ACR FLT CREW EXCEEDED MAXIMUM DUTY DAY WHEN WX DELAYS CAUSED SEVERAL SCHEDULE DISRUPTIONS.
Synopsis
ACR FLT CREW EXCEEDED MAXIMUM DUTY DAY WHEN WX DELAYS CAUSED SEVERAL SCHEDULE DISRUPTIONS.
Narrative
CREW WAS ON CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT. CREW STARTED DUTY ON 10/THURS/88 AT XA:30; OVERNIGHTED IN FCA AND SHOWED FOR DUTY AT XK30 THE NEXT DAY TO DEP ON A FCA-MSO-GEG TRIP. THERE WAS TO BE A CREW CHANGE IN GEG. DUE TO GEG WX BEING BELOW WX MINIMUMS AT THE TIME OF DEP FROM MSO; WE HELD THE FLT ON AN INDEFINITE DELAY MODE PENDING GEG WX. THE FLT WAS HELD FOR 2 AND ONE HALF HRS BEFORE BEING CANCELLED; THE PAX BEING ACCOMMODATED ON ANOTHER CARRIER. AT THIS TIME; I ASKED THE FLT CREW IF THEY COULD HELP US OUT AND REPOS THE ACFT THEMSELVES TO PUW AND THEN FLY REVENUE PUW-PSC-SEA. THE CREW SAID THEY HAD NO PROB DOING THIS. AT THE TIME OF THE REPOSITION ARR IN PUW; THE CREW HAD 9 MINS BEFORE THEIR 16 HRS. IN 24 WERE TO EXPIRE. THEY AT THAT TIME RECEIVED THEIR RELEASE AND PROCEEDED TO FLY PUW-PSC-SEA ON A REVENUE FLT. AT THIS TIME THEY WERE RUNNING INTO THEIR ILLEGAL SITUATION. THE CREW ARRIVED SEA AND CLOCKED OFF DUTY 18.0 HRS AFTER THE START OF DUTY. IN FLT CONTROL DURING THE DAY IN QUESTION 3/4 OF OUR DEP AND ARR STATIONS AND 3 OUT OF 4 OF OUR HUB STATIONS WERE DOWN OR MARGINAL DUE TO ADVERSE WX. PLUS THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PHONE CALLS FROM CREWS; STATIONS; RESERVATIONS AND MECHANICALS TO VARIOUS ACFT PUT A LARGE STRAIN ON OUR FLT CONTROL SYS FOR THIS REGIONAL CARRIER. SOME #S WERE MISREAD WITH THE CREW NOT ADVISING US OF ANY POSSIBLE DUTY PROBS; THIS SITUATION WAS DIFFICULT TO FORESEE. IN THE FUTURE; THERE WILL BE DOUBLE CHKING ON ALL #S AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THE CREWS KNOW HOW MUCH FLYING AND DUTY TIME THEY HAVE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 97348. CREW RPTED THEN DEADHEADED TO GEG AND FLEW 2 LEGS GEG-MSO-FCA AND ARRIVED ABOUT LATE NIGHT AND WENT TO HOTEL TO REST. CREWS CONTINUED DUTY AGAIN AT XX40 AND FLEW FCA-MSO. COULD NOT CONTINUE TO GEG DUE TO FOG SO WAITED ON GND AT MSO AND DISCUSSED SITUATION OVER BREAKFAST. WORD CAME FROM DISPATCHER THAT WE WERE TO FERRY THE ACFT TO PUW AND PICK UP A PAS LOAD THERE AND THEN FLY A NORMAL REVENUE FLT TO SEA WHERE WE WOULD CHANGE CREWS. WHEN WE RECEIVED WORD ABOUT THIS CHANGE AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE GOING TO CHANGE CREWS IN SEA; WE NO LONGER THOUGHT ABOUT CREW DUTY TIME.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.