Narrative:

On a part 121 commuter flight from jfk to roc, the release called for a min fuel of 3334 pounds fuel for an IFR flight, including 500 pounds contingency fuel. One had a taxi delay of 1 plus 25 due to WX. After about 1 hour of this delay, ground control told us to return to clearance delivery for a rerte. The rerouting was an attempt to find a way around the WX northwest of jfk that was causing the departure delay. The original route was kennedy 6 departure gayel, J95 bgm V252 gibbg roc. Distance 295 NM. The new route was: kennedy 6 greki, judds direct cambridge J547 syr direct roc. The new routing is about 100 NM longer. As soon as we received this clearance, tower called and asked if ready for departure. We departed a few mins later with 3030 pounds of fuel. After reaching cambridge for and turning into the headwind, it was obvious we could not maintain adequate IFR reserves all the way to roc, so we diverted to syr for additional fuel. We landed at syr with 1400 pounds. At the time I received the new clearance, I did not take the time to call our dispatch to get a fuel burn calculation. It did not occur to me to do so. But a more careful examination of the new route would have shown it is much further. But in an effort not to miss my departure turn, I made a quick judgement that it couldn't be that much further than the original routing which required 1271 pounds trip fuel. I had 1500 pounds trip fuel remaining. I also planned to use long range cruise power instead of the flight planned highspd cruise. But a combination of vectoring after takeoff and stronger than forecast headwinds made the fuel inadequate. Human factors that contributed to my poor judgement may have been a 'mission' orientation -- get the passenger home with min inconvenience, and a feeling that I could make it work safely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT ACFT DIVERTED FOR FUEL.

Narrative: ON A PART 121 COMMUTER FLT FROM JFK TO ROC, THE RELEASE CALLED FOR A MIN FUEL OF 3334 POUNDS FUEL FOR AN IFR FLT, INCLUDING 500 POUNDS CONTINGENCY FUEL. ONE HAD A TAXI DELAY OF 1 PLUS 25 DUE TO WX. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF THIS DELAY, GND CTL TOLD US TO RETURN TO CLRNC DELIVERY FOR A RERTE. THE REROUTING WAS AN ATTEMPT TO FIND A WAY AROUND THE WX NW OF JFK THAT WAS CAUSING THE DEP DELAY. THE ORIGINAL RTE WAS KENNEDY 6 DEP GAYEL, J95 BGM V252 GIBBG ROC. DISTANCE 295 NM. THE NEW RTE WAS: KENNEDY 6 GREKI, JUDDS DIRECT CAMBRIDGE J547 SYR DIRECT ROC. THE NEW ROUTING IS ABOUT 100 NM LONGER. AS SOON AS WE RECEIVED THIS CLRNC, TWR CALLED AND ASKED IF READY FOR DEP. WE DEPARTED A FEW MINS LATER WITH 3030 POUNDS OF FUEL. AFTER REACHING CAMBRIDGE FOR AND TURNING INTO THE HEADWIND, IT WAS OBVIOUS WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ADEQUATE IFR RESERVES ALL THE WAY TO ROC, SO WE DIVERTED TO SYR FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL. WE LANDED AT SYR WITH 1400 POUNDS. AT THE TIME I RECEIVED THE NEW CLRNC, I DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO CALL OUR DISPATCH TO GET A FUEL BURN CALCULATION. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME TO DO SO. BUT A MORE CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE NEW RTE WOULD HAVE SHOWN IT IS MUCH FURTHER. BUT IN AN EFFORT NOT TO MISS MY DEP TURN, I MADE A QUICK JUDGEMENT THAT IT COULDN'T BE THAT MUCH FURTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL ROUTING WHICH REQUIRED 1271 POUNDS TRIP FUEL. I HAD 1500 POUNDS TRIP FUEL REMAINING. I ALSO PLANNED TO USE LONG RANGE CRUISE PWR INSTEAD OF THE FLT PLANNED HIGHSPD CRUISE. BUT A COMBINATION OF VECTORING AFTER TKOF AND STRONGER THAN FORECAST HEADWINDS MADE THE FUEL INADEQUATE. HUMAN FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MY POOR JUDGEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN A 'MISSION' ORIENTATION -- GET THE PAX HOME WITH MIN INCONVENIENCE, AND A FEELING THAT I COULD MAKE IT WORK SAFELY.

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.