[ThomK]

My All-time Worst Flight
DC to Rio de Janeiro via Charlotte on US Airways Flight 800 - Departing May 14 and again on May 15, 2010

When we arrived in Charlotte, the board announced that the Rio flight departure would be delayed one hour due to weather on the previous leg. After we boarded, we sat there for another hour while they *changed a lightbulb* in the cockpit. After about two hours in the air, we were finishing dinner when the captain announced that their navigation system was broken and they would have to return to Charlotte for repairs or for a new plane. So, we headed back north. After another hour or so, the captain said that they had fixed the navigation system, and that we were turning back south again. Unfortunately, the excess flying meant that they would not have enough fuel to reach Rio, so we were going to stop in San Juan to re-fuel. Se we head south again. After another hour or so, the captain wakes us all up to announce that some genius had suddenly figured out that the crew would be flying too long without rest. The flight was now "illegal" according to FAA regulations. I guess that this genius had been asleep for the last five hours. Otherwise it would not have taken him (has to be a "him") all this time to figure out the problem. So, the genius says that the only option is to return to Charlotte and try to rustle up a new crew. Why they could not fly a crew to us when we were almost to Puerto Rico was never explained. So, we head north again for about two hours to return to Charlotte. We arrived back at Charlotte at about 5:30 AM - over six hours after we originally left. We sat in the gate area for another 5 hours while they tried to assemble a crew. After we took off again, we learned that they had come within a few minutes of canceling the flight entirely due to difficulties completing the crew. We finally arrived in Rio over twelve hours after our scheduled arrival time, and with an additional six hours of air time under our belts. US Airways did not even have the decency to credit us with the actual miles flown.

[The_Judge]

The crew was lying to you. Once the flight as blocked out (released the brakes) they are able to complete the flight. An unscheduled stop at a mid-point for fuel may have been an issue and if there is someone who knows for sure, maybe they could chime in.

I have been fighting the clock for crew legalities many times and have in the past, literally, closed the door of the plane with 1 minute to spare before they went illegal.

[jimworcs]

They can complete the flight, if the Captain feels it is safe to do so once they are airbourne. However, once the plane landed in San Juan, it would not have been legal to continue the journey to Rio. Sounds to me like the Captain got onto crewing, who advised a return to Charlotte because it was a whole lot easier to assemble a crew in Charlotte, their main hub, than try to get a crew out to San Juan and get the existing crew back.

[pilot2fly]

It all really depends on the amount of duty time the captain had before the flight. If his SCHEDULED duty time exceeded FAA minimums, the flight was illegal. But if the actual duty time went over his legal scheduled duty time, it should not have been an issue. It's all about what is printed on the paper, not what is actually flown. You could spend many more hours flying each day than the scheduled time and its legal.

[cortney]

pilot2fly is right. also, if they would have flown a crew to SJU, then that crew would have had to have rest as well before they could fly. you cant just fly a crew somewhere and then they have to work right away...it doesn't work that way.

[The_Judge]

Absolutely it works that way and have seen it work that way. Not safe, imo, but who am I?

Working in HNL, we needed a crew member for a NRT trip. One was dead-heading in from the west coast. On arrival, he went directly to his new departure gate, boarded his already boarded full of passengers airplane, went through his checklist with his co-pilot and was on his way for his 8 hour flight.

It happens.

[cortney]

I have never seen it. my company wont do that to us..(thank god). but i guess some companies will

[The_Judge]

I guess that is a backhanded rip at NWA but I couldn't care less. I haven't worked for them for over 2 years and hated them when I did.