Narrative:

On approach into orf (norfolk, va), we experienced a missed approach due to windshear on the field associated with unforecasted thunderstorm/squall line. While our dispatch release was correct, our company refuses to allow more than 2000 pounds of fuel on board, at arrival, and the unforecasted WX event turned into an emergency situation. Upon the missed approach, we immediately knew our situation would become critical. With the atlantic ocean to our east and thunderstorms to the west, we had nowhere to go except oceana NAS, so we declared an emergency and received clearance to the NAS. On approach to oceana, we lost sight of the runway due to the approaching thunderstorms. We were reassigned a different runway and lost sight of it, too. At this point we experienced windshear, severe turbulence and extreme variances in airspeed, altitude and attitude. We ended up around 6300 ft before fully under control. With our fuel situation diminishing, we were faced with 2 choices. A pwred ditching, or penetrating the line of storms and trying to land at newport news (phf). We turned toward the storms to get a radar picture and decided to penetrate as the storms appeared to be dissipating, some. We entered the storms at 5000 ft, experienced more moderate to severe turbulence and icing. We exited after about 10 mins and landed safely at phf with 900 pounds of fuel. Although we successfully landed without further event, I feel this needs to be documented, as our company continues this policy of minimum fuel on arrival with these long-range flts (ZZZ-orf). Sooner, rather than later, you may see another report of this nature as our dispatch continues the fueling policy and refuses to stay involved with flight tracking to keep us informed of developing WX along our route of flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: a passenger complained to the FAA about the incident. This triggered an FAA investigation. Union safety representatives, company safety representatives, FAA investigators and the air carrier chief pilot interviewed the crew. It was determined the crew acted properly. The FAA questioned the air carrier fuel policy. They also questioned the air carrier policy of flight following, then the captain told the meeting that the dispatcher did not contact the crew. The captain indicated that he has never been contacted by a dispatcher. The reporter notes the FAA has not required the company to revise its fuel policy, or dispatch flight following. The captain stated that the minimum go around fuel for the aircraft is 900 pounds. They landed with 450 pounds of fuel in each tank.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW WAS TRAPPED BY UNFORECAST TSTM WX. THE CREW TRIED TO LAND AT ORF, NTU, AND FINALLY GOT INTO PHF AFTER PENETRATING A TSTM CELL. THEY LANDED WITH MINIMUM GAR FUEL. THE COMPANY PROHIBITS LNDG FUEL IN EXCESS OF 2000 LBS.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO ORF (NORFOLK, VA), WE EXPERIENCED A MISSED APCH DUE TO WINDSHEAR ON THE FIELD ASSOCIATED WITH UNFORECASTED TSTM/SQUALL LINE. WHILE OUR DISPATCH RELEASE WAS CORRECT, OUR COMPANY REFUSES TO ALLOW MORE THAN 2000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD, AT ARR, AND THE UNFORECASTED WX EVENT TURNED INTO AN EMER SIT. UPON THE MISSED APCH, WE IMMEDIATELY KNEW OUR SIT WOULD BECOME CRITICAL. WITH THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO OUR E AND TSTMS TO THE W, WE HAD NOWHERE TO GO EXCEPT OCEANA NAS, SO WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO THE NAS. ON APCH TO OCEANA, WE LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY DUE TO THE APCHING TSTMS. WE WERE REASSIGNED A DIFFERENT RWY AND LOST SIGHT OF IT, TOO. AT THIS POINT WE EXPERIENCED WINDSHEAR, SEVERE TURB AND EXTREME VARIANCES IN AIRSPD, ALT AND ATTITUDE. WE ENDED UP AROUND 6300 FT BEFORE FULLY UNDER CTL. WITH OUR FUEL SIT DIMINISHING, WE WERE FACED WITH 2 CHOICES. A PWRED DITCHING, OR PENETRATING THE LINE OF STORMS AND TRYING TO LAND AT NEWPORT NEWS (PHF). WE TURNED TOWARD THE STORMS TO GET A RADAR PICTURE AND DECIDED TO PENETRATE AS THE STORMS APPEARED TO BE DISSIPATING, SOME. WE ENTERED THE STORMS AT 5000 FT, EXPERIENCED MORE MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB AND ICING. WE EXITED AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS AND LANDED SAFELY AT PHF WITH 900 LBS OF FUEL. ALTHOUGH WE SUCCESSFULLY LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT, I FEEL THIS NEEDS TO BE DOCUMENTED, AS OUR COMPANY CONTINUES THIS POLICY OF MINIMUM FUEL ON ARR WITH THESE LONG-RANGE FLTS (ZZZ-ORF). SOONER, RATHER THAN LATER, YOU MAY SEE ANOTHER RPT OF THIS NATURE AS OUR DISPATCH CONTINUES THE FUELING POLICY AND REFUSES TO STAY INVOLVED WITH FLT TRACKING TO KEEP US INFORMED OF DEVELOPING WX ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A PAX COMPLAINED TO THE FAA ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THIS TRIGGERED AN FAA INVESTIGATION. UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES, COMPANY SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES, FAA INVESTIGATORS AND THE ACR CHIEF PLT INTERVIEWED THE CREW. IT WAS DETERMINED THE CREW ACTED PROPERLY. THE FAA QUESTIONED THE ACR FUEL POLICY. THEY ALSO QUESTIONED THE ACR POLICY OF FLT FOLLOWING, THEN THE CAPT TOLD THE MEETING THAT THE DISPATCHER DID NOT CONTACT THE CREW. THE CAPT INDICATED THAT HE HAS NEVER BEEN CONTACTED BY A DISPATCHER. THE RPTR NOTES THE FAA HAS NOT REQUIRED THE COMPANY TO REVISE ITS FUEL POLICY, OR DISPATCH FLT FOLLOWING. THE CAPT STATED THAT THE MINIMUM GAR FUEL FOR THE ACFT IS 900 LBS. THEY LANDED WITH 450 LBS OF FUEL IN EACH TANK.

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.