Narrative:

We were originally scheduled for a reduced rest overnight consisting of 9 hours of rest since we had exceeded 9 hours of flight time in 24 hours. We originally were scheduled for a duty day of a little over 12 hours and the approximately 9 hours 30 mins of rest beginning at about XA30. Compensatory rest was to begin the next day. Throughout the day we were delayed repeatedly by thunderstorms and flow control. We diverted on one flight; but retained the same flight number and continued the flight to ZZZ. We were scheduled for 7 hours 40 mins of flight time; but by the end of the day we had flown 9 hours 37 mins. Our duty day ended up being 14 hours 20 mins. When I initially called our crew scheduling and informed them that our show time would need to be pushed back; I was told we would need 11 hours of rest that night and would be on compensatory rest that evening. After being placed on hold; I was informed that we really only needed 9 hours and that the computer had messed up. Being exhausted and having not had a chance to eat all day; I was not in the best state of mind to be doing math. After getting to the hotel and getting something to eat; I pulled up my schedule in the program we use for scheduling issues. The system displayed XXX next to our schedule which means we would need the 11 hours of rest I was originally quoted. Normally; compensatory rest is only required when a crew exceeds 15 hours of duty. I believed that because of all the flying we had scheduled between the 2 days; we would actually require at least 10 hours of 'look-back' rest to be considered on normal rest. With a 14 hour 20 min duty day we only had 9 hours 40 mins of look-back rest and this is why the computer was flagging that we needed compensatory rest that night. I called our scheduling back and inquired as to this anomaly and explained my situation as above. They did not see how I could have been on reduced rest the night before when I had been off for 3 days. I explained that the amount of days off did not matter because it was a look-back problem. They said look-back only applied when we exceeded 15 hours. I explained how I believed in our case we could actually be on reduced if we exceeded 14 hours. I was conferenced in with a chief pilot and again explained my situation and gave my explanation as seen above. He gave me the same explanation as our scheduling lead had given me. At this point; I was growing short on time to sleep and could no longer think clearly. The chief pilot got disconnected from our conference call somehow and I informed the scheduler that I was going to bed; but that the chief pilot said he would look into it further. If they came to a different conclusion; they would call me with a revised show time in the morning. I did not hear anything further from my company and showed at the normal time the next day. The crew rest requirements are entirely too complex -- especially when one has to figure these things out when they are extremely tired already. I faced the unwelcome options of facing disciplinary action if I insisted on my view and showed later; violating an far; or continuing my argument and if eventually being proved wrong losing out on valuable sleep. It is time to revise these complex issues.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT REPORTS HIS ACR DENIED HIM COMPENSATORY REST FOLLOWING 14:20 HOURS ON DUTY DAY WITH 9+37 ACTUAL FLT TIME. THE COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY MADE ACCURATE FAA REST REQUIREMENT DETERMINATIONS DIFFICULT.

