<< >> NASA ASRS Report 667704, August 2005

Pilot of B747-400 inbound to vhhh receives clearance to orbit with no efc. Declared min fuel but still lands with little more than one half hour of fuel on board. Feels flight plans fail to take such contingencies into consideration.

Attributes
ACN	667704
Time
Date	200508
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vhhh.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : vhhk.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change descent : holding
Route In Use	arrival star : siera
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 3100
ASRS Report	667704
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Company

Narrative:

Inbound to vhhh near wyn about one hour out of vhhh; ATC gave us orbit left with no time limit. Landing fuel was projected to be 23.0 before orbit. We sent a message to vhhh operations plus told ATC unable to continue orbit due to fuel status. ATC after one orbit allowed us to continue. Now as we entered vhhh airspace we declare min fuel and are given SIERA2D start 25R. We land with 13.9 in vhhh. It is only my second time into vhhh but on both occasions ATC has given us unexpected and indefinite holding. Quite frankly we donT have the fuel for this. Between ATC and not really getting what I would call priority handling by ATC for such a fuel critical international flight; I do not think the flight plans are accurate with burn figures taking these things into account.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF B747-400 INBOUND TO VHHH RECEIVES CLRNC TO ORBIT WITH NO EFC. DECLARED MIN FUEL BUT STILL LANDS WITH LITTLE MORE THAN ONE HALF HOUR OF FUEL ON BOARD. FEELS FLT PLANS FAIL TO TAKE SUCH CONTINGENCIES INTO CONSIDERATION.

Narrative: INBOUND TO VHHH NEAR WYN ABOUT ONE HOUR OUT OF VHHH; ATC GAVE US ORBIT LEFT WITH NO TIME LIMIT. LNDG FUEL WAS PROJECTED TO BE 23.0 BEFORE ORBIT. WE SENT A MESSAGE TO VHHH OPS PLUS TOLD ATC UNABLE TO CONTINUE ORBIT DUE TO FUEL STATUS. ATC AFTER ONE ORBIT ALLOWED US TO CONTINUE. NOW AS WE ENTERED VHHH AIRSPACE WE DECLARE MIN FUEL AND ARE GIVEN SIERA2D START 25R. WE LAND WITH 13.9 IN VHHH. IT IS ONLY MY SECOND TIME INTO VHHH BUT ON BOTH OCCASIONS ATC HAS GIVEN US UNEXPECTED AND INDEFINITE HOLDING. QUITE FRANKLY WE DONT HAVE THE FUEL FOR THIS. BETWEEN ATC AND NOT REALLY GETTING WHAT I WOULD CALL PRIORITY HANDLING BY ATC FOR SUCH A FUEL CRITICAL INTL FLT; I DO NOT THINK THE FLT PLANS ARE ACCURATE WITH BURN FIGURES TAKING THESE THINGS INTO ACCOUNT.

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.