Narrative:

Line of severe thunderstorms developed along frontal boundary from pkb, wv, to cbe, md, to just south of mdt, PA. Aircraft operating mdt to pit was released and filed on the following route: mdt-har-V469-J80-ihd 315-nesto-pit. Flight called up on company radio reporting he was 105 mi west of jpu, wv, and concerned with his fuel situation. He advised that center had re-rted him south over ekn, wv, to jpu to ctw, oh, to pit. The route took the flight along the leading edge of the thunderstorm line which was moving ese. The dispatcher filed routings would have taken aircraft behind the line of WX, into smoother air and a much less flying time. Normal flying time via the filed flight plan was 32 mins with a fuel burn of 4500 pounds. The ATC induced re-route added 105 additional mi, burned 220 pounds more in fuel and took 25 mins longer to fly. The dispatcher had to delete the alternate since pit WX did not require one, so the flight could legally proceed under the fuel that was remaining. Once again, the dispatcher/captain joint responsibility is shirked again in favor of ATC generated/desired routings which may help controllers with sector workload, but places safety in serious peril. The captain must call the dispatcher if re-routing was done by ATC to see if they have suitable quantity of fuel to do the re-route and if new route is free of WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ACFT RE-RTED BY ATC CAUSES FLC AND DISPATCHER CONCERN OF SUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH DEST.

Narrative: LINE OF SEVERE TSTMS DEVELOPED ALONG FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM PKB, WV, TO CBE, MD, TO JUST S OF MDT, PA. ACFT OPERATING MDT TO PIT WAS RELEASED AND FILED ON THE FOLLOWING RTE: MDT-HAR-V469-J80-IHD 315-NESTO-PIT. FLT CALLED UP ON COMPANY RADIO RPTING HE WAS 105 MI W OF JPU, WV, AND CONCERNED WITH HIS FUEL SITUATION. HE ADVISED THAT CTR HAD RE-RTED HIM S OVER EKN, WV, TO JPU TO CTW, OH, TO PIT. THE RTE TOOK THE FLT ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE TSTM LINE WHICH WAS MOVING ESE. THE DISPATCHER FILED ROUTINGS WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACFT BEHIND THE LINE OF WX, INTO SMOOTHER AIR AND A MUCH LESS FLYING TIME. NORMAL FLYING TIME VIA THE FILED FLT PLAN WAS 32 MINS WITH A FUEL BURN OF 4500 POUNDS. THE ATC INDUCED RE-RTE ADDED 105 ADDITIONAL MI, BURNED 220 POUNDS MORE IN FUEL AND TOOK 25 MINS LONGER TO FLY. THE DISPATCHER HAD TO DELETE THE ALTERNATE SINCE PIT WX DID NOT REQUIRE ONE, SO THE FLT COULD LEGALLY PROCEED UNDER THE FUEL THAT WAS REMAINING. ONCE AGAIN, THE DISPATCHER/CAPT JOINT RESPONSIBILITY IS SHIRKED AGAIN IN FAVOR OF ATC GENERATED/DESIRED ROUTINGS WHICH MAY HELP CTLRS WITH SECTOR WORKLOAD, BUT PLACES SAFETY IN SERIOUS PERIL. THE CAPT MUST CALL THE DISPATCHER IF RE-ROUTING WAS DONE BY ATC TO SEE IF THEY HAVE SUITABLE QUANTITY OF FUEL TO DO THE RE-RTE AND IF NEW RTE IS FREE OF WX.

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.