Narrative:

Insufficient fuel. We left ZZZ planning on 6600 pounds arrival fuel; but then ground sent us to departure runway (long taxi) and clearance re-rted us via a southern route that put us directly into 100 KT headwinds. We didn't have enough fuel to situation and talk with dispatch; let alone fly the route; but I called them anyway. They confirmed we didn't have enough fuel to fly that route; so I pulled over and wasted half an hour trying to get the original route. That was just not possible; so I was faced with going back to the gate for gas or planning an en route stop. The part I really hated was where the dispatcher quoted the company's policy of flying into reserve fuel. That's incredibly stupid at a coastal destination; where the coastal fog (marine layer) can pop up just about anytime. Or the setting sun hits the haze so badly you can't see the runway until close-in. (I nearly had to go around 3 weeks ago in exactly that case; and I only had 6000 pounds on board then.) there's nowhere to go if you can't get in and a suitable divert is a 100 miles away. This new minimum fuel loading policy is short-sighted and dangerous. The company has backed the capts into a corner; putting us under pressure to land without enough fuel to cover contingencies. If I hadn't stopped for fuel; I would have landed with maybe 3600 pounds on board. Is that what the company wants? The safety committee? The FAA? What if I'd had trouble getting the gear down? Or the wind shifted just a little bit more and we'd had to fly out over the ocean to land? How much would we have landed with then? Or just a simple go around; how much fuel does that take? Can anybody tell me? And what's the point? How much did my diversion into ZZZ cost last night?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ENRTE TO COASTAL ARPT MAKES FUEL STOP IN ZZZ DUE IN PART TO ACR FUEL POLICY. MODEST DELAYS IN GETTING UNDERWAY AND A RE-RTE WITH POORER WINDS RESULTS IN LESS THAN FAR RESERVE PREDICTED FOR ARR.

Narrative: INSUFFICIENT FUEL. WE LEFT ZZZ PLANNING ON 6600 LBS ARR FUEL; BUT THEN GND SENT US TO DEP RWY (LONG TAXI) AND CLRNC RE-RTED US VIA A SOUTHERN RTE THAT PUT US DIRECTLY INTO 100 KT HEADWINDS. WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO SIT AND TALK WITH DISPATCH; LET ALONE FLY THE RTE; BUT I CALLED THEM ANYWAY. THEY CONFIRMED WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO FLY THAT RTE; SO I PULLED OVER AND WASTED HALF AN HOUR TRYING TO GET THE ORIGINAL RTE. THAT WAS JUST NOT POSSIBLE; SO I WAS FACED WITH GOING BACK TO THE GATE FOR GAS OR PLANNING AN ENRTE STOP. THE PART I REALLY HATED WAS WHERE THE DISPATCHER QUOTED THE COMPANY'S POLICY OF FLYING INTO RESERVE FUEL. THAT'S INCREDIBLY STUPID AT A COASTAL DEST; WHERE THE COASTAL FOG (MARINE LAYER) CAN POP UP JUST ABOUT ANYTIME. OR THE SETTING SUN HITS THE HAZE SO BADLY YOU CAN'T SEE THE RWY UNTIL CLOSE-IN. (I NEARLY HAD TO GO AROUND 3 WEEKS AGO IN EXACTLY THAT CASE; AND I ONLY HAD 6000 LBS ON BOARD THEN.) THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO IF YOU CAN'T GET IN AND A SUITABLE DIVERT IS A 100 MILES AWAY. THIS NEW MINIMUM FUEL LOADING POLICY IS SHORT-SIGHTED AND DANGEROUS. THE COMPANY HAS BACKED THE CAPTS INTO A CORNER; PUTTING US UNDER PRESSURE TO LAND WITHOUT ENOUGH FUEL TO COVER CONTINGENCIES. IF I HADN'T STOPPED FOR FUEL; I WOULD HAVE LANDED WITH MAYBE 3600 LBS ON BOARD. IS THAT WHAT THE COMPANY WANTS? THE SAFETY COMMITTEE? THE FAA? WHAT IF I'D HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE GEAR DOWN? OR THE WIND SHIFTED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE AND WE'D HAD TO FLY OUT OVER THE OCEAN TO LAND? HOW MUCH WOULD WE HAVE LANDED WITH THEN? OR JUST A SIMPLE GO AROUND; HOW MUCH FUEL DOES THAT TAKE? CAN ANYBODY TELL ME? AND WHAT'S THE POINT? HOW MUCH DID MY DIVERSION INTO ZZZ COST LAST NIGHT?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.