ATR 72
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; Company Policy; Human Factors
Showtime for the Flight Duty Period assigned was XA:30 for a schedule of 4 flight segments. After blocking in from Flight XXXX it became apparently clear that if we continued Flight XXXY/XXXZ we would run into duty limitation issues. I alerted Dispatch but it seemed as if my concerns were being downplayed because [Company] had told ground staff in ZZZ to load/unload at a faster than normal rate and were counting on the work to be completed half the time normally allocated for unloading/loading and would not have any duty issues. I felt pressured by the demand being put on me to perform at a faster pace than usual having just voiced my concern of duty limitations. Upon completing the loading of Flight XXXZ in ZZZ; we had 6 minutes before Max Wheels Up Time of XI:51 before our FDP (Flight Duty Period) terminated at XJ:30 for a 49 minute scheduled block time to get back to ZZZ1. I called Dispatch at XI:45 to notify them that it was not realistic to legally complete this flight segment. I was told that if I took off at XJ:00 that would be legal. I stated that myself and Second in Command were not comfortable with what Dispatch was doing. I was accused of delaying the flight for voicing this concern of legality and that if I didn't take off; myself and fellow crew member would be stranded in ZZZ with no immediate company assistance to get home. I was then told I would be extended without consent and I asked Dispatch to clarify. And was then given the option to extend our Flight Duty Period for up to 2 hours because of Unforeseen Operational Circumstances. Flight XXXZ had no unforecasted weather; no ATC delays; or equipment malfunction but I agreed only to extend because I did not want to get stranded and just wanted to be done and over with the day because of all the previous mechanical discrepancies and delays in the earlier flights that had occurred over the past 9+ hours.
Captain reported that crew duty period was involuntarily extended under false pretenses and crew complied under threat of being left at departure airport with no company assistance to return to home base.