Narrative:

During the preflight all of my planning numbers looked good. My minimum fuel was 5562 pounds and my planned fuel 6400 pounds. Our tanker fuel was 638 pounds. The FMS showed that I would be landing in phl with 2300 pounds. I thought that it was a little tight; but attributed it to trying to save fuel. With the WX being clear and 10; there was no need for me to think about adding fuel. After we took off; I looked at the FMS. It showed that we would be landing with 1100 pounds in phl. I checked the initialization page of the FMS and the climb profile was set to .70 mach. I changed it to .56 mach and had a gain 300 pounds of fuel for landing; bringing my total fuel on board for landing up to 1400 pounds. This still obviously wasn't enough since reserve fuel is 1900 pounds. Once we were through 10000 ft I contacted dispatch. I gave him our location and fuel on board. It took him a few mins to run the numbers. When he came back he said 'I confirm you do not have enough fuel to complete the flight.' I then asked him to run the numbers for a minimum fuel number from the bkw VOR. I told him that I would be level at FL370 by then and that would give us a better look. If we didn't make the minimum fuel numbers over bkw I would call him back and we would look for an alternative. He ran the numbers and came back with a minimum fuel number of 3352 pounds over bkw. We leveled at FL370 several mins before bkw and set the airplane up for long range cruise. We were then given a shortcut. Upon being abeam bkw I noted that my fuel was now at 4080 pounds. That would have been 728 pounds above the minimum given to me by dispatch. I thought we were fine; but should keep the airplane set up for long range cruise; stay as high as possible as long as possible and ask for shortcuts. Eventually; we were cleared direct to gve VOR. Gve is located 142 NM past bkw. We crossed gve with 3450 pounds of fuel. This number was still above the minimum fuel required from gve however the FMS still showed us landing just above reserve fuel. When we touched down we had 2200 pounds of fuel on board. The only reason that we had this amount was because of all of the actions that my first officer and I took to conserve fuel. We flew much more conservatively than the computer planned flight. Had we flown at the planned mach number and not taken shortcuts or stayed as high as we could as long as we could we would not have come close to landing with 1900 pounds of fuel. Furthermore; if we had crossed bkw at the dispatch required minimum of 3352 pounds instead of 4080 pounds that we had on board we would have landed with only about 1470 pounds of fuel on board. I do not know what caused this flight planning problem; but I think that as captain I shouldn't have to spend the whole flight wondering whether or not I am going to have enough fuel to complete the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF EMB JET EMPLOY NUMEROUS FUEL SAVING MEASURES TO AVOID LNDG AT DEST WITH LESS THAN RESERVE FUEL ON BOARD.

Narrative: DURING THE PREFLT ALL OF MY PLANNING NUMBERS LOOKED GOOD. MY MINIMUM FUEL WAS 5562 LBS AND MY PLANNED FUEL 6400 LBS. OUR TANKER FUEL WAS 638 LBS. THE FMS SHOWED THAT I WOULD BE LNDG IN PHL WITH 2300 LBS. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A LITTLE TIGHT; BUT ATTRIBUTED IT TO TRYING TO SAVE FUEL. WITH THE WX BEING CLR AND 10; THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ME TO THINK ABOUT ADDING FUEL. AFTER WE TOOK OFF; I LOOKED AT THE FMS. IT SHOWED THAT WE WOULD BE LNDG WITH 1100 LBS IN PHL. I CHKED THE INITIALIZATION PAGE OF THE FMS AND THE CLB PROFILE WAS SET TO .70 MACH. I CHANGED IT TO .56 MACH AND HAD A GAIN 300 LBS OF FUEL FOR LNDG; BRINGING MY TOTAL FUEL ON BOARD FOR LNDG UP TO 1400 LBS. THIS STILL OBVIOUSLY WASN'T ENOUGH SINCE RESERVE FUEL IS 1900 LBS. ONCE WE WERE THROUGH 10000 FT I CONTACTED DISPATCH. I GAVE HIM OUR LOCATION AND FUEL ON BOARD. IT TOOK HIM A FEW MINS TO RUN THE NUMBERS. WHEN HE CAME BACK HE SAID 'I CONFIRM YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT.' I THEN ASKED HIM TO RUN THE NUMBERS FOR A MINIMUM FUEL NUMBER FROM THE BKW VOR. I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD BE LEVEL AT FL370 BY THEN AND THAT WOULD GIVE US A BETTER LOOK. IF WE DIDN'T MAKE THE MINIMUM FUEL NUMBERS OVER BKW I WOULD CALL HIM BACK AND WE WOULD LOOK FOR AN ALTERNATIVE. HE RAN THE NUMBERS AND CAME BACK WITH A MINIMUM FUEL NUMBER OF 3352 LBS OVER BKW. WE LEVELED AT FL370 SEVERAL MINS BEFORE BKW AND SET THE AIRPLANE UP FOR LONG RANGE CRUISE. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A SHORTCUT. UPON BEING ABEAM BKW I NOTED THAT MY FUEL WAS NOW AT 4080 LBS. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN 728 LBS ABOVE THE MINIMUM GIVEN TO ME BY DISPATCH. I THOUGHT WE WERE FINE; BUT SHOULD KEEP THE AIRPLANE SET UP FOR LONG RANGE CRUISE; STAY AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND ASK FOR SHORTCUTS. EVENTUALLY; WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO GVE VOR. GVE IS LOCATED 142 NM PAST BKW. WE CROSSED GVE WITH 3450 LBS OF FUEL. THIS NUMBER WAS STILL ABOVE THE MINIMUM FUEL REQUIRED FROM GVE HOWEVER THE FMS STILL SHOWED US LNDG JUST ABOVE RESERVE FUEL. WHEN WE TOUCHED DOWN WE HAD 2200 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE ONLY REASON THAT WE HAD THIS AMOUNT WAS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE ACTIONS THAT MY FO AND I TOOK TO CONSERVE FUEL. WE FLEW MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVELY THAN THE COMPUTER PLANNED FLT. HAD WE FLOWN AT THE PLANNED MACH NUMBER AND NOT TAKEN SHORTCUTS OR STAYED AS HIGH AS WE COULD AS LONG AS WE COULD WE WOULD NOT HAVE COME CLOSE TO LNDG WITH 1900 LBS OF FUEL. FURTHERMORE; IF WE HAD CROSSED BKW AT THE DISPATCH REQUIRED MINIMUM OF 3352 LBS INSTEAD OF 4080 LBS THAT WE HAD ON BOARD WE WOULD HAVE LANDED WITH ONLY ABOUT 1470 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS FLT PLANNING PROB; BUT I THINK THAT AS CAPT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SPEND THE WHOLE FLT WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT I AM GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT.

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.