Narrative: WE WERE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR A REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT CONSISTING OF 9 HRS OF REST SINCE WE HAD EXCEEDED 9 HRS OF FLT TIME IN 24 HRS. WE ORIGINALLY WERE SCHEDULED FOR A DUTY DAY OF A LITTLE OVER 12 HRS AND THE APPROX 9 HRS 30 MINS OF REST BEGINNING AT ABOUT XA30. COMPENSATORY REST WAS TO BEGIN THE NEXT DAY. THROUGHOUT THE DAY WE WERE DELAYED REPEATEDLY BY TSTMS AND FLOW CTL. WE DIVERTED ON ONE FLT; BUT RETAINED THE SAME FLT NUMBER AND CONTINUED THE FLT TO ZZZ. WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR 7 HRS 40 MINS OF FLT TIME; BUT BY THE END OF THE DAY WE HAD FLOWN 9 HRS 37 MINS. OUR DUTY DAY ENDED UP BEING 14 HRS 20 MINS. WHEN I INITIALLY CALLED OUR CREW SCHEDULING AND INFORMED THEM THAT OUR SHOW TIME WOULD NEED TO BE PUSHED BACK; I WAS TOLD WE WOULD NEED 11 HRS OF REST THAT NIGHT AND WOULD BE ON COMPENSATORY REST THAT EVENING. AFTER BEING PLACED ON HOLD; I WAS INFORMED THAT WE REALLY ONLY NEEDED 9 HRS AND THAT THE COMPUTER HAD MESSED UP. BEING EXHAUSTED AND HAVING NOT HAD A CHANCE TO EAT ALL DAY; I WAS NOT IN THE BEST STATE OF MIND TO BE DOING MATH. AFTER GETTING TO THE HOTEL AND GETTING SOMETHING TO EAT; I PULLED UP MY SCHEDULE IN THE PROGRAM WE USE FOR SCHEDULING ISSUES. THE SYS DISPLAYED XXX NEXT TO OUR SCHEDULE WHICH MEANS WE WOULD NEED THE 11 HRS OF REST I WAS ORIGINALLY QUOTED. NORMALLY; COMPENSATORY REST IS ONLY REQUIRED WHEN A CREW EXCEEDS 15 HRS OF DUTY. I BELIEVED THAT BECAUSE OF ALL THE FLYING WE HAD SCHEDULED BTWN THE 2 DAYS; WE WOULD ACTUALLY REQUIRE AT LEAST 10 HRS OF 'LOOK-BACK' REST TO BE CONSIDERED ON NORMAL REST. WITH A 14 HR 20 MIN DUTY DAY WE ONLY HAD 9 HRS 40 MINS OF LOOK-BACK REST AND THIS IS WHY THE COMPUTER WAS FLAGGING THAT WE NEEDED COMPENSATORY REST THAT NIGHT. I CALLED OUR SCHEDULING BACK AND INQUIRED AS TO THIS ANOMALY AND EXPLAINED MY SITUATION AS ABOVE. THEY DID NOT SEE HOW I COULD HAVE BEEN ON REDUCED REST THE NIGHT BEFORE WHEN I HAD BEEN OFF FOR 3 DAYS. I EXPLAINED THAT THE AMOUNT OF DAYS OFF DID NOT MATTER BECAUSE IT WAS A LOOK-BACK PROB. THEY SAID LOOK-BACK ONLY APPLIED WHEN WE EXCEEDED 15 HRS. I EXPLAINED HOW I BELIEVED IN OUR CASE WE COULD ACTUALLY BE ON REDUCED IF WE EXCEEDED 14 HRS. I WAS CONFERENCED IN WITH A CHIEF PLT AND AGAIN EXPLAINED MY SITUATION AND GAVE MY EXPLANATION AS SEEN ABOVE. HE GAVE ME THE SAME EXPLANATION AS OUR SCHEDULING LEAD HAD GIVEN ME. AT THIS POINT; I WAS GROWING SHORT ON TIME TO SLEEP AND COULD NO LONGER THINK CLRLY. THE CHIEF PLT GOT DISCONNECTED FROM OUR CONFERENCE CALL SOMEHOW AND I INFORMED THE SCHEDULER THAT I WAS GOING TO BED; BUT THAT THE CHIEF PLT SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT FURTHER. IF THEY CAME TO A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION; THEY WOULD CALL ME WITH A REVISED SHOW TIME IN THE MORNING. I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING FURTHER FROM MY COMPANY AND SHOWED AT THE NORMAL TIME THE NEXT DAY. THE CREW REST REQUIREMENTS ARE ENTIRELY TOO COMPLEX -- ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE HAS TO FIGURE THESE THINGS OUT WHEN THEY ARE EXTREMELY TIRED ALREADY. I FACED THE UNWELCOME OPTIONS OF FACING DISCIPLINARY ACTION IF I INSISTED ON MY VIEW AND SHOWED LATER; VIOLATING AN FAR; OR CONTINUING MY ARGUMENT AND IF EVENTUALLY BEING PROVED WRONG LOSING OUT ON VALUABLE SLEEP. IT IS TIME TO REVISE THESE COMPLEX ISSUES.

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.