Narrative:

We took off from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 on a repos flight at around XA00. The aircraft had just come out of maintenance. Note: I repositioned it in the night prior from ZZZ2 to ZZZ1 with no problems. A new APU was installed; however; the APU generator did not work. We had to move the aircraft to another location to be refueled (which also required us to have an AC cart to restart the engines). After being refueled we went straight to the runway; and were cleared on to hold for one downfield departure (for only seconds). Note: my company has implemented the policy of refueling with the minimum fuel to be legal through statically analysis from past operations. No more fudge (extra) fuel. At departure we had our minimum fuel required on the release; 4120 pounds (release=4115 minimum fuel; 4265 pounds was planned fuel minus 150 pounds taxi fuel = 4115 pounds. The refueler had actually put on 4300+ pounds of fuel.) after departure; we were kept at 8000 ft for a short while (just enough to notice it). Just prior to leveling at FL270; I notice that our landing fuel on the FMS was indicating less than the reserve fuel on my release. I thought it would return to what it should have been after I set the cruise power and re-enter the fuel left on board. It did not; it was about 200 pounds less than what it should have been (1780-ish; 1995 pounds). I declared minimum fuel immediately; and then called my dispatch. I asked them to run the numbers with my remaining fuel to see if I could make it to ZZZ2 or if I should divert to another airfield. I lost contact with them and was not able to regain communication with them again. At that point; I declared an emergency for fuel. I would be landing with less than 30 mins of fuel remaining on board. After declaring an emergency and being cleared direct to ZZZ2 and a direct approach to runway 1R; we landed with just under the 30 mins fuel on board (1450 pounds). Average burn is around 3000 pounds per hour. I thought about diverting to another airfield and kept that option open; however; the way the situation was unfolding; I felt that going with a known outcome (landing with just under 1500 pounds) was better than trying to divert to some place that may have actually taken longer to set up for than to continue to ZZZ2 under a known situation. My first officer was flying; and he flew our company profiles like we are supposed to. We set up the FMS like we were supposed to. Now we did level off at FL270 instead of FL290; however; we checked the fuel burn difference and it was only 50 pounds difference on the landing fuel. And at our company profile we wouldn't have made it to that altitude before being told to descend to a lower altitude. I thought that to continue to use climb thrust at that point would use up even more fuel. If the difference in fuel at FL290 was greater; I would have asked for higher. We landed without any further problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL600 CAPT RPTS THAT DEPARTING WITH ACR MANDATED FUEL RESULTED IN DECLARING A LOW FUEL EMER AT HIS DEST.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 ON A REPOS FLT AT AROUND XA00. THE ACFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF MAINT. NOTE: I REPOSITIONED IT IN THE NIGHT PRIOR FROM ZZZ2 TO ZZZ1 WITH NO PROBS. A NEW APU WAS INSTALLED; HOWEVER; THE APU GENERATOR DID NOT WORK. WE HAD TO MOVE THE ACFT TO ANOTHER LOCATION TO BE REFUELED (WHICH ALSO REQUIRED US TO HAVE AN AC CART TO RESTART THE ENGS). AFTER BEING REFUELED WE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE RWY; AND WERE CLRED ON TO HOLD FOR ONE DOWNFIELD DEP (FOR ONLY SECONDS). NOTE: MY COMPANY HAS IMPLEMENTED THE POLICY OF REFUELING WITH THE MINIMUM FUEL TO BE LEGAL THROUGH STATICALLY ANALYSIS FROM PAST OPS. NO MORE FUDGE (EXTRA) FUEL. AT DEP WE HAD OUR MINIMUM FUEL REQUIRED ON THE RELEASE; 4120 LBS (RELEASE=4115 MINIMUM FUEL; 4265 LBS WAS PLANNED FUEL MINUS 150 LBS TAXI FUEL = 4115 LBS. THE REFUELER HAD ACTUALLY PUT ON 4300+ LBS OF FUEL.) AFTER DEP; WE WERE KEPT AT 8000 FT FOR A SHORT WHILE (JUST ENOUGH TO NOTICE IT). JUST PRIOR TO LEVELING AT FL270; I NOTICE THAT OUR LNDG FUEL ON THE FMS WAS INDICATING LESS THAN THE RESERVE FUEL ON MY RELEASE. I THOUGHT IT WOULD RETURN TO WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AFTER I SET THE CRUISE PWR AND RE-ENTER THE FUEL LEFT ON BOARD. IT DID NOT; IT WAS ABOUT 200 LBS LESS THAN WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN (1780-ISH; 1995 LBS). I DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL IMMEDIATELY; AND THEN CALLED MY DISPATCH. I ASKED THEM TO RUN THE NUMBERS WITH MY REMAINING FUEL TO SEE IF I COULD MAKE IT TO ZZZ2 OR IF I SHOULD DIVERT TO ANOTHER AIRFIELD. I LOST CONTACT WITH THEM AND WAS NOT ABLE TO REGAIN COM WITH THEM AGAIN. AT THAT POINT; I DECLARED AN EMER FOR FUEL. I WOULD BE LNDG WITH LESS THAN 30 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING ON BOARD. AFTER DECLARING AN EMER AND BEING CLRED DIRECT TO ZZZ2 AND A DIRECT APCH TO RWY 1R; WE LANDED WITH JUST UNDER THE 30 MINS FUEL ON BOARD (1450 LBS). AVERAGE BURN IS AROUND 3000 LBS PER HR. I THOUGHT ABOUT DIVERTING TO ANOTHER AIRFIELD AND KEPT THAT OPTION OPEN; HOWEVER; THE WAY THE SITUATION WAS UNFOLDING; I FELT THAT GOING WITH A KNOWN OUTCOME (LNDG WITH JUST UNDER 1500 LBS) WAS BETTER THAN TRYING TO DIVERT TO SOME PLACE THAT MAY HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN LONGER TO SET UP FOR THAN TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ2 UNDER A KNOWN SITUATION. MY FO WAS FLYING; AND HE FLEW OUR COMPANY PROFILES LIKE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO. WE SET UP THE FMS LIKE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO. NOW WE DID LEVEL OFF AT FL270 INSTEAD OF FL290; HOWEVER; WE CHKED THE FUEL BURN DIFFERENCE AND IT WAS ONLY 50 LBS DIFFERENCE ON THE LNDG FUEL. AND AT OUR COMPANY PROFILE WE WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT TO THAT ALT BEFORE BEING TOLD TO DSND TO A LOWER ALT. I THOUGHT THAT TO CONTINUE TO USE CLB THRUST AT THAT POINT WOULD USE UP EVEN MORE FUEL. IF THE DIFFERENCE IN FUEL AT FL290 WAS GREATER; I WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR HIGHER. WE LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS.

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.