Narrative:

On flight abc from msp to dtw, we were dispatched to detroit with enough fuel to return to minneapolis for an alternate. This put our landing weight right at maximum landing with 56,200 pounds in detroit. Inbound to detroit on the polar arrival, we were first cleared direct to mkg, and shortly after mkg we were cleared direct to polar. This significantly shortened our route and increased our projected landing weight. The heavy fuel load was boarded due to thunderstorms in michigan moving toward detroit. We were expecting delays and rertes to avoid the severe WX. Instead, the WX dissipated and the route shortened. Initially, I attempted to increase the fuel burn by flying with the speed brakes 2/3 to fully extended, flying faster than normal and descending to lower altitudes as soon as possible. When we were cleared direct to polar, I rechked our weight, and the so and I realized and confirmed we were now too heavy for landing. I checked my fom, fuel dumping section, and found that it only covered dumping in association with engine failures. Not much help. Falling back on my training as a navy pilot, I recalled that dumping was safe above 6000 ft AGL. Approaching polar at 12000 ft, nearly double the 6000 ft figure, I asked the so to dump about 1500 pounds of fuel. It went quickly and was performed using the cockpit operating manual. We were soon about 2000 pounds lighter and ok to land. I had chosen not to delay the arrival in favor of a quick dump of a small amount of fuel. That was a quick decision considering a heavy landing would cause considerable maintenance costs and would requires declaring an emergency, which wasn't the case. With little guidance in the fom, I chose to dump fuel. On arrival, I checked the fom for the reporting that would be required. This information is found in the emergency section, and it is here that I found I should have notified ATC. This was not done. I did fill out an air safety report for the company, and I ACARS'd a message to dispatch and talked to the dispatcher on the phone. We discussed the dump and ways to avoid the situation in the future, ie, closer alternates. As captain, it was my responsibility to notify ATC of the dump and I failed to do so, because I was not aware of the requirement. The proper way to reduce weight is to simply fly around until the fuel burns down the weight. This captain will be reviewing his manuals in much greater detail!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 PIC HAS THE SO DUMP 2000 LBS OF FUEL WITHOUT ATC NOTIFICATION SO AS TO PREVENT AN OVERWT LNDG AT DTW, MI.

Narrative: ON FLT ABC FROM MSP TO DTW, WE WERE DISPATCHED TO DETROIT WITH ENOUGH FUEL TO RETURN TO MINNEAPOLIS FOR AN ALTERNATE. THIS PUT OUR LNDG WT RIGHT AT MAX LNDG WITH 56,200 LBS IN DETROIT. INBOUND TO DETROIT ON THE POLAR ARR, WE WERE FIRST CLRED DIRECT TO MKG, AND SHORTLY AFTER MKG WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO POLAR. THIS SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTENED OUR RTE AND INCREASED OUR PROJECTED LNDG WT. THE HVY FUEL LOAD WAS BOARDED DUE TO TSTMS IN MICHIGAN MOVING TOWARD DETROIT. WE WERE EXPECTING DELAYS AND RERTES TO AVOID THE SEVERE WX. INSTEAD, THE WX DISSIPATED AND THE RTE SHORTENED. INITIALLY, I ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THE FUEL BURN BY FLYING WITH THE SPD BRAKES 2/3 TO FULLY EXTENDED, FLYING FASTER THAN NORMAL AND DSNDING TO LOWER ALTS ASAP. WHEN WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO POLAR, I RECHKED OUR WT, AND THE SO AND I REALIZED AND CONFIRMED WE WERE NOW TOO HVY FOR LNDG. I CHKED MY FOM, FUEL DUMPING SECTION, AND FOUND THAT IT ONLY COVERED DUMPING IN ASSOCIATION WITH ENG FAILURES. NOT MUCH HELP. FALLING BACK ON MY TRAINING AS A NAVY PLT, I RECALLED THAT DUMPING WAS SAFE ABOVE 6000 FT AGL. APCHING POLAR AT 12000 FT, NEARLY DOUBLE THE 6000 FT FIGURE, I ASKED THE SO TO DUMP ABOUT 1500 LBS OF FUEL. IT WENT QUICKLY AND WAS PERFORMED USING THE COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL. WE WERE SOON ABOUT 2000 LBS LIGHTER AND OK TO LAND. I HAD CHOSEN NOT TO DELAY THE ARR IN FAVOR OF A QUICK DUMP OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL. THAT WAS A QUICK DECISION CONSIDERING A HVY LNDG WOULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE MAINT COSTS AND WOULD REQUIRES DECLARING AN EMER, WHICH WASN'T THE CASE. WITH LITTLE GUIDANCE IN THE FOM, I CHOSE TO DUMP FUEL. ON ARR, I CHKED THE FOM FOR THE RPTING THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED. THIS INFO IS FOUND IN THE EMER SECTION, AND IT IS HERE THAT I FOUND I SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ATC. THIS WAS NOT DONE. I DID FILL OUT AN AIR SAFETY RPT FOR THE COMPANY, AND I ACARS'D A MESSAGE TO DISPATCH AND TALKED TO THE DISPATCHER ON THE PHONE. WE DISCUSSED THE DUMP AND WAYS TO AVOID THE SIT IN THE FUTURE, IE, CLOSER ALTERNATES. AS CAPT, IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY ATC OF THE DUMP AND I FAILED TO DO SO, BECAUSE I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE REQUIREMENT. THE PROPER WAY TO REDUCE WT IS TO SIMPLY FLY AROUND UNTIL THE FUEL BURNS DOWN THE WT. THIS CAPT WILL BE REVIEWING HIS MANUALS IN MUCH GREATER DETAIL!

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.