LJ31A lear flight crew is issued a clearance that will cause a low fuel state; flight crew requests ...

Attributes
ACN	690021
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz.artcc
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Learjet 31
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	690021
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	690022
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

ATC wanted to amend our arrival clearance by taking us off the published arrival and sending us down to ZZZ at FL190 then back up to intersection to continue the arrival. I informed center that the new clearance would put us in a low fuel situation and that no further delays could be accepted and that we could not begin our descent at this time but would have to wait until later to descend. Center asked if we were declaring a low fuel emergency. I said that we were not declaring an emergency but we were not going to begin our descent at that time. Center then informed us that they were declaring a low fuel emergency for us and that we could expect a turn toward our destination shortly. When handed off to approach; they thought that we had a low fuel emergency and I informed them that we did not have a low fuel emergency. When handed off to tower; they also thought that we had a low fuel emergency and I informed them that we did not have a low fuel emergency. The refusal of the amended clearance as issued by center resulted in our not having a low fuel emergency. ATC should not amend a clearance at the last min that would add considerable distance and time to a flight plan. This is especially important for turbine aircraft when it is combined with an early descent to a lower than planned altitude because the airspeed of the plane decreases and the fuel flow increases at the lower altitudes; resulting in a much higher rate of fuel consumption for each mi traveled.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ31A LEAR FLT CREW IS ISSUED A CLRNC THAT WILL CAUSE A LOW FUEL STATE; FLT CREW REQUESTS AN ABBREVIATED CLRNC AND ATC DECLARES A LOW FUEL EMER FOR THE CREW.

Narrative: ATC WANTED TO AMEND OUR ARR CLRNC BY TAKING US OFF THE PUBLISHED ARR AND SENDING US DOWN TO ZZZ AT FL190 THEN BACK UP TO INTXN TO CONTINUE THE ARR. I INFORMED CTR THAT THE NEW CLRNC WOULD PUT US IN A LOW FUEL SITUATION AND THAT NO FURTHER DELAYS COULD BE ACCEPTED AND THAT WE COULD NOT BEGIN OUR DSCNT AT THIS TIME BUT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL LATER TO DSND. CTR ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING A LOW FUEL EMER. I SAID THAT WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER BUT WE WERE NOT GOING TO BEGIN OUR DSCNT AT THAT TIME. CTR THEN INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE DECLARING A LOW FUEL EMER FOR US AND THAT WE COULD EXPECT A TURN TOWARD OUR DEST SHORTLY. WHEN HANDED OFF TO APCH; THEY THOUGHT THAT WE HAD A LOW FUEL EMER AND I INFORMED THEM THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A LOW FUEL EMER. WHEN HANDED OFF TO TWR; THEY ALSO THOUGHT THAT WE HAD A LOW FUEL EMER AND I INFORMED THEM THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A LOW FUEL EMER. THE REFUSAL OF THE AMENDED CLRNC AS ISSUED BY CTR RESULTED IN OUR NOT HAVING A LOW FUEL EMER. ATC SHOULD NOT AMEND A CLRNC AT THE LAST MIN THAT WOULD ADD CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE AND TIME TO A FLT PLAN. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR TURBINE ACFT WHEN IT IS COMBINED WITH AN EARLY DSCNT TO A LOWER THAN PLANNED ALT BECAUSE THE AIRSPD OF THE PLANE DECREASES AND THE FUEL FLOW INCREASES AT THE LOWER ALTS; RESULTING IN A MUCH HIGHER RATE OF FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR EACH MI TRAVELED.

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.

LJ31A lear flight crew is issued a clearance that will cause a low fuel state; flight crew requests an abbreviated clearance and ATC declares a low fuel emergency for the crew.