Narrative:

I was released from ord to dsm with only the fuel needed en route and the company standard (1275 pounds) for reserve fuel. The flight was filed for an altitude of FL210 and the WX at ord and dsm was VFR. However, there was an area of rain/thunderstorms just west of ord. Once I departed ord I was vectored toward the WX and requested deviations around the storms. Because of the WX, I was held down at 9000 ft for a long time so that the faster jet traffic could climb over the top of me and also get around the WX. After I was handed off to ZAU, I was told that my final altitude would be 14000 ft. I had already begun to become concerned about our fuel situation since we were at 9000 ft for such a long time, but once I was told that we would not be climbing to our filed altitude I began calculating how much remaining fuel it would take to get to dsm. The fuel quantity indicators on my aircraft, an ATR-42, are very inaccurate in-flight. Using my fuel flow and fuel used indicators, I calculated that my fuel remaining would be very close to our reserve fuel upon landing. I contacted dispatch and informed them of my situation and asked them to verify my calculations. As dispatch was doing this, I recalculated our fuel and decided that we would have just enough to get to dsm. I informed dispatch that we were continuing to dsm and I landed without incident. Upon landing in dsm, my fuel quantity indicators showed that I had a little over 1100 pounds of fuel remaining. However, subtracting the fuel used indicators from our departure fuel I had 1276 pounds of fuel -- 1 pound above company reserve fuel! The entire situation was very uncomfortable. Management is putting pressure on our dispatchers to release flts with only the minimum needed fuel in an effort to cut costs and the dispatcher must justify any extra fuel that they believe is required. Additionally, a captain was recently disciplined over a matter where he believed that he needed more fuel. If it had not been for these factors and the fear of making myself a target, I would have demanded more fuel before the flight or, once en route, I would have diverted for fuel. What management doesn't understand is that the cost of carrying an extra 200 pounds of fuel on a flight is minor compared to the cost of just 1 flight diverting for more fuel. Costs shouldn't control airlines -- safety should.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MDT WAS WORRIED THAT HIS FUEL LOAD WOULD BE INSUFFICIENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT AFTER A WX DETOUR AND THE REQUIRED LOW ALT ASSIGNED BY ATC FOR TFC SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS RELEASED FROM ORD TO DSM WITH ONLY THE FUEL NEEDED ENRTE AND THE COMPANY STANDARD (1275 LBS) FOR RESERVE FUEL. THE FLT WAS FILED FOR AN ALT OF FL210 AND THE WX AT ORD AND DSM WAS VFR. HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN AREA OF RAIN/TSTMS JUST W OF ORD. ONCE I DEPARTED ORD I WAS VECTORED TOWARD THE WX AND REQUESTED DEVS AROUND THE STORMS. BECAUSE OF THE WX, I WAS HELD DOWN AT 9000 FT FOR A LONG TIME SO THAT THE FASTER JET TFC COULD CLB OVER THE TOP OF ME AND ALSO GET AROUND THE WX. AFTER I WAS HANDED OFF TO ZAU, I WAS TOLD THAT MY FINAL ALT WOULD BE 14000 FT. I HAD ALREADY BEGUN TO BECOME CONCERNED ABOUT OUR FUEL SIT SINCE WE WERE AT 9000 FT FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, BUT ONCE I WAS TOLD THAT WE WOULD NOT BE CLBING TO OUR FILED ALT I BEGAN CALCULATING HOW MUCH REMAINING FUEL IT WOULD TAKE TO GET TO DSM. THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS ON MY ACFT, AN ATR-42, ARE VERY INACCURATE INFLT. USING MY FUEL FLOW AND FUEL USED INDICATORS, I CALCULATED THAT MY FUEL REMAINING WOULD BE VERY CLOSE TO OUR RESERVE FUEL UPON LNDG. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM OF MY SIT AND ASKED THEM TO VERIFY MY CALCULATIONS. AS DISPATCH WAS DOING THIS, I RECALCULATED OUR FUEL AND DECIDED THAT WE WOULD HAVE JUST ENOUGH TO GET TO DSM. I INFORMED DISPATCH THAT WE WERE CONTINUING TO DSM AND I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON LNDG IN DSM, MY FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS SHOWED THAT I HAD A LITTLE OVER 1100 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING. HOWEVER, SUBTRACTING THE FUEL USED INDICATORS FROM OUR DEP FUEL I HAD 1276 LBS OF FUEL -- 1 LB ABOVE COMPANY RESERVE FUEL! THE ENTIRE SIT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. MGMNT IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON OUR DISPATCHERS TO RELEASE FLTS WITH ONLY THE MINIMUM NEEDED FUEL IN AN EFFORT TO CUT COSTS AND THE DISPATCHER MUST JUSTIFY ANY EXTRA FUEL THAT THEY BELIEVE IS REQUIRED. ADDITIONALLY, A CAPT WAS RECENTLY DISCIPLINED OVER A MATTER WHERE HE BELIEVED THAT HE NEEDED MORE FUEL. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THESE FACTORS AND THE FEAR OF MAKING MYSELF A TARGET, I WOULD HAVE DEMANDED MORE FUEL BEFORE THE FLT OR, ONCE ENRTE, I WOULD HAVE DIVERTED FOR FUEL. WHAT MGMNT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE COST OF CARRYING AN EXTRA 200 LBS OF FUEL ON A FLT IS MINOR COMPARED TO THE COST OF JUST 1 FLT DIVERTING FOR MORE FUEL. COSTS SHOULDN'T CTL AIRLINES -- SAFETY SHOULD.

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.