Narrative:

Flight between msy-ord. En route, we discovered that the amended clearance we received would not give us sufficient fuel to ord, as had been previously thought. Over tul with 24000 pounds of fuel, approximately 1 hour 40 mins into the flight, the captain made the decision to return to msy. Supplemental information from acn 369029: before reaching aex I requested and received direct tul direct mcw. Both amended clrncs were sent to dispatch. The response for the first amended clearance was, you can not fly this route with the boarded fuel. For the second amended clearance I received a flight plan over ACARS indicating landing with 9000 pounds fuel ord. South of tul, I began requesting en route WX into from both ATC and dispatch. ATC indicated lines of thunderstorms north of my route, 1 controller saying I would have to go nearly to canada to get around. Dispatch was not very forthcoming with information. I attempted to speak with dispatch by voice with difficulty. I did determine from ACARS that both oma dnd dsm were still clear. I became uncomfortable with the lack of WX information. I had no desire to land with minimum fuel. Over tul we had approximately 25000 pounds fuel. I know the route just flown, msy-tul, was clear, so was msy. Prior to departure I called dispatch twice getting WX information. The first discussion indicated severe WX with a line from cid to ord. The second discussion indicated improvement. Both the first officer and so had less than 6 months with the company. The amended clearance was a gross change from the original clearance. I believe I could have done a more complete en route WX brief. I did cover the ord area and determined that both oma and dsm were clear. I also believe I spent too much time dealing with passenger service considerations. Station personnel wanted to get food for the passenger. The boarded meals were on board too long and no longer edible. The flight attendants wanted to remove all the passenger so they could have a 15 min rest. They did not want the passenger to eat the delivered food on the plane. In hindsight, I might have spent more time seeking en route WX between tul and oma/dsm and used these stations as an en route fuel stop. Was this a legal or illegal departure? The company fom indicates that the point of dispatch is when the thrust levers are moved forward for takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 ACFT FUEL PLANNING INADEQUATE FOR ENRTE WX DEVS AND FLC HAD TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT FOR FUEL.

Narrative: FLT BTWN MSY-ORD. ENRTE, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE AMENDED CLRNC WE RECEIVED WOULD NOT GIVE US SUFFICIENT FUEL TO ORD, AS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. OVER TUL WITH 24000 LBS OF FUEL, APPROX 1 HR 40 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO MSY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 369029: BEFORE REACHING AEX I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED DIRECT TUL DIRECT MCW. BOTH AMENDED CLRNCS WERE SENT TO DISPATCH. THE RESPONSE FOR THE FIRST AMENDED CLRNC WAS, YOU CAN NOT FLY THIS RTE WITH THE BOARDED FUEL. FOR THE SECOND AMENDED CLRNC I RECEIVED A FLT PLAN OVER ACARS INDICATING LNDG WITH 9000 LBS FUEL ORD. S OF TUL, I BEGAN REQUESTING ENRTE WX INTO FROM BOTH ATC AND DISPATCH. ATC INDICATED LINES OF TSTMS N OF MY RTE, 1 CTLR SAYING I WOULD HAVE TO GO NEARLY TO CANADA TO GET AROUND. DISPATCH WAS NOT VERY FORTHCOMING WITH INFO. I ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH DISPATCH BY VOICE WITH DIFFICULTY. I DID DETERMINE FROM ACARS THAT BOTH OMA DND DSM WERE STILL CLR. I BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE LACK OF WX INFO. I HAD NO DESIRE TO LAND WITH MINIMUM FUEL. OVER TUL WE HAD APPROX 25000 LBS FUEL. I KNOW THE RTE JUST FLOWN, MSY-TUL, WAS CLR, SO WAS MSY. PRIOR TO DEP I CALLED DISPATCH TWICE GETTING WX INFO. THE FIRST DISCUSSION INDICATED SEVERE WX WITH A LINE FROM CID TO ORD. THE SECOND DISCUSSION INDICATED IMPROVEMENT. BOTH THE FO AND SO HAD LESS THAN 6 MONTHS WITH THE COMPANY. THE AMENDED CLRNC WAS A GROSS CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL CLRNC. I BELIEVE I COULD HAVE DONE A MORE COMPLETE ENRTE WX BRIEF. I DID COVER THE ORD AREA AND DETERMINED THAT BOTH OMA AND DSM WERE CLR. I ALSO BELIEVE I SPENT TOO MUCH TIME DEALING WITH PAX SVC CONSIDERATIONS. STATION PERSONNEL WANTED TO GET FOOD FOR THE PAX. THE BOARDED MEALS WERE ON BOARD TOO LONG AND NO LONGER EDIBLE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WANTED TO REMOVE ALL THE PAX SO THEY COULD HAVE A 15 MIN REST. THEY DID NOT WANT THE PAX TO EAT THE DELIVERED FOOD ON THE PLANE. IN HINDSIGHT, I MIGHT HAVE SPENT MORE TIME SEEKING ENRTE WX BTWN TUL AND OMA/DSM AND USED THESE STATIONS AS AN ENRTE FUEL STOP. WAS THIS A LEGAL OR ILLEGAL DEP? THE COMPANY FOM INDICATES THAT THE POINT OF DISPATCH IS WHEN THE THRUST LEVERS ARE MOVED FORWARD FOR TKOF.

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.