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B737-800 diverts to a distant alternate only to discover their fuel situation was critical. Failure to declare an emergency results in less ATC priority than they anticipated.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 697165 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200605 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rsw.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : rsw.tower tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-800 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : rsw.tower |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 697165 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quant guates other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Company Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
We held over dvall intersection for a thunderstorm to clear mia. It never did. We decided to divert to our primary alternate but were told that they were not accepting any more diversions because they had too many aircraft there already. We started flying to our secondary alternate; mco. En route we realized that we would be too low on fuel for a go around if we continued on to mco. We declared low fuel and asked for vectors into rsw with priority handling. At about 10 mi final to runway 24 we were given landing clearance but then the tower cleared 2 other aircraft for departure. We asked them not to do that and told them again that we were low on fuel. An uneventful landing took place and we blocked in with a total of 3000 pounds of fuel. If one of the aircraft had aborted we would have been in an extreme emergency. I don't think the tower realized how critical our fuel was; even though we went out of our way to emphasize the point.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-800 DIVERTS TO A DISTANT ALTERNATE ONLY TO DISCOVER THEIR FUEL SITUATION WAS CRITICAL. FAILURE TO DECLARE AN EMER RESULTS IN LESS ATC PRIORITY THAN THEY ANTICIPATED.
Narrative: WE HELD OVER DVALL INTXN FOR A TSTM TO CLR MIA. IT NEVER DID. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO OUR PRIMARY ALTERNATE BUT WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTING ANY MORE DIVERSIONS BECAUSE THEY HAD TOO MANY ACFT THERE ALREADY. WE STARTED FLYING TO OUR SECONDARY ALTERNATE; MCO. ENRTE WE REALIZED THAT WE WOULD BE TOO LOW ON FUEL FOR A GAR IF WE CONTINUED ON TO MCO. WE DECLARED LOW FUEL AND ASKED FOR VECTORS INTO RSW WITH PRIORITY HANDLING. AT ABOUT 10 MI FINAL TO RWY 24 WE WERE GIVEN LNDG CLRNC BUT THEN THE TWR CLRED 2 OTHER ACFT FOR DEP. WE ASKED THEM NOT TO DO THAT AND TOLD THEM AGAIN THAT WE WERE LOW ON FUEL. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG TOOK PLACE AND WE BLOCKED IN WITH A TOTAL OF 3000 LBS OF FUEL. IF ONE OF THE ACFT HAD ABORTED WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN EXTREME EMER. I DON'T THINK THE TWR REALIZED HOW CRITICAL OUR FUEL WAS; EVEN THOUGH WE WENT OUT OF OUR WAY TO EMPHASIZE THE POINT.
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.