An air carrier international pilot related an incident involving a creeping delay before a long international flight that led to the pilot expressing concern about the safety of the length of the duty day. The company relieved the pilot from the trip with a pay impact.
Synopsis
An air carrier international pilot related an incident involving a creeping delay before a long international flight that led to the pilot expressing concern about the safety of the length of the duty day. The company relieved the pilot from the trip with a pay impact.
Narrative
Assigned to fly a trip with a scheduled duty time of 16 hrs; 21 min. The crew desk called my cell phone at four hours before report time and left a message that the departure time for had been changed to five hours after the original scheduled time. I did not receive the crew message until three and one half hours before the original report time. I then contacted crew scheduling and spoke with scheduler at that time and I was informed that flight was delayed with the new departure five hours late. I asked if the Company would provide a hotel rest room during the delay and my request was denied. I indicated to the scheduler that by not providing the appropriate rest facility that it could be a factor later in the duty day with regard to over 19 hr.30min. duty day; and fatigue. The hotel rest room was denied again. It was suggested that I take a rest at my point of residence. I elected not to sit at my home airport; and continued to the departure airport; arriving in the Flight Office at seven and one half hours before the new departure time. Four hours later the Flight Office informed me that flight had been changed a second time; now proposing a two hour longer delay for departure. I had a brief conversation with a Flight Manager while he was on the phone with the Duty Manager. I expressed my concern with regard to the over extended duty day; and the possibility of fatigue later in the flight. At that time I was offered a hotel room for rest. I felt it would not help at this point to secure a hotel rest room for an hour. This decision was based on the following reasons: 1.) Hotel transportation wait for pickup; travel time to and from the hotel during Saturday afternoon traffic; checking in/out of the hotel; and returning through airport security.2.) Reference: NASA/DOT and FAA publication #211385; Crew Factors in Flight Operations; Alertness Management and Education. http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/zteam/ At about the same time another First Officer on our crew contacted Crew Scheduling to inquire about the duty day being extended beyond the 19hr. 30min. The conversation was eventually transferred to the Crew Supervisor who said he would 'get back to us' and would contact us at the Flight Operations room. I checked in with the Maintenance supervisor who was working the flight; and was told that an aircraft swap had been done; and the aircraft would be the inbound arriving two hours forty minutes before the new departure time. Based on this information; I relayed my thoughts on the time it would take to turn that aircraft since it would have to be repositioned from the International terminal; undergoing a maintenance check; and then fueled; that the new departure time was not likely possible based on pure time alone. Three hours before the newly scheduled departure time I was told that I was being relieved from the assignment. Crew scheduling updated my work calendar to show I was absent and docked my pay of 27hr. 42min. reference to FTG (fatigue). A remark was added that I did not return calls. I was never asked this at anytime; and I never left Flight Operations so as to be fully available. Upon seeing the change in my calendar; I contacted the crew desk and informed them that after a legal rest I would be available to fly. In conclusion; I am submitting this report based solely on Safety. The fact that the Company extended the duty day well beyond the 19 hours and 30 minutes; the fatigue factor was a concern towards the end of the duty day; not at the beginning of the day. Failing to provide proper rest facilities (with disregard to FAA and the National Transportation advisories on duty/fatigue and safety) it is clearly a safety issue. As I stated above; my monthly compensation has been adjusted lower; because I objected to a safety issue; and Company's claim is that I was 'unfit to fly'. I was not. My concern was the safety of flight 14 hours later following the 10 hour delayed departure.
Second reporter narrative
After an on time check in and looking around for the crew; I discovered in computer a new departure time that was over four hours later than planned. Talked with the Crew Desk to be informed they had left a message on my phone of a departure time delay of four hours fifteen minutes earlier that morning-which I didn't receive. I calculated my duty day to be projected at 23hrs and 47 minutes with the new departure time. I called back with my concerns for the safety of an extremely long duty day and was forwarded to an Operations Manager. Was told that even though I had not been informed of the departure time until check in; sufficient notification was given since an attempt had been made. Regardless; my concern was the nearly 24-hour duty day and questioned the safety of this type of operation. The Manager said he'd get back to me but never did. One hour and twenty minutes later; I called back for the Manager who I was told had gone home? I spoke with another manager regarding the safety of my projected 23hr; 47 minute duty day. He said; 'I needed to call in fatigued.' I feel that the trip as projected (19:30 duty day) was an illegal assignment; and was forced to use fatigue (No Pay) to have myself removed vs. the correct Crew Desk action of being removed on duty time grounds. When I checked the computer entries; it showed 'absent no show' with no time indicated as when I would be available to fly. I had provided the second Manager a time of 12 hours from the time we talked. I called the crew desk to have this corrected even though I'd been speaking with the Crew Desk since I checked in with flight operations. It was also discovered later that the Crew Desk converted two standby Reserve First Officers to cover this trip; well before the time I was forced to use Fatigue (NO PAY) to correct the problem. The Flight departed after maintenance work was complete.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.