Narrative:

This trip was 12 hours late and we were alerted 30 mins late which caused a rushed departure. En route to anc we were over burning our flight plan by 25%. By the time we had reached latak intersection it was apparent we would not have enough fuel to reach destination and made a precautionary landing at rjcc. We learned that the default settings in the flight planning computer had been changed by a dispatcher resulting a 25% reduction in fuel burn figures. Even though the B747 fuel burn varies greatly with altitude and gross weight we might have caught the errors in the flight plan if we were not so fatigued and rushed. Default settings in the flight planning computers should be restr to management persons.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-200 FLT CREW DIVERTS DUE TO FUEL SHORTAGE.

Narrative: THIS TRIP WAS 12 HRS LATE AND WE WERE ALERTED 30 MINS LATE WHICH CAUSED A RUSHED DEP. ENRTE TO ANC WE WERE OVER BURNING OUR FLT PLAN BY 25%. BY THE TIME WE HAD REACHED LATAK INTXN IT WAS APPARENT WE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH DEST AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT RJCC. WE LEARNED THAT THE DEFAULT SETTINGS IN THE FLT PLANNING COMPUTER HAD BEEN CHANGED BY A DISPATCHER RESULTING A 25% REDUCTION IN FUEL BURN FIGURES. EVEN THOUGH THE B747 FUEL BURN VARIES GREATLY WITH ALT AND GROSS WT WE MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT THE ERRORS IN THE FLT PLAN IF WE WERE NOT SO FATIGUED AND RUSHED. DEFAULT SETTINGS IN THE FLT PLANNING COMPUTERS SHOULD BE RESTR TO MGMNT PERSONS.

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.