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A EMB135 pilot's int'l destination forecast marginal WX but dispatch chose 10 min of hold fuel to save money. Flight crew obtained an increase to 20 min.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 764901 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200712 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Ice |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 135 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 764901 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Checked WX in ZZZ2 to find it marginal at best. Pulled release and found; once again; that the dispatcher realized that an alternate airport was needed due to conditions but the hold fuel column had not been amended to reflect current conditions per management direction not to change holding 'profiles' which had been recently reduced by more than half. 10 mins of hold fuel remained unchanged because management is pressuring dispatch to fly with limited hold fuel to reduce 'costs.' 10 mins of hold fuel into an airport with marginal conditions because the dispatcher does not want his/her name on the fuel list for the week printed and hung by management. Contacted dispatcher and after 'captain requested it' fuel was begrudgingly added to 20 mins to accurately reflect the conditions. Low WX at an international destination with few alternatives close by and no gas to hold. Get management out of the dispatch process and stop pressuring dispatchers to cut fuel to below safe and normal levels. Create a profile for holding based on reality not bonus program of a few in management.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A EMB135 PILOT'S INT'L DEST FORECAST MARGINAL WX BUT DISPATCH CHOSE 10 MIN OF HOLD FUEL TO SAVE MONEY. FLT CREW OBTAINED AN INCREASE TO 20 MIN.
Narrative: CHKED WX IN ZZZ2 TO FIND IT MARGINAL AT BEST. PULLED RELEASE AND FOUND; ONCE AGAIN; THAT THE DISPATCHER REALIZED THAT AN ALTERNATE ARPT WAS NEEDED DUE TO CONDITIONS BUT THE HOLD FUEL COLUMN HAD NOT BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT CURRENT CONDITIONS PER MGMNT DIRECTION NOT TO CHANGE HOLDING 'PROFILES' WHICH HAD BEEN RECENTLY REDUCED BY MORE THAN HALF. 10 MINS OF HOLD FUEL REMAINED UNCHANGED BECAUSE MGMNT IS PRESSURING DISPATCH TO FLY WITH LIMITED HOLD FUEL TO REDUCE 'COSTS.' 10 MINS OF HOLD FUEL INTO AN ARPT WITH MARGINAL CONDITIONS BECAUSE THE DISPATCHER DOES NOT WANT HIS/HER NAME ON THE FUEL LIST FOR THE WEEK PRINTED AND HUNG BY MGMNT. CONTACTED DISPATCHER AND AFTER 'CAPT REQUESTED IT' FUEL WAS BEGRUDGINGLY ADDED TO 20 MINS TO ACCURATELY REFLECT THE CONDITIONS. LOW WX AT AN INTL DEST WITH FEW ALTERNATIVES CLOSE BY AND NO GAS TO HOLD. GET MGMNT OUT OF THE DISPATCH PROCESS AND STOP PRESSURING DISPATCHERS TO CUT FUEL TO BELOW SAFE AND NORMAL LEVELS. CREATE A PROFILE FOR HOLDING BASED ON REALITY NOT BONUS PROGRAM OF A FEW IN MGMNT.
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.