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Flight crew of a widebody transport cargo flight diverted to land based on insufficient fuel for destination caused by a higher fuel burn due to 90000 pounds more cargo than planned.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 272909 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199406 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ysb |
| State Reference | ON |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : czeg |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10890 flight time type : 995 |
| ASRS Report | 272909 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 275 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 272688 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The aircraft B747 freighter scheduled for a flight from jfk to anc. Aircraft was fueled as per data on the computer flight plan. Takeoff data was computed by the flight crew for the actual takeoff gross weight. Takeoff and climb to cruise altitude was normal. Approximately 1 hour after departure the captain (me) noted we were overburning 4500 pounds per hour. We began to investigate the reason for this. By taking a closer look at the computer flight plan we found that the computer flight plan was based on a cargo weight of 11400 pounds. Actual cargo was 100800 pounds. The reason for the overburning was because we were almost 90000 pounds heavier than what the computer flight plan was based on. I determined that our fuel at landing anc would be 6000 pounds which was unacceptable. After checking the WX at edmonton, alberta, we diverted there for fuel. The rest of the flight to anc was uneventful. Computer generated flight plans are only as good as the data inputted into it. Make your own personal checklist and check, check, and rechk. Insist your crew back you up independently so errors of this sort may not happen again.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A WDB CARGO FLT DIVERTED TO LAND BASED ON INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR DEST CAUSED BY A HIGHER FUEL BURN DUE TO 90000 LBS MORE CARGO THAN PLANNED.
Narrative: THE ACFT B747 FREIGHTER SCHEDULED FOR A FLT FROM JFK TO ANC. ACFT WAS FUELED AS PER DATA ON THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN. TKOF DATA WAS COMPUTED BY THE FLC FOR THE ACTUAL TKOF GROSS WT. TKOF AND CLB TO CRUISE ALT WAS NORMAL. APPROX 1 HR AFTER DEP THE CAPT (ME) NOTED WE WERE OVERBURNING 4500 LBS PER HR. WE BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE THE REASON FOR THIS. BY TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN WE FOUND THAT THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN WAS BASED ON A CARGO WT OF 11400 LBS. ACTUAL CARGO WAS 100800 LBS. THE REASON FOR THE OVERBURNING WAS BECAUSE WE WERE ALMOST 90000 LBS HEAVIER THAN WHAT THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN WAS BASED ON. I DETERMINED THAT OUR FUEL AT LNDG ANC WOULD BE 6000 LBS WHICH WAS UNACCEPTABLE. AFTER CHKING THE WX AT EDMONTON, ALBERTA, WE DIVERTED THERE FOR FUEL. THE REST OF THE FLT TO ANC WAS UNEVENTFUL. COMPUTER GENERATED FLT PLANS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE DATA INPUTTED INTO IT. MAKE YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHKLIST AND CHK, CHK, AND RECHK. INSIST YOUR CREW BACK YOU UP INDEPENDENTLY SO ERRORS OF THIS SORT MAY NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
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.