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Fuel remaining becomes critical due to amended clearance altitude change and radar vectoring. Cpr PIC declares a minimum fuel state for priority handling.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 245427 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199307 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : teb |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 45000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Medium Transport |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 11400 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 245427 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Cpr jet en route from nice, france to teterboro airport, nj. Fuel on board was fuel to destination (teb) plus fuel to alternate (ewr) plus reserve (45 mins). Before descent, crew asked ZBW if there would be any delays on descent into teb and asked to remain at altitude to conserve fuel. ZBW said 'no delays, will keep you at altitude but expect FL240 around albany.' this would be no problem and we would not get into required reserves. Approximately 200 NM from destination, ZBW now wants us to start our descent, so we start a slow descent (still no problem). Next controller wants us down to FL190 and were still 160 NM from teb (this now is a problem because it will cut into our required reserves). We ask to stay higher, but they say 'no' and now turn us to the wnw for descent. This creates even more delay and more use of required reserves. We then tell ZBW we are minimum fuel required and are immediately told 'stop descent at FL260' and turned towards destination. Then normal descent levels were given into teb. No emergency or low fuel was declared or needed. We landed at teb with approximately 1 hour fuel remaining. To prevent this problem, we could always carry more fuel than is required but that is not always feasible. ZBW and ZNY have flow procedures that give preferential treatment to aircraft using the major airports but not the smaller airports. All traffic should be given the same treatment. Procedures are fine but when traffic permits, and apparently it did this day, the aircraft should be given the route or altitude they request.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FUEL REMAINING BECOMES CRITICAL DUE TO AMENDED CLRNC ALT CHANGE AND RADAR VECTORING. CPR PIC DECLARES A MINIMUM FUEL STATE FOR PRIORITY HANDLING.
Narrative: CPR JET ENRTE FROM NICE, FRANCE TO TETERBORO ARPT, NJ. FUEL ON BOARD WAS FUEL TO DEST (TEB) PLUS FUEL TO ALTERNATE (EWR) PLUS RESERVE (45 MINS). BEFORE DSCNT, CREW ASKED ZBW IF THERE WOULD BE ANY DELAYS ON DSCNT INTO TEB AND ASKED TO REMAIN AT ALT TO CONSERVE FUEL. ZBW SAID 'NO DELAYS, WILL KEEP YOU AT ALT BUT EXPECT FL240 AROUND ALBANY.' THIS WOULD BE NO PROB AND WE WOULD NOT GET INTO REQUIRED RESERVES. APPROX 200 NM FROM DEST, ZBW NOW WANTS US TO START OUR DSCNT, SO WE START A SLOW DSCNT (STILL NO PROB). NEXT CTLR WANTS US DOWN TO FL190 AND WERE STILL 160 NM FROM TEB (THIS NOW IS A PROB BECAUSE IT WILL CUT INTO OUR REQUIRED RESERVES). WE ASK TO STAY HIGHER, BUT THEY SAY 'NO' AND NOW TURN US TO THE WNW FOR DSCNT. THIS CREATES EVEN MORE DELAY AND MORE USE OF REQUIRED RESERVES. WE THEN TELL ZBW WE ARE MINIMUM FUEL REQUIRED AND ARE IMMEDIATELY TOLD 'STOP DSCNT AT FL260' AND TURNED TOWARDS DEST. THEN NORMAL DSCNT LEVELS WERE GIVEN INTO TEB. NO EMER OR LOW FUEL WAS DECLARED OR NEEDED. WE LANDED AT TEB WITH APPROX 1 HR FUEL REMAINING. TO PREVENT THIS PROB, WE COULD ALWAYS CARRY MORE FUEL THAN IS REQUIRED BUT THAT IS NOT ALWAYS FEASIBLE. ZBW AND ZNY HAVE FLOW PROCS THAT GIVE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT TO ACFT USING THE MAJOR ARPTS BUT NOT THE SMALLER ARPTS. ALL TFC SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME TREATMENT. PROCS ARE FINE BUT WHEN TFC PERMITS, AND APPARENTLY IT DID THIS DAY, THE ACFT SHOULD BE GIVEN THE RTE OR ALT THEY REQUEST.
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.