Pilot of MD11 requested company to use jet A1 during winter months.

Attributes
ACN	428431
Time
Date	199902
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa
State Reference	CA
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	428431
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Jet A1 fuel for north pac. Due to the extremely cold temperatures on the north pacific I would like to have jet A1 fuel during the winter. It's almost impossible to get altitude changes without declaring an emergency. The time to ask for an altitude change would be after the fuel recirculation failed to raise the fuel temperature. Some crews use the wing heat to try and raise the temperature. I'm not sure this works or just raises the temperature at the temperature probe. The answer is to have jet A1.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF MD11 REQUESTED COMPANY TO USE JET A1 DURING WINTER MONTHS.

Narrative: JET A1 FUEL FOR N PAC. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPS ON THE NORTH PACIFIC I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE JET A1 FUEL DURING THE WINTER. IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ALT CHANGES WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER. THE TIME TO ASK FOR AN ALT CHANGE WOULD BE AFTER THE FUEL RECIRCULATION FAILED TO RAISE THE FUEL TEMP. SOME CREWS USE THE WING HEAT TO TRY AND RAISE THE TEMP. I'M NOT SURE THIS WORKS OR JUST RAISES THE TEMP AT THE TEMP PROBE. THE ANSWER IS TO HAVE JET A1.

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.