRS STRAIGHT. I KNOW THAT I COULD HAVE CLAIMED FATIGUE AND THE FLT WOULD HAVE BEEN CANCELED AND MORE PAPERWORK TO PUT IN TO EXPLAIN WHY I WASN'T RESTED FOR MY TRIP. I INQUIRED TO THE STATUS AND HEALTH OF THE CREW MEMBERS -- ALL SAID THEY WERE UP FOR THE CONTINUED TRIP. I TOO WAS NOT FEELING SLEEPY; BUT HAD NO WAY TO JUDGE MY STATUS UPON LNDG SOME 7 HRS FROM NOW. OFF WE FLEW AND LANDED WITH NO ISSUES OR NONE THAT WE KNOW OF. ALTHOUGH I DID TRY TO NAP AT XJ00 HRS; THAT RARELY HAPPENS WITH SMALL CHILDREN AND A BUSY HOME. AT XX40 HRS I ENTERED MY ROOM ALMOST NOW AWAKE 24 HRS WITH NO SLEEP. I CALLED TRACKING TO INFORM THEM THAT WE FLEW OVER 8 HRS AND I WAS NOW AWAKE FOR 24 HRS STRAIGHT AND ASKED THEM TO START THE 10-HR CLOCK FOR DUTY REST. THE TRACKER STATED THAT THEY COULD REDUCE THE REST TO 9 HRS 30 MINS AND TAKE OUT TRANSPORT TIME AND THAT THE 9 HRS 30 MINS WOULD BE BLOCK-TO-BLOCK TIME OR 8 HRS 10 MINS BEHIND THE DOOR. IT TOOK US ALMOST 1 HR TO BLOCK IN AND GET INTO OUR ROOMS AT THE LCL HOTEL DUE TO TRANSPORTATION. IT TOOK ANOTHER 40 MINS TO GET BACK TO THE ARPT FROM THE HOTEL LATER THAT DAY. I ASKED THE TRACKER TO PLEASE GIVE US THE 10 HRS OF REST IN THE ROOM. SHE MENTIONED THAT SHE WOULD; BUT I WOULD BE CHARGED WITH THE DELAY AND HAVE TO ANSWER FOR IT. THIS; AFTER A HELLISH NIGHT WITH AN EMER LNDG. THE DUTY REGS CAN BE MANIPULATED IN ANY WAY TO FIT INTO THE AIRLINE NEEDS; BUT NOT THE CREW MEMBERS. NOW I AM WELL AWARE THAT AS CAPT I COULD PUSH BACK AND GET WHAT I THINK IS NEEDED. THAT; HOWEVER; COMES WITH A PRICE -- OF RPTS; PHONE CALLS; AND PERHAPS A HEARING WITH THE COMPANY AND MY UNION REPRESENTATIVE; JUST TO GET WHAT IS RIGHT. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN. WE WERE LUCKY ON THIS TRIP; NO INCIDENT; NO ACCIDENT; NO INJURIES AND NO MISSED RADIO CALLS. SOME DAY THE LUCK MAY NOT BE WITH US AND A DIFFERENT RPT WILL BE WRITTEN. WHEN WILL THE FAA LOOK INTO THE WAY CREW MEMBERS ARE SCHEDULED AND LIST HARD TIMES FOR DUTY REST WITHOUT THE CAPT HAVING TO DO IT FOR THEM?

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.