Narrative:

Flight departed 30 min late due to late arrival previous night and a reduced rest. WX and en route information was checked including winds aloft forecast. Destination WX showed scattered to broken clouds with no delays by our ETA. Fuel on board was adequate for the trip from psp to sfo and VFR conditions at sfo. 30 mins after departure at 22000 ft, we noted the winds aloft were much higher than forecast. We descended to 20000 ft. FSS at bfl was called en route to salinas VOR to check WX at san francisco. As with the ground speed of 225 KTS fuel was becoming critical. The briefer informed us that aircraft arriving sfo after 11 O'clock local would be subject to delays. Based on the distance to go and the ground speed the decision was made to divert to stockton to refuel. The flight continued to sfo without incident. The human performance factors are extensive in this incident. Having flown the light transport 4 yrs, complacency set in this day. It had been more than a yr since I had flown from psp to sfo and the strong head winds did not register (mentally) enough to call the fuel truck for additional fuel - even though looking at the WX report and stating to the first officer 'we need more fuel' I never did call the fuel service. There existed additional pressure to depart (from the gate agents) as previously stated we were forced (regulations) to show after sufficient rest. Being distracted by this pressure I forgot (and surprisingly the first officer) to load more fuel. Having flown this route many times previously I had never encountered any problems with fuel, and so departed with what was perceived as sufficient fuel. To conclude, the winds aloft being greater than forecast demanded we divert for fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FAILS TO PLAN PROPERLY HAS LOW FUEL CONDITIONS. DIVERTS TO REFUEL.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED 30 MIN LATE DUE TO LATE ARR PREVIOUS NIGHT AND A REDUCED REST. WX AND ENRTE INFO WAS CHKED INCLUDING WINDS ALOFT FORECAST. DEST WX SHOWED SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS WITH NO DELAYS BY OUR ETA. FUEL ON BOARD WAS ADEQUATE FOR THE TRIP FROM PSP TO SFO AND VFR CONDITIONS AT SFO. 30 MINS AFTER DEP AT 22000 FT, WE NOTED THE WINDS ALOFT WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN FORECAST. WE DSNDED TO 20000 FT. FSS AT BFL WAS CALLED ENRTE TO SALINAS VOR TO CHK WX AT SAN FRANCISCO. AS WITH THE GND SPD OF 225 KTS FUEL WAS BECOMING CRITICAL. THE BRIEFER INFORMED US THAT ACFT ARRIVING SFO AFTER 11 O'CLOCK LCL WOULD BE SUBJECT TO DELAYS. BASED ON THE DISTANCE TO GO AND THE GND SPD THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO STOCKTON TO REFUEL. THE FLT CONTINUED TO SFO WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS ARE EXTENSIVE IN THIS INCIDENT. HAVING FLOWN THE LTT 4 YRS, COMPLACENCY SET IN THIS DAY. IT HAD BEEN MORE THAN A YR SINCE I HAD FLOWN FROM PSP TO SFO AND THE STRONG HEAD WINDS DID NOT REGISTER (MENTALLY) ENOUGH TO CALL THE FUEL TRUCK FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL - EVEN THOUGH LOOKING AT THE WX RPT AND STATING TO THE FO 'WE NEED MORE FUEL' I NEVER DID CALL THE FUEL SVC. THERE EXISTED ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TO DEPART (FROM THE GATE AGENTS) AS PREVIOUSLY STATED WE WERE FORCED (REGS) TO SHOW AFTER SUFFICIENT REST. BEING DISTRACTED BY THIS PRESSURE I FORGOT (AND SURPRISINGLY THE FO) TO LOAD MORE FUEL. HAVING FLOWN THIS RTE MANY TIMES PREVIOUSLY I HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANY PROBLEMS WITH FUEL, AND SO DEPARTED WITH WHAT WAS PERCEIVED AS SUFFICIENT FUEL. TO CONCLUDE, THE WINDS ALOFT BEING GREATER THAN FORECAST DEMANDED WE DIVERT FOR FUEL.

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.