Narrative:

At FL370, 27 min east of 50W, flight was en route from fco, carrying military troops home from the persian gulf. At this time via relay through gander radio, we received our rerelease to bdl; at this time the fuel on board was 83000 pounds, the aircraft was widebody transport. The rerelease stated minimum fuel over 50 west was to be 81700 pounds, we advised dispatch of our current fuel and our inability to make 50W with 81700 pounds. Dispatch then reworked the flight plan and rereleased us with a minimum fuel over 50W of 71000 pounds, this was acceptable. During this entire flight we knew that fuel was going to be a serious consideration as to whether we could make jfk non-stop, so burn and weight calculations were ongoing from the time prior to departure from fco, where all this began, by an operations person using the wrong fuel load figures gve us 106000 pounds of fuel too much, thus eliminating snn as a fuel stop as originally planned. The new flight plan released us to bangor, me. As the flight progressed toward bdl, our fuel burn calculations and fuel monitoring continued. As we approached the bdl area we had determined that with the current conditions we would be able to land at jfk with over 14000 pounds of fuel remaining. At this time we called dispatch and asked them if they concurred. After a short time they informed us that they did and rereleased us to jfk. We then had dispatch forward to ATC that we could not afford any delays, regardless of how small, and that we were on 'minimum fuel'. We were assured that the winds would fall off at a lower altitude as we neared the coast. The winds never fell off and stayed at 115 KTS of headwind, this stayed until we descended below 20000', where the wind was still 75 KTS. This severely cut into our fuel. We still calculated landing with 13000 pounds of fuel at fjk. Bos and ny ctrs both worked extremely well with us, allowing us direct rtes and allowed us to stay as high as we wished for as long as we needed. Their help was crucial and very appreciated! The WX at jfk was VFR with low level windshear advisories in effect. Upon landing we had over 12000 pounds of fuel and blocked into the gate with 11000 pounds, the ACARS sent an erroneous 7100 pounds as our block in fuel. Company minimum fuel is 13000 pounds (planned) upon landing. The crew acted in a most professional manner, no chances were taken, we were all in on the decision making process and all had input. The captain was very conservative in all decisions made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LONG OVERWATER FLT IN WDB BECAME MINIMUM FUEL SITUATION. RECLEARED TO JFK WITH NO MARGIN. CENTER AND APCH COOPERATED AND FLT SHORT OF PLANNED LNDG FUEL.

Narrative: AT FL370, 27 MIN E OF 50W, FLT WAS ENRTE FROM FCO, CARRYING MIL TROOPS HOME FROM THE PERSIAN GULF. AT THIS TIME VIA RELAY THROUGH GANDER RADIO, WE RECEIVED OUR RERELEASE TO BDL; AT THIS TIME THE FUEL ON BOARD WAS 83000 LBS, THE ACFT WAS WDB. THE RERELEASE STATED MINIMUM FUEL OVER 50 W WAS TO BE 81700 LBS, WE ADVISED DISPATCH OF OUR CURRENT FUEL AND OUR INABILITY TO MAKE 50W WITH 81700 LBS. DISPATCH THEN REWORKED THE FLT PLAN AND RERELEASED US WITH A MINIMUM FUEL OVER 50W OF 71000 LBS, THIS WAS ACCEPTABLE. DURING THIS ENTIRE FLT WE KNEW THAT FUEL WAS GOING TO BE A SERIOUS CONSIDERATION AS TO WHETHER WE COULD MAKE JFK NON-STOP, SO BURN AND WEIGHT CALCULATIONS WERE ONGOING FROM THE TIME PRIOR TO DEP FROM FCO, WHERE ALL THIS BEGAN, BY AN OPS PERSON USING THE WRONG FUEL LOAD FIGURES GVE US 106000 LBS OF FUEL TOO MUCH, THUS ELIMINATING SNN AS A FUEL STOP AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED. THE NEW FLT PLAN RELEASED US TO BANGOR, ME. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED TOWARD BDL, OUR FUEL BURN CALCULATIONS AND FUEL MONITORING CONTINUED. AS WE APCHED THE BDL AREA WE HAD DETERMINED THAT WITH THE CURRENT CONDITIONS WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LAND AT JFK WITH OVER 14000 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING. AT THIS TIME WE CALLED DISPATCH AND ASKED THEM IF THEY CONCURRED. AFTER A SHORT TIME THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY DID AND RERELEASED US TO JFK. WE THEN HAD DISPATCH FORWARD TO ATC THAT WE COULD NOT AFFORD ANY DELAYS, REGARDLESS OF HOW SMALL, AND THAT WE WERE ON 'MINIMUM FUEL'. WE WERE ASSURED THAT THE WINDS WOULD FALL OFF AT A LOWER ALT AS WE NEARED THE COAST. THE WINDS NEVER FELL OFF AND STAYED AT 115 KTS OF HEADWIND, THIS STAYED UNTIL WE DSNDED BELOW 20000', WHERE THE WIND WAS STILL 75 KTS. THIS SEVERELY CUT INTO OUR FUEL. WE STILL CALCULATED LNDG WITH 13000 LBS OF FUEL AT FJK. BOS AND NY CTRS BOTH WORKED EXTREMELY WELL WITH US, ALLOWING US DIRECT RTES AND ALLOWED US TO STAY AS HIGH AS WE WISHED FOR AS LONG AS WE NEEDED. THEIR HELP WAS CRUCIAL AND VERY APPRECIATED! THE WX AT JFK WAS VFR WITH LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR ADVISORIES IN EFFECT. UPON LNDG WE HAD OVER 12000 LBS OF FUEL AND BLOCKED INTO THE GATE WITH 11000 LBS, THE ACARS SENT AN ERRONEOUS 7100 LBS AS OUR BLOCK IN FUEL. COMPANY MINIMUM FUEL IS 13000 LBS (PLANNED) UPON LNDG. THE CREW ACTED IN A MOST PROFESSIONAL MANNER, NO CHANCES WERE TAKEN, WE WERE ALL IN ON THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND ALL HAD INPUT. THE CAPT WAS VERY CONSERVATIVE IN ALL DECISIONS MADE.

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.