AN SMT EMS HELI PLT SENT IN 2 RPTS. ONE DEALS WITH DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS; AND THE OTHER WITH A MAINT ITEM THAT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY SIGNED OFF.

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ON JUN/TUE/92; AT XA45; I WAS CALLED BY THE DISPATCHER ABOUT A FLT TO HOSPITAL A; US. THE FOLLOWING CONVERSATIONS; TO INCLUDE THE CALL FROM THE DISPATCHER ARE ON TAPE WHICH IS HELD IN COUNTY OP OFFICE. AFTER BEING TOLD WHERE THE FLT WAS GOING; I TOLD THE DISPATCHER THAT IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE DONE ON MY SHIFT. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT HE THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO DO IT. AT THAT POINT; I TOLD HIM TO PUT THE FLT TOGETHER AND I WOULD BE DOWN TO LOOK AT IT. I WANT TO POINT OUT AT THIS POINT THAT THE WHOLE TIME I WAS RESEARCHING THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FLT; THE DISPATCHER WAS PROCEEDING AS IF IT WAS A GO. TO CONTINUE; I ASKED HIM WHAT TYPE OF FLT IT WAS; AND CHKED THE FLT TIME REQUIRED TO DO THE FLT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A BABY WHO NEEDED AN ISOLATE FLT TO HOSPITAL B; AND FOUND THE FLT TIME TO BE 1 HR AND 48 MIN. I KNEW THAT I HAD THE TIME REQUIRED TO DO THE FLT; BUT SINCE IT WAS AN ISOLATE MISSION; I COULDN'T COUNT ON THE GND TIME WHICH WOULD PROBABLY PUT ME BACK PAST 2200. I TOLD THE DISPATCHER THAT THIS FLT WOULD HAVE TO BE DOCUMENTED BY THE DOCTOR AS AN EMER FLT OR I WOULD HAVE TO GET APPROVAL BY A OR B SO THAT THEY WOULD KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT THERE WAS A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT A LETTER WOULD BE REQUIRED TO THE FAA. I TRIED MR B AT HOME AND WORK; AND HAD MR A PAGED WHEN I COULD NOT FIND HIM AT HOME. MY CONVERSATION WITH MR A IS NOT ON TAPE; BUT WAS HEARD BY MR IN HIS OFFICE. WHEN MR A CALLED IN; HE WAS INITIALLY ON THE SPEAKER PHONE AND I COULD HEAR HIM YELLING; 'JUST GO; TELL HIM TO GO.' C TOOK HIM OFF THE SPEAKER PHONE AND I PROCEEDED TO TELL HIM THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THAT I WANTED SOMEONE TO TELL ME TO GO. AT THIS POINT HE GAVE ME AN OPTION TO FLY BACK FROM HOSPITAL A; WHICH I SAID WAS STUPID BECAUSE IT WAS MORE THAN A HALF HR AWAY AND THAT WAS TOO LONG TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE CREW WITH A PATIENT. PLUS; IT WAS AN HR OF DEAD LEGS AND ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. AT THAT POINT; I TOLD HIM THAT I JUST WANTED TO HAVE SOMEONE WITH AUTHORITY TELL ME THAT I COULD DO THE FLT IN ENTIRETY; BUT THAT THERE WAS A CHANCE I WOULD BE GETTING BACK LATE. SO MR A TOLD ME TO GO. NOW I THINK HE IS PREPARED TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE FAA IF I INDEED DO GET BACK LATE. THIS THINKING CAN BE VERIFIED BY THE CREW SINCE I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THEM DURING THE FLT. MR A NEVER TOLD ME I COULDN'T DO THE FLT AND HE SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE; NOT OPTIONS. SO WHEN I GET BACK AT XA25; I DOCUMENT THE FLT MANIFEST AND THE PLT TIME SHEET AS AN EMER FLT APPROVED BY MR A. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT VIOLATIONS OF DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS ARE COMMON DUE TO INABILITY TO ANTICIPATE GND TIME. GND TIME IS DETERMINED BY PATIENT CONDITION FOR TRANSPORT AND MEDICAL TEAM DECISION; SO OFTEN; THIS BECOMES EXTENDED.