Narrative:

Enroute from lga we got a call from dispatch. Dispatch requested the aircraft return to lga due to an aircraft on a mechanical. We asked dispatch if they had worked the fuel numbers and they said no. Already 55 minutes into the flight with 4500 pounds of fuel on board to get to ZZZ VFR. Lga weather: 03012g19kt 3SM RA FEW008 BKN010 OVC014 06/04 with the taf: 03018g28 6SM -rs br OVC015 tempo 3SM RA br. After running the fuel numbers we needed 3800 pounds of fuel. By this time we only had 4300 pounds. That left 500 pounds in marginal WX going to the ny area. We requested an alternate and dispatch said we did not have enough fuel and since we were a diversion we did not need one. This seems more like a reroute and/or a reposition than a diversion if requested by dispatch. I said this is unsafe 2 or 3 times. Dispatch kept pushing for the aircraft to return to lga. The dispatcher said he did not think it was a good idea with such little fuel; but said he was not making the decisions. I requested the chief pilot get involved. The chief pilot got involved and that is when the decision was made to go to ZZZ1 to get fuel. Then because we had enough fuel; we were given an alternate of ZZZ2. The flight ended up returning to ZZZ per dispatch. This was poor judgement in decision-making and a serious disregard for safety from the beginning. We (flight crew and dispatcher) were being pushed into a compromising position and a potential fuel emergency; which is then the PIC's responsibility. Dispatch's only priority was getting the aircraft back to ny. I asked the chief pilot to pull the tapes. Everyone needs to remember a dispatcher and PIC must be in agreement to the safety of the flight.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter had been put into compromising situations by the company previously and did not want it to happen again. He believes that landing at lga or anywhere with 500 pounds of fuel is unsafe. This was a ferry flight under far part 91. The flight landed for fuel and the company then sent them to their original destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ CREW IS INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO LGA BY DISPATCH WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL.

Narrative: ENROUTE FROM LGA WE GOT A CALL FROM DISPATCH. DISPATCH REQUESTED THE ACFT RETURN TO LGA DUE TO AN ACFT ON A MECHANICAL. WE ASKED DISPATCH IF THEY HAD WORKED THE FUEL NUMBERS AND THEY SAID NO. ALREADY 55 MINUTES INTO THE FLT WITH 4500 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD TO GET TO ZZZ VFR. LGA WEATHER: 03012G19KT 3SM RA FEW008 BKN010 OVC014 06/04 WITH THE TAF: 03018G28 6SM -RS BR OVC015 TEMPO 3SM RA BR. AFTER RUNNING THE FUEL NUMBERS WE NEEDED 3800 LBS OF FUEL. BY THIS TIME WE ONLY HAD 4300 LBS. THAT LEFT 500 LBS IN MARGINAL WX GOING TO THE NY AREA. WE REQUESTED AN ALTERNATE AND DISPATCH SAID WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL AND SINCE WE WERE A DIVERSION WE DID NOT NEED ONE. THIS SEEMS MORE LIKE A REROUTE AND/OR A REPOSITION THAN A DIVERSION IF REQUESTED BY DISPATCH. I SAID THIS IS UNSAFE 2 OR 3 TIMES. DISPATCH KEPT PUSHING FOR THE ACFT TO RETURN TO LGA. THE DISPATCHER SAID HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS A GOOD IDEA WITH SUCH LITTLE FUEL; BUT SAID HE WAS NOT MAKING THE DECISIONS. I REQUESTED THE CHIEF PLT GET INVOLVED. THE CHIEF PLT GOT INVOLVED AND THAT IS WHEN THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO TO ZZZ1 TO GET FUEL. THEN BECAUSE WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL; WE WERE GIVEN AN ALTERNATE OF ZZZ2. THE FLT ENDED UP RETURNING TO ZZZ PER DISPATCH. THIS WAS POOR JUDGEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING AND A SERIOUS DISREGARD FOR SAFETY FROM THE BEGINNING. WE (FLT CREW AND DISPATCHER) WERE BEING PUSHED INTO A COMPROMISING POSITION AND A POTENTIAL FUEL EMER; WHICH IS THEN THE PIC'S RESPONSIBILITY. DISPATCH'S ONLY PRIORITY WAS GETTING THE ACFT BACK TO NY. I ASKED THE CHIEF PLT TO PULL THE TAPES. EVERYONE NEEDS TO REMEMBER A DISPATCHER AND PIC MUST BE IN AGREEMENT TO THE SAFETY OF THE FLT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAD BEEN PUT INTO COMPROMISING SITUATIONS BY THE COMPANY PREVIOUSLY AND DID NOT WANT IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. HE BELIEVES THAT LNDG AT LGA OR ANYWHERE WITH 500 LBS OF FUEL IS UNSAFE. THIS WAS A FERRY FLT UNDER FAR PART 91. THE FLT LANDED FOR FUEL AND THE COMPANY THEN SENT THEM TO THEIR ORIGINAL DEST.

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.