Larry Dighera wrote:
Probably were both exhausted by a schedule that was marginally legal but ill
advised.

Perhaps, but it was 0900 local.



Once upon a time when I was a part 135 cargo pilot, I got a call from my
employer at around 0900 saying that I was needed to fly some auto parts from
Shelby, NC to Cleveland, OH. She said to start getting ready and she'd call me
back with the details in a half hour or so. Well, she called back about 15
minutes later saying the vendor didn't have enough of the parts to justify the
flight and so it was off.

That night, as I was getting ready for bed at 2330, I got another call from the
dispatcher saying the flight was on again, and that I was expected at Shelby for
a 0100 pickup. I needed to be at the Charlotte airport by about 1215 to make it
over to Shelby on time. So off I went.

Without boring you with the details, I fought some killer 60-70 knot headwinds
and ice on the way up there and ended up making an intermediate fuel stop at
Charleston, WV (after shooting the ILS), then into Cleveland with another ILS.

After taking on more fuel, I took off again into IMC but soon climbed on top and
settled in for a screaming cruise (now I had all that wind behind me). After
about an hour I switched to the inboard aux tanks.

I woke up when the right engine quit. As I reached over to change tanks and hit
the boost, the other engine quit as well. I remember marveling at how
accurately I'd leaned those engines. Anyway, the C-402 engines relit very
quickly and I was on my way again with no one the wiser. I promised God I would
never fall asleep flying again.

I broke that promise twice more on the remainder of the flight. I touched down
shortly after dawn at Charlotte.

Now, was my flight time in excess of the allowable. No. And my employer could
make the argument that my duty day didn't start until 2330. So what was
illegal? Nothing, I guess. But I sure was a whipped pup.

So the Hawaiian episode happened at 0900? I'd be very curious to see what
they'd been doing for the last 48 hours. And sitting at an airport waiting in
uniform doesn't constitute crew rest to me. Nor does the time spent in taxis.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com