Dispatched with the landing gear extended for maintenance reasons; B737-300 declared fuel emergency ...

Attributes
ACN	749589
Time
Date	200708
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	arrival star : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 252 flight time type : 2190
ASRS Report	749589
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel qty gauges other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We had an unscheduled plane change in order to fly another aircraft to ZZZ after that aircraft had the landing gear actuator replaced. The flight was to be flown 'landing gear down' in accordance with MEL. Flight planning was coordinated with dispatch in regards to fuel requirements for the non-normal profile and potential ATC conflicts in the flight plan's area. Climb out to cruise flight was expeditious. En route flight plan monitoring confirmed an on profile fuel burn at check points. Due to the mismatch in aircraft performance inbound to ZZZ; center assigned the XXX arrival vice the XXX2 arrival. A request to remain at cruise altitude for as long as possible was denied due to conflicting traffic which increased fuel burn significantly above the planned fuel burn. Center then assigned an altitude restr of ten miles west of intersection at 10000 ft. The added restrictive profile resulted in a situation that would not allow sufficient fuel upon landing; so emergency fuel was declared. The flight proceeded to land uneventfully in ZZZ with 4200 pounds of fuel. Prior coordination with dispatch and review of the fuel requirements and profile were thorough. Even though 3800 pounds of cargo had been removed in order to meet climb limits; I believe a greater fuel margin would have been in order. The great unknown is how a non-standard profile aircraft will integrate with other traffic in congested airspace. A better course of action would have been to plan for the worst case scenario and adjust zero fuel weight accordingly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHED WITH THE LNDG GEAR EXTENDED FOR MAINT REASONS; B737-300 DECLARED FUEL EMER WHEN DELAYS DUE TO THE RESTR PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY OF THEIR ACFT RESULT IN FUEL BURN IN EXCESS OF THAT PLANNED.

Narrative: WE HAD AN UNSCHEDULED PLANE CHANGE IN ORDER TO FLY ANOTHER ACFT TO ZZZ AFTER THAT ACFT HAD THE LNDG GEAR ACTUATOR REPLACED. THE FLT WAS TO BE FLOWN 'LNDG GEAR DOWN' IN ACCORDANCE WITH MEL. FLT PLANNING WAS COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH IN REGARDS TO FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NON-NORMAL PROFILE AND POTENTIAL ATC CONFLICTS IN THE FLT PLAN'S AREA. CLIMB OUT TO CRUISE FLT WAS EXPEDITIOUS. ENRTE FLT PLAN MONITORING CONFIRMED AN ON PROFILE FUEL BURN AT CHK POINTS. DUE TO THE MISMATCH IN ACFT PERFORMANCE INBOUND TO ZZZ; CENTER ASSIGNED THE XXX ARR VICE THE XXX2 ARR. A REQUEST TO REMAIN AT CRUISE ALTITUDE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE WAS DENIED DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC WHICH INCREASED FUEL BURN SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE THE PLANNED FUEL BURN. CENTER THEN ASSIGNED AN ALTITUDE RESTR OF TEN MILES WEST OF INTXN AT 10000 FT. THE ADDED RESTRICTIVE PROFILE RESULTED IN A SITUATION THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW SUFFICIENT FUEL UPON LNDG; SO EMERGENCY FUEL WAS DECLARED. THE FLT PROCEEDED TO LAND UNEVENTFULLY IN ZZZ WITH 4200 LBS OF FUEL. PRIOR COORDINATION WITH DISPATCH AND REVIEW OF THE FUEL REQUIREMENTS AND PROFILE WERE THOROUGH. EVEN THOUGH 3800 LBS OF CARGO HAD BEEN REMOVED IN ORDER TO MEET CLB LIMITS; I BELIEVE A GREATER FUEL MARGIN WOULD HAVE BEEN IN ORDER. THE GREAT UNKNOWN IS HOW A NON-STANDARD PROFILE ACFT WILL INTEGRATE WITH OTHER TFC IN CONGESTED AIRSPACE. A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO PLAN FOR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AND ADJUST ZERO FUEL WT ACCORDINGLY.

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.

Dispatched with the landing gear extended for maintenance reasons; B737-300 declared fuel emergency when delays due to the restr performance capability of their aircraft result in fuel burn in excess of that planned.