AN FO'S RPT ON FLC WORK SCHEDULING RULES AND HIS THOUGHTS OF POSSIBLY VIOLATING THOSE RULES DURING A DELAY AT PIT; PA.

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ON JAN/XA/00; I COMPLETED A 10 HR 20 MIN DUTY DAY; WHERE I FLEW 5 HRS 54 MINS (BLOCK). I WAS OFF DUTY AT BB15. THE NEXT DAY; I STARTED WORK AGAIN AT AB20 (I HAD 10 HRS 5 MINS REST). I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY 7 HRS 40 MINS THAT DAY; OVER 6 LEGS; AND I WAS DUE TO BE OFF DUTY AT BB45 (12 HR 25 MIN DUTY TIME). DURING THE DAY; WE HAD SEVERAL DEICE EVENTS AND 2 MAINT PROBS. THE SECOND PROB HAPPENED ENRTE FROM DTW TO PIT. BOTH OF OUR LNDG LIGHTS BURNED OUT; SO WE WERE STUCK IN PIT UNTIL THE COMPANY COULD GET A MECH TO FIX THE ACFT. WE WERE ON DUTY UNTIL AB10 (16 HR 50 MIN DUTY) AND WE FLEW 9 HR 2 MIN BLOCK. ON THE FLT BACK TO DTW; I REALIZED THAT I MIGHT HAVE VIOLATED THE FARS. I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON REDUCED REST THE NIGHT BEFORE; AND THEREFORE WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN LEGAL FOR DUTY AFTER BB15 (24 HRS FROM WHEN THE REDUCED REST STARTED). IT TOOK SEVERAL HRS TO FIGURE; BUT I COULD ONLY FIND 8 HRS 55 MINS OF FLT IN ANY 24 HR PERIOD. THEREFORE; I WAS LEGAL TO COMPLETE THE TRIP BY 5 MINS. IF I HAD FLOWN 9 HRS IN THE 24 HR PERIOD; MY 10 HRS OF REST WOULD HAVE BEEN 'REDUCED REST;' AND I WOULD HAVE NEEDED 12 HRS OF REST STARTING AT BB15 (I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN PIT). ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK I VIOLATED A REG; I THINK THE 'SLIDING 24 HR WINDOW' THE REGS ARE BASED ON IS TOO DIFFICULT TO CALCULATE. BUT THE REAL SAFETY THING IS THAT IF I HAD FLOWN ONLY 5 MINS MORE THE DAY BEFORE THIS INCIDENT; I WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO BE OFF DUTY ALMOST 3 HRS BEFORE I WAS. I SUPPOSE I COULD HAVE BEEN ON DUTY A LOT LONGER; SINCE I WAS ONLY SCHEDULED FOR A 12 HR DAY. THERE SHOULD BE SOME LIMIT TO THE DUTY DAY -- THE ACTUAL DUTY DAY -- BECAUSE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL THE COMPANY 'I'M TOO TIRED.'