Narrative:

This freighter is a regularly scheduled flight into ord. It usually arrives heavy and requires higher speeds and longer runways. Due to the aircraft status and marginal WX planned arrival fuel was 50000 pounds. This allowed for alternates of mke and cvg. While on the janesville arrival and cleared direct krena approach called and said if we could not land on the short runway (runway 27R) we would have an 'indefinite' delay. We were unable the short and were cleared to teddy (not on our route and 10 NM away) to hold with an efc of 50 mins later. After entering holding, we were vectored out for runway 27L but required to slow so much we had to put down our gear and landing flaps -- well before even getting to downwind. This not only made us much noisier but the fuel burn was very high. We held the assigned speeds and then the absolute minimum speed on final but were still sent around at 250-300 ft for the preceding aircraft still on the runway. Vectors back resulted in a normal landing. The final result was we burned off an additional 24000 pounds of fuel due to the delay, the slow airspds required, and the go around. A divert to our nearest alternate (mkg) or another go around would have resulted in landing with 15000-18000 pounds of fuel -- far too little in a B747. In the future I will simply say 'unable' to any airspeed requirements less than needed for maneuvering (10 degrees) flaps prior to final. I know chicago is a busy airport but we are not reinventing the wheel here. B747 freighters can rarely accept shorter runways or fly slow and they are scheduled in there with regularity. They should expect and plan for their requirements and not require the use of their reserve fuel. This is both a major expense and a reduction in the safety margins required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEEDING A LONG RWY AT ORD DUE TO ACFT PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS CAUSES A DELAY, A GAR AND SLOWER THAN DESIRED SPDS FOR A B747F CREW WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT THE EXTRA FUEL BURN.

Narrative: THIS FREIGHTER IS A REGULARLY SCHEDULED FLT INTO ORD. IT USUALLY ARRIVES HVY AND REQUIRES HIGHER SPDS AND LONGER RWYS. DUE TO THE ACFT STATUS AND MARGINAL WX PLANNED ARR FUEL WAS 50000 LBS. THIS ALLOWED FOR ALTERNATES OF MKE AND CVG. WHILE ON THE JANESVILLE ARR AND CLRED DIRECT KRENA APCH CALLED AND SAID IF WE COULD NOT LAND ON THE SHORT RWY (RWY 27R) WE WOULD HAVE AN 'INDEFINITE' DELAY. WE WERE UNABLE THE SHORT AND WERE CLRED TO TEDDY (NOT ON OUR RTE AND 10 NM AWAY) TO HOLD WITH AN EFC OF 50 MINS LATER. AFTER ENTERING HOLDING, WE WERE VECTORED OUT FOR RWY 27L BUT REQUIRED TO SLOW SO MUCH WE HAD TO PUT DOWN OUR GEAR AND LNDG FLAPS -- WELL BEFORE EVEN GETTING TO DOWNWIND. THIS NOT ONLY MADE US MUCH NOISIER BUT THE FUEL BURN WAS VERY HIGH. WE HELD THE ASSIGNED SPDS AND THEN THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM SPD ON FINAL BUT WERE STILL SENT AROUND AT 250-300 FT FOR THE PRECEDING ACFT STILL ON THE RWY. VECTORS BACK RESULTED IN A NORMAL LNDG. THE FINAL RESULT WAS WE BURNED OFF AN ADDITIONAL 24000 LBS OF FUEL DUE TO THE DELAY, THE SLOW AIRSPDS REQUIRED, AND THE GAR. A DIVERT TO OUR NEAREST ALTERNATE (MKG) OR ANOTHER GAR WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN LNDG WITH 15000-18000 LBS OF FUEL -- FAR TOO LITTLE IN A B747. IN THE FUTURE I WILL SIMPLY SAY 'UNABLE' TO ANY AIRSPD REQUIREMENTS LESS THAN NEEDED FOR MANEUVERING (10 DEGS) FLAPS PRIOR TO FINAL. I KNOW CHICAGO IS A BUSY ARPT BUT WE ARE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL HERE. B747 FREIGHTERS CAN RARELY ACCEPT SHORTER RWYS OR FLY SLOW AND THEY ARE SCHEDULED IN THERE WITH REGULARITY. THEY SHOULD EXPECT AND PLAN FOR THEIR REQUIREMENTS AND NOT REQUIRE THE USE OF THEIR RESERVE FUEL. THIS IS BOTH A MAJOR EXPENSE AND A REDUCTION IN THE SAFETY MARGINS REQUIRED.

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.