Narrative:

This flight was a non revenue part 91 maintenance ferry flight. Reason for maintenance ferry was because the landing gear failed to retract on a prior revenue flight. This flight was dispatched as a landing gear down flight to take place at a cruise altitude of 10000 ft; due to a non icing condition en route landing gear down restr. Our release paperwork showed us departing bdl with 11300 pounds of fuel and an approximate burn of 5600 pounds. The performance calculation was based on 290 KTS en route. After notifying dispatch that maximum speed with gear down was 250 KTS; I was informed that the program wouldn't accept it. With the theory that faster speed typically means a greater burn; I accepted the release and we departed bdl. Shortly after departure; the first officer and I realized that our burn was far greater than our dispatch forecast. After multiple ACARS messages with dispatch we determined that we were being provided with erroneous information from dispatch as well as our onboard multifunction display unit. I decided to trust our fuel flow indicators that showed us burning approximately 6000 pounds/hour. At which time we diverted to elm landing with 3300 pounds and about 45 mins away from our original destination. Cause of these events; I believe are due to faulty dispatch computer programs and to my surprise faulty information provided by our onboard computer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB170 FLT CREW DIVERTS DUE TO EXCESSIVE FUEL BURN.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS A NON REVENUE PART 91 MAINT FERRY FLT. REASON FOR MAINT FERRY WAS BECAUSE THE LNDG GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT ON A PRIOR REVENUE FLT. THIS FLT WAS DISPATCHED AS A LNDG GEAR DOWN FLT TO TAKE PLACE AT A CRUISE ALT OF 10000 FT; DUE TO A NON ICING CONDITION ENRTE LNDG GEAR DOWN RESTR. OUR RELEASE PAPERWORK SHOWED US DEPARTING BDL WITH 11300 LBS OF FUEL AND AN APPROXIMATE BURN OF 5600 LBS. THE PERFORMANCE CALCULATION WAS BASED ON 290 KTS ENRTE. AFTER NOTIFYING DISPATCH THAT MAX SPD WITH GEAR DOWN WAS 250 KTS; I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROGRAM WOULDN'T ACCEPT IT. WITH THE THEORY THAT FASTER SPD TYPICALLY MEANS A GREATER BURN; I ACCEPTED THE RELEASE AND WE DEPARTED BDL. SHORTLY AFTER DEP; THE FO AND I REALIZED THAT OUR BURN WAS FAR GREATER THAN OUR DISPATCH FORECAST. AFTER MULTIPLE ACARS MESSAGES WITH DISPATCH WE DETERMINED THAT WE WERE BEING PROVIDED WITH ERRONEOUS INFO FROM DISPATCH AS WELL AS OUR ONBOARD MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY UNIT. I DECIDED TO TRUST OUR FUEL FLOW INDICATORS THAT SHOWED US BURNING APPROX 6000 LBS/HR. AT WHICH TIME WE DIVERTED TO ELM LNDG WITH 3300 LBS AND ABOUT 45 MINS AWAY FROM OUR ORIGINAL DEST. CAUSE OF THESE EVENTS; I BELIEVE ARE DUE TO FAULTY DISPATCH COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND TO MY SURPRISE FAULTY INFO PROVIDED BY OUR ONBOARD COMPUTER.

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.