Narrative:

In-flight from isp to atl. On the ground in isp; I discussed with dispatch if there were any closer airports other than cha; which was the one on the release; to use as an alternate for the paperwork and the storms to give more holding fuel opportunities. Due to the WX; cha was the best option for an alternate. During cruise; we kept in mind that we did not have much fuel to hold with and kept ATC informed of this while listening to other aircraft holding on the arrival in front of us due to major thunderstorms over the atl airport. While discussing fuel burn numbers with dispatch we were told to hold 50 mi north of the joinn intersection and the efc was 1 1/2 hours from then. By our calculations we had about 6 mins worth of holding fuel and I told dispatch that we would have to divert because of the hold instructions. Dispatch then argued that we could hold for a while and see if we got out early and that if we still didn't show enough fuel left we could land at gsp which was right below us. His argument was that there were plenty of airports on the way to atl if we didn't have enough fuel. I informed him that we needed to show enough fuel to get to atl to do an approach and divert to cha; plus have 1900 pounds on board which was going to be 3341 pounds by my calculations. The FMS was showing that we were only going to have 2700 pounds when we got to atl. I informed him that by our calculations we need to divert now and asked if he wanted us to go to gsp or cha and it didn't seem to occur to him why we had to have that much fuel on board; because he kept saying that we could go to atl and if we had to divert to cha and only had 1700 pounds it would be perfectly legal. By this time we had been cleared out of the hold but put on a different route over the erlin arrival and back onto our original route and were way under our minimum fuel to have enough to go to atl and then to cha and still he insisted that his computer said we had enough to attempt it. Then our route was closed down for WX; so I ruled for safety; said we were diverting; and got the numbers for gsp and diverted there. The rest of the flight was a non-event.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW DIVERTS DUE TO FUEL CONCERNS.

Narrative: INFLT FROM ISP TO ATL. ON THE GND IN ISP; I DISCUSSED WITH DISPATCH IF THERE WERE ANY CLOSER ARPTS OTHER THAN CHA; WHICH WAS THE ONE ON THE RELEASE; TO USE AS AN ALTERNATE FOR THE PAPERWORK AND THE STORMS TO GIVE MORE HOLDING FUEL OPPORTUNITIES. DUE TO THE WX; CHA WAS THE BEST OPTION FOR AN ALTERNATE. DURING CRUISE; WE KEPT IN MIND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE MUCH FUEL TO HOLD WITH AND KEPT ATC INFORMED OF THIS WHILE LISTENING TO OTHER ACFT HOLDING ON THE ARR IN FRONT OF US DUE TO MAJOR TSTMS OVER THE ATL ARPT. WHILE DISCUSSING FUEL BURN NUMBERS WITH DISPATCH WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD 50 MI N OF THE JOINN INTXN AND THE EFC WAS 1 1/2 HRS FROM THEN. BY OUR CALCULATIONS WE HAD ABOUT 6 MINS WORTH OF HOLDING FUEL AND I TOLD DISPATCH THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DIVERT BECAUSE OF THE HOLD INSTRUCTIONS. DISPATCH THEN ARGUED THAT WE COULD HOLD FOR A WHILE AND SEE IF WE GOT OUT EARLY AND THAT IF WE STILL DIDN'T SHOW ENOUGH FUEL LEFT WE COULD LAND AT GSP WHICH WAS RIGHT BELOW US. HIS ARGUMENT WAS THAT THERE WERE PLENTY OF ARPTS ON THE WAY TO ATL IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL. I INFORMED HIM THAT WE NEEDED TO SHOW ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO ATL TO DO AN APCH AND DIVERT TO CHA; PLUS HAVE 1900 LBS ON BOARD WHICH WAS GOING TO BE 3341 LBS BY MY CALCULATIONS. THE FMS WAS SHOWING THAT WE WERE ONLY GOING TO HAVE 2700 LBS WHEN WE GOT TO ATL. I INFORMED HIM THAT BY OUR CALCULATIONS WE NEED TO DIVERT NOW AND ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO GO TO GSP OR CHA AND IT DIDN'T SEEM TO OCCUR TO HIM WHY WE HAD TO HAVE THAT MUCH FUEL ON BOARD; BECAUSE HE KEPT SAYING THAT WE COULD GO TO ATL AND IF WE HAD TO DIVERT TO CHA AND ONLY HAD 1700 LBS IT WOULD BE PERFECTLY LEGAL. BY THIS TIME WE HAD BEEN CLRED OUT OF THE HOLD BUT PUT ON A DIFFERENT RTE OVER THE ERLIN ARR AND BACK ONTO OUR ORIGINAL RTE AND WERE WAY UNDER OUR MINIMUM FUEL TO HAVE ENOUGH TO GO TO ATL AND THEN TO CHA AND STILL HE INSISTED THAT HIS COMPUTER SAID WE HAD ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT IT. THEN OUR RTE WAS CLOSED DOWN FOR WX; SO I RULED FOR SAFETY; SAID WE WERE DIVERTING; AND GOT THE NUMBERS FOR GSP AND DIVERTED THERE. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS A NON-EVENT.

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.