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Unanticipated vectoring leads to minimum fuel concerns for air carrier medium large transport flight crew.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 180757 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199106 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ord |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise 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 : 420 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 180757 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Our flight was dispatched from mem to ord, fuel 18, 200 #, which included 2300# contingency fuel. After departure and during our climb, ATC started giving excessive vectors off of our filed route. This was rapidly consuming our 2300# of contingency fuel. I called our dispatcher and placed him in the communications link. The excessive vectoring continued both from ZKC and ZAU. Just prior to our flight being handed off to ZAU, we were issued another vector for spacing to ord. At that time I knew that if I accepted any more delays, diversion to another airport was imminent or I would be landing at ord well into my reserve fuel. I called ZKC and advised them that we were minimum fuel and could not accept anymore delays. The rest of the flight was uneventful. You would think ATC could plan further ahead. What is flow control for? Why wasn't our dispatch notified of delays into ord? The WX was not the problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: UNANTICIPATED VECTORING LEADS TO MINIMUM FUEL CONCERNS FOR ACR MLG FLT CREW.
Narrative: OUR FLT WAS DISPATCHED FROM MEM TO ORD, FUEL 18, 200 #, WHICH INCLUDED 2300# CONTINGENCY FUEL. AFTER DEP AND DURING OUR CLB, ATC STARTED GIVING EXCESSIVE VECTORS OFF OF OUR FILED RTE. THIS WAS RAPIDLY CONSUMING OUR 2300# OF CONTINGENCY FUEL. I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER AND PLACED HIM IN THE COMS LINK. THE EXCESSIVE VECTORING CONTINUED BOTH FROM ZKC AND ZAU. JUST PRIOR TO OUR FLT BEING HANDED OFF TO ZAU, WE WERE ISSUED ANOTHER VECTOR FOR SPACING TO ORD. AT THAT TIME I KNEW THAT IF I ACCEPTED ANY MORE DELAYS, DIVERSION TO ANOTHER ARPT WAS IMMINENT OR I WOULD BE LNDG AT ORD WELL INTO MY RESERVE FUEL. I CALLED ZKC AND ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL AND COULD NOT ACCEPT ANYMORE DELAYS. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. YOU WOULD THINK ATC COULD PLAN FURTHER AHEAD. WHAT IS FLOW CTL FOR? WHY WASN'T OUR DISPATCH NOTIFIED OF DELAYS INTO ORD? THE WX WAS NOT THE PROB.
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.