Narrative:

Flight departed phx full (150 passenger/crew), airport temperature 97 degrees F for a non-stop flight to phl. Flight plan arrival fuel was 6300 pounds. En route fuel over-burn, WX and traffic deviations coupled with early descent and ATC speed requirement all combined to a projected unacceptable low arrival fuel at phl. Overhead mdt, when the last altitude assignment (15000 ft) was programmed into the FMC, arrival fuel was indicated to be 3900 pounds (which also was our flight plan reserve fuel). I estimated our landing fuel would be 3000 pounds due to metering of traffic, cumulo nimbus clouds in the area and fuel for approach at phl. We requested and received vectors for diversion into mdt, arrived at the gate with 4300 pounds of fuel. Flight was refueled and re-dispatched for phl for an uneventful flight, arriving approximately 1:20 hours late. Decision to divert was a crew decision. This was a classic case of incremental increased demand on our fuel reserve which could not be fully anticipated nor could we anticipate what further demands would be made (runway closure, emergencys, etc). A scheduled fuel stop will be discussed with dispatcher on another similar flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737-400 HAD TO DIVERT LAND FOR FUEL. WX FACTORS HIGH ALT AND HIGH TEMP AT DEP ARPT, CUMULO NIMBUS AND ARRS DELAYS AT DEST.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED PHX FULL (150 PAX/CREW), ARPT TEMP 97 DEGS F FOR A NON-STOP FLT TO PHL. FLT PLAN ARR FUEL WAS 6300 LBS. ENRTE FUEL OVER-BURN, WX AND TFC DEVS COUPLED WITH EARLY DSCNT AND ATC SPD REQUIREMENT ALL COMBINED TO A PROJECTED UNACCEPTABLE LOW ARR FUEL AT PHL. OVERHEAD MDT, WHEN THE LAST ALT ASSIGNMENT (15000 FT) WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMC, ARR FUEL WAS INDICATED TO BE 3900 LBS (WHICH ALSO WAS OUR FLT PLAN RESERVE FUEL). I ESTIMATED OUR LNDG FUEL WOULD BE 3000 LBS DUE TO METERING OF TFC, CUMULO NIMBUS CLOUDS IN THE AREA AND FUEL FOR APCH AT PHL. WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VECTORS FOR DIVERSION INTO MDT, ARRIVED AT THE GATE WITH 4300 LBS OF FUEL. FLT WAS REFUELED AND RE-DISPATCHED FOR PHL FOR AN UNEVENTFUL FLT, ARRIVING APPROX 1:20 HRS LATE. DECISION TO DIVERT WAS A CREW DECISION. THIS WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF INCREMENTAL INCREASED DEMAND ON OUR FUEL RESERVE WHICH COULD NOT BE FULLY ANTICIPATED NOR COULD WE ANTICIPATE WHAT FURTHER DEMANDS WOULD BE MADE (RWY CLOSURE, EMERS, ETC). A SCHEDULED FUEL STOP WILL BE DISCUSSED WITH DISPATCHER ON ANOTHER SIMILAR FLT.

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.