An MD11 crew declared an emergency due to low fuel and landed at narita, (rjaa) japan.

Attributes
ACN	531089
Time
Date	200111
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rjaa.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	531089
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel guages other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We departed atl with 275000 pounds of fuel on board. Our target arrival fuel was 29500 pounds. We had a redispatch flight plan. We took off from atl at maximum gross weight. Our 'howgozit' showed that we were burning more fuel than programmed right from the beginning. We had a more adverse wind component than forecast for most of the flight. Approaching anc, we started discussing the situation with flight control. At this point, we had overburned approximately 7000 pounds and the trend was continuing. We discussed landing in anc and refueling, this would have required dumping 65000 pounds to get down to maximum landing weight. Flight control checked with air carrier and was assured that rjcc had MD11 qualified fuelers and mechanics who would be on duty when we were planned to pass by rjcc, if we needed to stop there for fuel. Flight control also checked the forecast winds across russia and told us that they had confidence in them. I decided to continue on. We were flight planned to overfly rjcc approximately 90 mins prior to our arrival in rjaa. Rjaa WX did not require an alternate. We were flight planned over russian airspace. We were unable to get our desired altitude across russia. We were assigned 8600 meters, our optimum altitude was 10600 meters. We were eventually able to climb which improved our target arrival fuel to 21500 pounds. We overflew rjcc and continued to rjaa. The winds over the coast of japan were higher than forecast. When we were turned over to rjaa approach control, we had 19000 pounds on board. Rjaa approach issued us a holding clearance, at which point I declared an emergency due to low fuel. We were then given a clearance direct to rjaa and accomplished an uneventful landing. We landed with 17200 pounds on board. We had a 12300 pound overburn and were 8 mins behind the flight plan. I requested a load audit be done. Aircraft XXX has a long history of fuel overburn, that combined with inaccurate forecast winds and lower than flight planned cruise altitude all led up to the low fuel emergency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 CREW DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO LOW FUEL AND LANDED AT NARITA, (RJAA) JAPAN.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ATL WITH 275000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. OUR TARGET ARR FUEL WAS 29500 LBS. WE HAD A REDISPATCH FLT PLAN. WE TOOK OFF FROM ATL AT MAX GROSS WT. OUR 'HOWGOZIT' SHOWED THAT WE WERE BURNING MORE FUEL THAN PROGRAMMED RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. WE HAD A MORE ADVERSE WIND COMPONENT THAN FORECAST FOR MOST OF THE FLT. APCHING ANC, WE STARTED DISCUSSING THE SIT WITH FLT CTL. AT THIS POINT, WE HAD OVERBURNED APPROX 7000 LBS AND THE TREND WAS CONTINUING. WE DISCUSSED LNDG IN ANC AND REFUELING, THIS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED DUMPING 65000 LBS TO GET DOWN TO MAX LNDG WT. FLT CTL CHKED WITH ACR AND WAS ASSURED THAT RJCC HAD MD11 QUALIFIED FUELERS AND MECHS WHO WOULD BE ON DUTY WHEN WE WERE PLANNED TO PASS BY RJCC, IF WE NEEDED TO STOP THERE FOR FUEL. FLT CTL ALSO CHKED THE FORECAST WINDS ACROSS RUSSIA AND TOLD US THAT THEY HAD CONFIDENCE IN THEM. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON. WE WERE FLT PLANNED TO OVERFLY RJCC APPROX 90 MINS PRIOR TO OUR ARR IN RJAA. RJAA WX DID NOT REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE. WE WERE FLT PLANNED OVER RUSSIAN AIRSPACE. WE WERE UNABLE TO GET OUR DESIRED ALT ACROSS RUSSIA. WE WERE ASSIGNED 8600 METERS, OUR OPTIMUM ALT WAS 10600 METERS. WE WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO CLB WHICH IMPROVED OUR TARGET ARR FUEL TO 21500 LBS. WE OVERFLEW RJCC AND CONTINUED TO RJAA. THE WINDS OVER THE COAST OF JAPAN WERE HIGHER THAN FORECAST. WHEN WE WERE TURNED OVER TO RJAA APCH CTL, WE HAD 19000 LBS ON BOARD. RJAA APCH ISSUED US A HOLDING CLRNC, AT WHICH POINT I DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO LOW FUEL. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A CLRNC DIRECT TO RJAA AND ACCOMPLISHED AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE LANDED WITH 17200 LBS ON BOARD. WE HAD A 12300 LB OVERBURN AND WERE 8 MINS BEHIND THE FLT PLAN. I REQUESTED A LOAD AUDIT BE DONE. ACFT XXX HAS A LONG HISTORY OF FUEL OVERBURN, THAT COMBINED WITH INACCURATE FORECAST WINDS AND LOWER THAN FLT PLANNED CRUISE ALT ALL LED UP TO THE LOW FUEL EMER.

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.