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Air carrier widebody transport had to go around with less than minimum fuel because preceeding aircraft did not clear the runway expeditiously. The reporters had a departure delay at ord and an arrival delay at phl.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 147757 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199006 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : phl |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : phl tower : phl tower : rno |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing : go around |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 2200 |
| ASRS Report | 147757 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
A combination of small occurrences caused trip to be approximately 4400 pounds fuel lower than flight plan on approach to phl (fob on final 13500 pounds). A short delay on ground at ord (33 min on ground), a fair amount of vectoring at slow speeds (180 KTS) at low altitudes (11000' and 6000'), approaching phl on arrival. We showed 13500 pounds fuel on approach to runway 27R phl. Planned fuel was 17400. A heavy transport landed ahead of us and appeared slow in vacating runway. Controller asked to expedite off runway. Heavy transport appeared to be moving off and we were cleared to land. Heavy transport stopped moving with tail still on runway. We were about 100-200' when told by controller to go around fly runway heading and climb to 2000'. We told controller we were low on fuel and wanted minimum vectoring and delay for 2ND approach. We were given 180 degrees and 3000' altitude, then 220 degree heading. We reminded phl of low fuel. We were given 90 degree heading. Next we were given 60 degree heading and told we were #3 for approach. We had runway 27R in sight and asked where #2 aircraft we were following was so we could spot it. Relay was we wouldn't be able to see that aircraft as it was on approach to runway 35. We had about 12000 pounds fuel indicating at this time. We told controller we didn't want to venture too far east on this 60 degree heading (going the wrong direction at 3000' 180 KTS at 12000 pound fuel was not comfortable). We advised we would like to go directly to the airport for landing. Controller asked if we wanted to declare an emergency. I replied, yes we were declaring an emergency and wanted to proceed inbound. We were so cleared. We landed on runway 27R at phl with 11500-11800 indicating fuel on board. I elected to declare an emergency in order to avoid an emergency. Captain takes full responsibility. I considered adding more fuel while preparing flight plan at chicago and elected not to 6000 pounds hold going into a major airport even with good WX may be economical most of the time but is not adequate insurance for widebody transport aircraft. Declaring an emergency may be regarded as premature by some but I felt it was a proper tool to use to avoid anymore deterioration of the flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR WDB HAD TO GO AROUND WITH LESS THAN MINIMUM FUEL BECAUSE PRECEEDING ACFT DID NOT CLEAR THE RWY EXPEDITIOUSLY. THE REPORTERS HAD A DEP DELAY AT ORD AND AN ARR DELAY AT PHL.
Narrative: A COMBINATION OF SMALL OCCURRENCES CAUSED TRIP TO BE APPROX 4400 LBS FUEL LOWER THAN FLT PLAN ON APCH TO PHL (FOB ON FINAL 13500 LBS). A SHORT DELAY ON GND AT ORD (33 MIN ON GND), A FAIR AMOUNT OF VECTORING AT SLOW SPDS (180 KTS) AT LOW ALTS (11000' AND 6000'), APCHING PHL ON ARR. WE SHOWED 13500 LBS FUEL ON APCH TO RWY 27R PHL. PLANNED FUEL WAS 17400. A HVT LANDED AHEAD OF US AND APPEARED SLOW IN VACATING RWY. CTLR ASKED TO EXPEDITE OFF RWY. HVT APPEARED TO BE MOVING OFF AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. HVT STOPPED MOVING WITH TAIL STILL ON RWY. WE WERE ABOUT 100-200' WHEN TOLD BY CTLR TO GO AROUND FLY RWY HDG AND CLB TO 2000'. WE TOLD CTLR WE WERE LOW ON FUEL AND WANTED MINIMUM VECTORING AND DELAY FOR 2ND APCH. WE WERE GIVEN 180 DEGS AND 3000' ALT, THEN 220 DEG HDG. WE REMINDED PHL OF LOW FUEL. WE WERE GIVEN 90 DEG HDG. NEXT WE WERE GIVEN 60 DEG HDG AND TOLD WE WERE #3 FOR APCH. WE HAD RWY 27R IN SIGHT AND ASKED WHERE #2 ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING WAS SO WE COULD SPOT IT. RELAY WAS WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE THAT ACFT AS IT WAS ON APCH TO RWY 35. WE HAD ABOUT 12000 LBS FUEL INDICATING AT THIS TIME. WE TOLD CTLR WE DIDN'T WANT TO VENTURE TOO FAR E ON THIS 60 DEG HDG (GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION AT 3000' 180 KTS AT 12000 LB FUEL WAS NOT COMFORTABLE). WE ADVISED WE WOULD LIKE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG. CTLR ASKED IF WE WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I REPLIED, YES WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER AND WANTED TO PROCEED INBND. WE WERE SO CLRED. WE LANDED ON RWY 27R AT PHL WITH 11500-11800 INDICATING FUEL ON BOARD. I ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER IN ORDER TO AVOID AN EMER. CAPT TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY. I CONSIDERED ADDING MORE FUEL WHILE PREPARING FLT PLAN AT CHICAGO AND ELECTED NOT TO 6000 LBS HOLD GOING INTO A MAJOR ARPT EVEN WITH GOOD WX MAY BE ECONOMICAL MOST OF THE TIME BUT IS NOT ADEQUATE INSURANCE FOR WDB ACFT. DECLARING AN EMER MAY BE REGARDED AS PREMATURE BY SOME BUT I FELT IT WAS A PROPER TOOL TO USE TO AVOID ANYMORE DETERIORATION OF THE FLT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.