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First officer complaint about having an aci scheduled with flight crew for 4 consecutive days of route checking.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 86368 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198804 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : phx |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1400 |
| ASRS Report | 86368 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | observation : air carrier inspector |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During a routine flight the crew was informed, before the flight began by an air carrier inspector, that he was going to accompany them for the entire 4 days of the flight. I consider this to be a situation causing undue stress on the crew. This stress resulted in the onset of fatigue and could have become an unsafe operation. After discussion with the flight crew the inspector agreed to remove himself from the flight on the completion of the third day and the pairing was continued in a normal and safe manner. To my knowledge this was an abnormal occurrence and there has never been an air carrier inspector ride with a line crew for their entire pairing unless some problem existed beforehand. The first inkling the crew had that something abnormal was about to occur was 30 mins prior to first departure. This was very difficult. Even if the crew knew many days beforehand, this would be difficult. Since this is not a common practice in the industry and since I can personally attest to the amount of stress, I suggest that it never be done again. The only thing I can think of that would be more stressful then 4 days of an air carrier inspector armed with pen and report would be 4 days of a terrorist with a gun to my head. The inspector was not personally a problem, it was the fact of his presence for more than the normal check ride.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO COMPLAINT ABOUT HAVING AN ACI SCHEDULED WITH FLT CREW FOR 4 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF ROUTE CHECKING.
Narrative: DURING A ROUTINE FLT THE CREW WAS INFORMED, BEFORE THE FLT BEGAN BY AN ACR INSPECTOR, THAT HE WAS GOING TO ACCOMPANY THEM FOR THE ENTIRE 4 DAYS OF THE FLT. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SITUATION CAUSING UNDUE STRESS ON THE CREW. THIS STRESS RESULTED IN THE ONSET OF FATIGUE AND COULD HAVE BECOME AN UNSAFE OPERATION. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE FLT CREW THE INSPECTOR AGREED TO REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THE FLT ON THE COMPLETION OF THE THIRD DAY AND THE PAIRING WAS CONTINUED IN A NORMAL AND SAFE MANNER. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS WAS AN ABNORMAL OCCURRENCE AND THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN ACR INSPECTOR RIDE WITH A LINE CREW FOR THEIR ENTIRE PAIRING UNLESS SOME PROB EXISTED BEFOREHAND. THE FIRST INKLING THE CREW HAD THAT SOMETHING ABNORMAL WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR WAS 30 MINS PRIOR TO FIRST DEP. THIS WAS VERY DIFFICULT. EVEN IF THE CREW KNEW MANY DAYS BEFOREHAND, THIS WOULD BE DIFFICULT. SINCE THIS IS NOT A COMMON PRACTICE IN THE INDUSTRY AND SINCE I CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST TO THE AMOUNT OF STRESS, I SUGGEST THAT IT NEVER BE DONE AGAIN. THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF THAT WOULD BE MORE STRESSFUL THEN 4 DAYS OF AN ACR INSPECTOR ARMED WITH PEN AND RPT WOULD BE 4 DAYS OF A TERRORIST WITH A GUN TO MY HEAD. THE INSPECTOR WAS NOT PERSONALLY A PROB, IT WAS THE FACT OF HIS PRESENCE FOR MORE THAN THE NORMAL CHK RIDE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.