Flight Crew Last 90 Days 180; Flight Crew Total 12000; Flight Crew Type 5000
Situational Awareness; Fatigue
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
General None Reported / Taken
Weather; Company Policy; Human Factors
[We] diverted due to thunderstorms closing [our destination]. Since this was an international flight; no Customs could be done. I informed Dispatch to make sure the on time was annotated but not to put an in time to insure the crew computer reflected flight time since all crew were to remain on flight duty. The computer did reflect an in time. We were on the ground for 51 minutes and not reflected as FAR 117 flight time. (I need clarification on this issue and guidance as to divert ground time on an international flight counting toward flight time or just duty time). Subsequently departed for [our destination]; landed and cleared Customs. The next leg was cancelled. We immediately attempted to contact Crew Scheduling; were placed on hold and subsequently dropped. Scheduling finally called me at 1 hour 20 minutes after block-in and I was informed a message was sent to hotel accommodations. We watched for a change on our trip and tried to call Hotel Desk only to be placed on hold and subsequently dropped. I called the Duty Manager; left a message. He called me back and connected me directly with the Hotel Desk Supervisor. The Supervisor said 'we are working on it' and he will call me back. An hour later I got a call from Hotel Desk sending us to Hotel X with voucher XY. When we got to the hotel; we were informed all 'extra' crew were voucher XY and our inbound flight number had to be faxed or emailed and specifically tagged to rooms. No fax was sent. The Hotel Desk Supervisor called Hotel Desk and remained on hold. We; also; called and were on hold and after another hour of waiting I decided to find a hotel with rooms (the Hotel X was full except for voucher XY rooms specifically tagged to other inbound flights). I expensed a room at a nearby hotel almost 5 hours after block in time. I was still unable to contact Crew Scheduling to have them change our duty time in the crew computer for proper FAR 117 calculations (based on the fact we were waiting for a hotel assignment) until the next morning. Crew Scheduling informed me they could not change it and I had to call the Duty Manager to get it changed. I did this and had to leave a message. Duty Manager never returned my call so crew computer never properly reflected correct duty time and therefore all subsequent FAR 117 calculations were in error. Based on my personal calculations; I don't believe there were any FAR 117 violations; but am not 100% sure due to what happens next. [The next day] the plan was deadhead to pick up the balance of our trip. After flight planning; briefing the crew; loading the passengers; closing the doors; pulling the jetway; completing the Preflight Checklist; arming the slides and waiting for the last cargo door to close; the Gate Agent reconnected the jetway; knocked on the door and opened 1L. After seeing the door opened at 1L open; I asked the First Officer to determine what was happening. He returned and informed me the crew was supposed to call the Crew Scheduling. I told the Gate Agent to close the door we were sterile cockpit. My thinking was no sane operation would interrupt a flight that far along with a major change and I would deal with what I thought to be a minor problem when I got on the ground in [our destination]. I was wrong! When we called for push Ramp informed us we could not push and we needed to call Crew Scheduling. I did; breaking sterile cockpit; to be informed we were being reassigned to fly to [another location]. I told the Scheduler it made no sense based on where the flight was in terms of nearing pushback but he persisted. I told him to connect me with the Duty Manager. I spoke to the Duty Manager explaining how ridiculous it was from a safety point of view to take a crew at pushback and move them to another flight. He said he understood but it was contractually legal and therefore it had to be done. I continued to stress it might be legal but not smart. I also emphasized Crew Scheduling may not [be] working with correct flight and duty time calculations. This fell on somewhat sympathetic but deaf ears. I asked for an 'ordered to fly' annotation in the record. I then told the First Officer to run the Parking Checklist while I informed the passengers and then slink away. I sent the First Officer to the next aircraft while I went to the planning room [and] took care of paperwork. When I pulled up our new trip I noticed we were being flown into days off; legal; yes but absolutely infuriating. During Pre-Departure Checks we discussed the need to let go of the emotion and focus on the task at hand to prevent bent metal and/or violation. It was not easy. I remain baffled why we as a company would take such a safety risk so last minute. I believe this problem could have been addressed at least 2 hours prior. To deal with this at pushback is not intelligent business or a safe practice.
A320 Captain describes a trip paring disrupted by weather diversions and the inability to communicate with the company due to the number of crews out of position.