Narrative:

Scheduled departure from msy was XA15Z. After long delay due to ground stop at ord due to thunderstorm, we departed msy at XC07Z. During taxi out, ATC gave us an amended clearance. The original clearance was for a flight of 1 hour 52 mins with 39000 pounds of fuel required. The rerte was direct aex direct dfw direct lbl direct laa direct gld direct obh direct mcw direct grb direct pmm direct ord. ATC assured us that this route was for a 'technicality' and a more direct routing could be attained once airborne. With 150 anxious passenger wanting to get to ord the crew was in a 'go mode' after airborne. The crew began to coordinate for more direct routing direct tul direct mcw as requested and obtained. A flight plan from dispatch was obtained which showed a landing fuel at ord of 8000 pounds. With an intense line of thunderstorms between tul and ord the captain and crew decided that 8000 pounds was not sufficient fuel for the remaining flight. The crew decided to return to msy where customer service was available for the 147 passenger. Lessons learned: 1) fatigue and the 'go mode' led the crew 'down the path' of letting the controller make us think that the rerte was due to ATC flow into ord instead of a WX rerte, as was actually the case. 2) the crew should have contacted dispatch prior to takeoff instead of after takeoff, when the rerte was issued to determine a more appropriate route of flight with our fuel load.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC OF AN LGT DECIDES, AFTER GETTING AIRBORNE, THAT THEIR CURRENT FUEL LOAD IS INSUFFICIENT TO SAFELY FLY TO THEIR DEST AND HAVE ADEQUATE RESERVE FUEL. THEY RETURN TO THEIR DEP ARPT.

Narrative: SCHEDULED DEP FROM MSY WAS XA15Z. AFTER LONG DELAY DUE TO GND STOP AT ORD DUE TO TSTM, WE DEPARTED MSY AT XC07Z. DURING TAXI OUT, ATC GAVE US AN AMENDED CLRNC. THE ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS FOR A FLT OF 1 HR 52 MINS WITH 39000 LBS OF FUEL REQUIRED. THE RERTE WAS DIRECT AEX DIRECT DFW DIRECT LBL DIRECT LAA DIRECT GLD DIRECT OBH DIRECT MCW DIRECT GRB DIRECT PMM DIRECT ORD. ATC ASSURED US THAT THIS RTE WAS FOR A 'TECHNICALITY' AND A MORE DIRECT ROUTING COULD BE ATTAINED ONCE AIRBORNE. WITH 150 ANXIOUS PAX WANTING TO GET TO ORD THE CREW WAS IN A 'GO MODE' AFTER AIRBORNE. THE CREW BEGAN TO COORDINATE FOR MORE DIRECT ROUTING DIRECT TUL DIRECT MCW AS REQUESTED AND OBTAINED. A FLT PLAN FROM DISPATCH WAS OBTAINED WHICH SHOWED A LNDG FUEL AT ORD OF 8000 LBS. WITH AN INTENSE LINE OF TSTMS BTWN TUL AND ORD THE CAPT AND CREW DECIDED THAT 8000 LBS WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE REMAINING FLT. THE CREW DECIDED TO RETURN TO MSY WHERE CUSTOMER SVC WAS AVAILABLE FOR THE 147 PAX. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) FATIGUE AND THE 'GO MODE' LED THE CREW 'DOWN THE PATH' OF LETTING THE CTLR MAKE US THINK THAT THE RERTE WAS DUE TO ATC FLOW INTO ORD INSTEAD OF A WX RERTE, AS WAS ACTUALLY THE CASE. 2) THE CREW SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED DISPATCH PRIOR TO TKOF INSTEAD OF AFTER TKOF, WHEN THE RERTE WAS ISSUED TO DETERMINE A MORE APPROPRIATE RTE OF FLT WITH OUR FUEL LOAD.

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.