Dispatched with company required minimum fuel on board; A319 must divert for fuel when rain showers ...

Attributes
ACN	773156
Time
Date	200802
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	773156
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity guages other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Our flight departed with 15.7 on the gas. WX in miami was good and was forecast to be good upon arrival. Over omn flight began being vectored by ATC because of rain showers developing up over the mia airport. Flight was given holding at milsy intersection. Aircraft made 1 turn in holding and diverted to fll. Aircraft landed at fll and refueled. Event occurred because in an attempt to abide by the new fuel conservation procedures just adopted by the company; not enough fuel was put on the aircraft to handle a simple delay. In an effort to save money an aircraft had to divert. The aircraft arrived at its destination 2 hours late. Finally the pilots had to get off their trip early because of fatigue because they would have flown 9:40 if they had continued on. Place enough fuel on aircraft heading to their destinations to allow for delays while airborne rather than having to initiate unscheduled diversions and all the problems they create.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHED WITH COMPANY REQUIRED MINIMUM FUEL ON BOARD; A319 MUST DIVERT FOR FUEL WHEN RAIN SHOWERS AT DESTINATION CAUSE MODEST DELAYS ENROUTE.

Narrative: OUR FLT DEPARTED WITH 15.7 ON THE GAS. WX IN MIAMI WAS GOOD AND WAS FORECAST TO BE GOOD UPON ARR. OVER OMN FLT BEGAN BEING VECTORED BY ATC BECAUSE OF RAIN SHOWERS DEVELOPING UP OVER THE MIA ARPT. FLT WAS GIVEN HOLDING AT MILSY INTXN. ACFT MADE 1 TURN IN HOLDING AND DIVERTED TO FLL. ACFT LANDED AT FLL AND REFUELED. EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE IN AN ATTEMPT TO ABIDE BY THE NEW FUEL CONSERVATION PROCS JUST ADOPTED BY THE COMPANY; NOT ENOUGH FUEL WAS PUT ON THE ACFT TO HANDLE A SIMPLE DELAY. IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE MONEY AN ACFT HAD TO DIVERT. THE ACFT ARRIVED AT ITS DEST 2 HRS LATE. FINALLY THE PLTS HAD TO GET OFF THEIR TRIP EARLY BECAUSE OF FATIGUE BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE FLOWN 9:40 IF THEY HAD CONTINUED ON. PLACE ENOUGH FUEL ON ACFT HEADING TO THEIR DESTS TO ALLOW FOR DELAYS WHILE AIRBORNE RATHER THAN HAVING TO INITIATE UNSCHEDULED DIVERSIONS AND ALL THE PROBS THEY CREATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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 company required minimum fuel on board; A319 must divert for fuel when rain showers at destination cause modest delays enroute.