COMMUTER PIC EXCEEDS HIS ON DUTY TIME LIMITS.

Narrative

RPTED FOR DUTY ON JUN/XX/94 AT MKE AT AB00 AM EDT AND FLEW FLT SEGMENTS DURING THE DAY FOR 6:55 FLT TIME. UPON TERMINATION OF THE CMH-CVG FLT; WE WERE REQUIRED TO TAXI THE ACFT TO THE HANGAR FOR MAINT AS SCHEDULED. ARRIVED AT THE HANGAR AT AB09 EDT; COMPLETED POSTFLT ACTIVITIES AND TOOK THE ACFT CLIPBOARD TO MAINT FOR ANY REQUIRED DISCUSSIONS. THIS TOOK APPROX 15 MINS. AFTER THAT; WENT TO SIGN OUT ON THE COMPUTER. UPON LOGGING ON THE COMPUTER; I NOTICED THAT A MESSAGE HAD BEEN APPENDED TO MY SIGN OUT TO CALL CREW SCHEDULING. THE CREW SCHEDULER ADVISED THAT I WAS TO BE EXTENDED TO FLY A TRIP TO DAY SINCE THE ORIGINAL ACFT HAD BEEN DAMAGED IN A GND INCIDENT AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COVER THE TRIP. MY FO HAD ALREADY SIGNED OUT BEFORE HE COULD BE NOTIFIED OF THE EXTENSION; BUT WAS STILL IN THE OPS AREA. THE CREW SCHEDULER ATTEMPTED TO GET HIM TO ACCEPT THE TRIP BUT HE SAID THAT HE HAD SIGNED OUT AND REFUSED ON THAT BASIS. THE SCHEDULER THEN INDICATED THAT HE WOULD ASSIGN THE FO AN UNAVAILABLE (COMPANY OPS MANUAL PROVIDES THAT YOU WILL BE TERMINATED IF YOU ACCUMULATE 3 UNAVAILABLES). THE FO THEN LEFT. SINCE I RECEIVED PROPER NOTIFICATION; I WAS REQUIRED TO DO THE EXTENSION. THERE WAS SO MUCH PRESSURE TO FLY THE TRIP AND GET THE PAX TO DAY; THAT I ASSUMED THE CREW SCHEDULER HAD CHKED AND CLRED MY REST REQUIREMENTS BEFOREHAND. I ASKED WHY A RESERVE CREW WASN'T CALLED AND THE SCHEDULER ADVISED THAT NONE WERE AVAILABLE IN SHORT ORDER. HE MADE ONE CALL TO A RESERVE FO. AS I WAS COMPLETING THE WALK AROUND THE FO SHOWED UP AT THE ACFT. WE THEN TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE GATE AND DEPARTED FOR DAY. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE RETURN TRIP TO CVG THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD A CREW REST PROB. UPON REVIEWING MY TIMES; USING THE 24-HR HR LOOK BACK RULE; I NOTED THAT I HAD EXCEEDED MY DUTY LIMITATIONS BY 55 MINS FOR ON DUTY OF 16:55. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I AM FREE OF CRITICISM ON THIS OVERSIGHT SINCE THE FARS ARE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT A CREW MEMBER'S RESPONSIBILITY IN KEEPING A VIGILANT EYE ON THEIR CREW REST. HOWEVER; I AM CONCERNED WITH THE PRESSURE THAT A COMPANY POLICY CAN PLACE ON A CREW MEMBER AND THE THREAT OF LOSING ONE'S JOB TO FORCE OVERSIGHTS SUCH AS THIS. I FEEL THAT MY COMPANY'S MANNING FORMULA; LIKE THE REGIONAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE; TENDS PUSH PEOPLE TO THE LIMIT. I DO NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHETHER OR NOT THE SCHEDULER WAS PUSHING ME OR THAT HE ALSO OVERLOOKED CHKING MY DUTY LIMITS AS I DID; BUT THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE SEEMS TO HAPPEN WITH REGULARITY IN THIS INDUSTRY.