 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An air carrier freighter flight crew in a DC9 had to divert to an alternate airport when they got low on fuel, but due to traffic saturation an approach controller refused to accept more traffic until the flight crew declared an emergency. The reporter criticized the facility.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 390075 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : vcn |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : acy tracon : bwi artcc : pgua |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 30 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | other other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 390075 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
We were a regularly scheduled cargo flight from jfk to phl. When we departed jfk, phl was only accepting CAT 2 arrs. We proceeded since we were CAT 2 qualified. Our clearance was jfk runway 22R, runway heading vectors for dixie intersection V16 cedar lake via two more fixes I don't recall to phl. Prior cedar lake VOR we were given holding instruction to hold at cedar lake since phl was closed due to fog. We entered holding at XA46 EST. At approximately XB35 we were 1000 pounds shy of our alternate/reserve fuel and decided to proceed to our alternate iad. Atlantic city informed us that bwi approach would not accept us due to saturation. Atlantic city began to vector us and handed us off to dover approach. Dover also said baltimore would not take us and continued to vector us in a make shift holding pattern at 6000 ft with no efc time and never telling us what to expect. His radios also seemed to have a problem, making communication difficult. We declared 'abnormal fuel' which didn't help us. Then declared 'emergency fuel' when appropriate which finally got us through baltimore to iad. Lack of coordination between approach controllers at atlantic city, dover, and baltimore (I believe) contributed to this near disaster. We landed with 3000 pounds total fuel, approximately 30 mins for a DC9.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FREIGHTER FLC IN A DC9 HAD TO DIVERT TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT WHEN THEY GOT LOW ON FUEL, BUT DUE TO TFC SATURATION AN APCH CTLR REFUSED TO ACCEPT MORE TFC UNTIL THE FLC DECLARED AN EMER. THE RPTR CRITICIZED THE FACILITY.
Narrative: WE WERE A REGULARLY SCHEDULED CARGO FLT FROM JFK TO PHL. WHEN WE DEPARTED JFK, PHL WAS ONLY ACCEPTING CAT 2 ARRS. WE PROCEEDED SINCE WE WERE CAT 2 QUALIFIED. OUR CLRNC WAS JFK RWY 22R, RWY HEADING VECTORS FOR DIXIE INTXN V16 CEDAR LAKE VIA TWO MORE FIXES I DON'T RECALL TO PHL. PRIOR CEDAR LAKE VOR WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTION TO HOLD AT CEDAR LAKE SINCE PHL WAS CLOSED DUE TO FOG. WE ENTERED HOLDING AT XA46 EST. AT APPROX XB35 WE WERE 1000 LBS SHY OF OUR ALTERNATE/RESERVE FUEL AND DECIDED TO PROCEED TO OUR ALTERNATE IAD. ATLANTIC CITY INFORMED US THAT BWI APCH WOULD NOT ACCEPT US DUE TO SATURATION. ATLANTIC CITY BEGAN TO VECTOR US AND HANDED US OFF TO DOVER APCH. DOVER ALSO SAID BALTIMORE WOULD NOT TAKE US AND CONTINUED TO VECTOR US IN A MAKE SHIFT HOLDING PATTERN AT 6000 FT WITH NO EFC TIME AND NEVER TELLING US WHAT TO EXPECT. HIS RADIOS ALSO SEEMED TO HAVE A PROB, MAKING COM DIFFICULT. WE DECLARED 'ABNORMAL FUEL' WHICH DIDN'T HELP US. THEN DECLARED 'EMER FUEL' WHEN APPROPRIATE WHICH FINALLY GOT US THROUGH BALTIMORE TO IAD. LACK OF COORD BTWN APCH CTLRS AT ATLANTIC CITY, DOVER, AND BALTIMORE (I BELIEVE) CONTRIBUTED TO THIS NEAR DISASTER. WE LANDED WITH 3000 LBS TOTAL FUEL, APPROX 30 MINS FOR A DC9.
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.