A flight crew declares a low fuel emergency and diverts.

Attributes
ACN	610172
Time
Date	200402
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 30000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc tracon : i90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors arrival star : gland three
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	610172
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 164 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	610173
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Flight plan time estimate 2 hours 38 mins. Fuel at departure 19100 pounds. Flew flight plan altitude and mach with no delays at intermediate altitudes. Noticed low fuel during descent (30 mins prior to landing) and calculated approximately arrival fuel at 2000 pounds total (1000 pounds per side), so opted to declare an emergency and landed at crp. Upon arrival flight time was about 3 hours 5 mins and fuel burned was 16100 pounds. Fob at landing was 3000 pounds total. Traffic vectoring into iah due to saturation. The recent emphasis on fuel savings had me thinking outside my usual '6000 pounds per hour' rule of thumb burn rate. At FL370 I thought that maybe the fuel flow was significantly lower than I anticipated and therefore I accepted my dispatch fuel load/flight plan. Reviewing WX, the flight plan would have put us on the ground in iah at 5000 pounds total. This is minimum fuel for any pilot. At 2500 pounds per side even a go around becomes an eye opening event. Any altitude changes en route due to turbulence or traffic saturation/runway closure etc, puts us all at risk. I could use some easy-to-access fuel burn charts (pounds/hour/altitude) in operations/WX rooms to assist my planning. By the way, ATC did a wonderful job the entire way. Supplemental information from acn 610173: ran QRH checklist, consulted operations manual and dispatch. Suspect flight plan error or possible fuel system malfunction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT CREW DECLARES A LOW FUEL EMER AND DIVERTS.

Narrative: FLT PLAN TIME ESTIMATE 2 HRS 38 MINS. FUEL AT DEP 19100 LBS. FLEW FLT PLAN ALT AND MACH WITH NO DELAYS AT INTERMEDIATE ALTS. NOTICED LOW FUEL DURING DSCNT (30 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG) AND CALCULATED APPROX ARR FUEL AT 2000 LBS TOTAL (1000 LBS PER SIDE), SO OPTED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND LANDED AT CRP. UPON ARR FLT TIME WAS ABOUT 3 HRS 5 MINS AND FUEL BURNED WAS 16100 LBS. FOB AT LNDG WAS 3000 LBS TOTAL. TFC VECTORING INTO IAH DUE TO SATURATION. THE RECENT EMPHASIS ON FUEL SAVINGS HAD ME THINKING OUTSIDE MY USUAL '6000 LBS PER HR' RULE OF THUMB BURN RATE. AT FL370 I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THE FUEL FLOW WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN I ANTICIPATED AND THEREFORE I ACCEPTED MY DISPATCH FUEL LOAD/FLT PLAN. REVIEWING WX, THE FLT PLAN WOULD HAVE PUT US ON THE GND IN IAH AT 5000 LBS TOTAL. THIS IS MINIMUM FUEL FOR ANY PLT. AT 2500 LBS PER SIDE EVEN A GAR BECOMES AN EYE OPENING EVENT. ANY ALT CHANGES ENRTE DUE TO TURB OR TFC SATURATION/RWY CLOSURE ETC, PUTS US ALL AT RISK. I COULD USE SOME EASY-TO-ACCESS FUEL BURN CHARTS (LBS/HR/ALT) IN OPS/WX ROOMS TO ASSIST MY PLANNING. BY THE WAY, ATC DID A WONDERFUL JOB THE ENTIRE WAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 610173: RAN QRH CHKLIST, CONSULTED OPS MANUAL AND DISPATCH. SUSPECT FLT PLAN ERROR OR POSSIBLE FUEL SYS MALFUNCTION.

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.