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A320 flight crew decided to land overweight when they arrive at their destination even though they had extra fuel for holding and alternate, since the WX was deteriorating and they were given a direct course to final.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 539558 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200203 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ord.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Snow |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| 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 : 200 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 539558 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : anomaly accepted other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
We departed ohare that morning at the beginning of a snow storm. Once we arrived in ixtapa, we all discussed our fuel requirement to get back to chicago. All 3 of us (international relief officer) had been caught out coming back into ohare with snow and we planned to put on as much fuel as we could hold. Also, the alternate was msp which was an hour, and a lot of fuel, away. As we neared chicago, the usual vectoring and speed changes began to occur and we all congratulated ourselves on our decision to put on extra fuel believing we would certainly burn through it and more. To our surprise, approach turned us direct, and before we knew it we had started the approach. The WX was snow and low visibility with the potential to get worse so the captain felt it safer to land a little overweight versus flying around and burning fuel only to get stuck in the air with the WX deteriorating.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLC DECIDED TO LAND OVERWT WHEN THEY ARRIVE AT THEIR DEST EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD EXTRA FUEL FOR HOLDING AND ALTERNATE, SINCE THE WX WAS DETERIORATING AND THEY WERE GIVEN A DIRECT COURSE TO FINAL.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED OHARE THAT MORNING AT THE BEGINNING OF A SNOW STORM. ONCE WE ARRIVED IN IXTAPA, WE ALL DISCUSSED OUR FUEL REQUIREMENT TO GET BACK TO CHICAGO. ALL 3 OF US (IRO) HAD BEEN CAUGHT OUT COMING BACK INTO OHARE WITH SNOW AND WE PLANNED TO PUT ON AS MUCH FUEL AS WE COULD HOLD. ALSO, THE ALTERNATE WAS MSP WHICH WAS AN HR, AND A LOT OF FUEL, AWAY. AS WE NEARED CHICAGO, THE USUAL VECTORING AND SPD CHANGES BEGAN TO OCCUR AND WE ALL CONGRATULATED OURSELVES ON OUR DECISION TO PUT ON EXTRA FUEL BELIEVING WE WOULD CERTAINLY BURN THROUGH IT AND MORE. TO OUR SURPRISE, APCH TURNED US DIRECT, AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT WE HAD STARTED THE APCH. THE WX WAS SNOW AND LOW VISIBILITY WITH THE POTENTIAL TO GET WORSE SO THE CAPT FELT IT SAFER TO LAND A LITTLE OVERWT VERSUS FLYING AROUND AND BURNING FUEL ONLY TO GET STUCK IN THE AIR WITH THE WX DETERIORATING.
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.