A FIRE OBSERVATION PLT IS CONCERNED OVER HIS EXCEEDING THE SCHEDULED 8 IN 24 AFTER THE FLT HAD RETURNED TO ZZZ; US.
Synopsis
A FIRE OBSERVATION PLT IS CONCERNED OVER HIS EXCEEDING THE SCHEDULED 8 IN 24 AFTER THE FLT HAD RETURNED TO ZZZ; US.
Narrative
AS A PLT FOR THE STATE; WE HAVE NO LIMITATION ON FLT HRS PER DAY OR WEEKLY. MOST OF MY TIME IS FLYING WILDLIFE SURVEYS; SUCH AS MOOSE AND ELK SURVEYS AND PHOTO WORK FOR OUR FOREST ASSESSMENT OFFICE. I AM CARDED FOR THE US FOREST SVC TOO AND THEY FOLLOW FAR 135 REQUIREMENTS FOR FLT AND DUTY LIMITATIONS. THIS ALLOWS ME TO FLY FOREST SVC PERSONNEL. I WAS FLYING PHOTOS FOR OUR FOREST ASSESSMENT AND LANDED AT ZZZ1 FOR FUEL AFTER FINISHING UP. I HAD A MESSAGE THAT THEY WANTED ME TO FLY A FIRE FLT THAT NIGHT JUST SW OF ZZZ. I SAID I COULD DO IT. I STILL HAD TO FLY THE FOREST ASSESSMENT PERSON TO ZZZ2 AND THEN RETURN TO ZZZ. WHEN I LANDED AT ZZZ I HAD FLOWN 7.1 HRS FOR THE DAY. THE IMPRESSION THAT I GOT WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO FLY A COUPLE OF HRS. WELL 3.2 HRS LATER; I LANDED WITH A TOTAL OF 10.3 HRS. I ASSUMED; SINCE WE WERE FLYING FOR THE STATE AND NOT THE FOREST SVC; IT WAS NOT A PROB. I STARTED TO THINK ABOUT HOW MANY HRS I HAD AND THAT I WAS FLYING FOR THE STATE ON FIRE. I RESEARCHED THE HR LIMITATION ON STATE FIRES AND THEY FOLLOW FAR 135 FLT AND DUTY LIMITATIONS. I THINK THE PROB CAME FROM OPERATING UNDER 2 DIFFERENT FLT AND DUTY LIMITATIONS. ONE BEING MY NATURAL RESOURCE PLT JOB AND THE OTHER WHEN I AM FLYING FOR FIRE. I LOOKED BACK SINCE I STARTED THE JOB AS A FULL TIME PLT IN 2002 AND I HAD ONLY 1 OTHER DAY WHEN I WAS OVER 8 HRS; AND IT WAS NOT FOR FIRE. I DO CONSIDER REST VERY IMPORTANT AND HAVE ENDED FLTS FOR THE DAY BECAUSE I WAS GETTING FATIGUED. I HAVE STARTED A DATA SHEET SHOWING MY DAILY FLT TIMES; ON DUTY; OFF DUTY FOR EACH DAY OF THE MONTH SO I CAN TRACK THE FAR 135 DUTY AND LIMITATIONS. IF I GET A CALL FOR FIRE FLTS; I CAN HAVE AN EXACT RECORD WHICH WILL TELL HRS AVAILABLE AND IF I MEET THE REST REQUIREMENTS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.