Narrative:

After our clearance was received for our flight to ZZZ1; it became known that ATC had changed the route to the well known preferred flight plan to ZZZ1. Our dispatchers have been informed for quite some time that; in the crj 900 series aircraft; which are RNAV equipped; are to be filed RNAV departures and arrs into all cities that provide them. In some cases RNAV departures; coupled with RNAV arrs; can require as much as 1000 pounds of additional fuel to comply with the basic far's. Attempts to correct this problem by capts appear to be unsuccessful as this problem continues. Also; there were some concerns about the extremely gusty conditions that were apparently overlooked by dispatch; which were to be expected. The dispatcher was informed of the flight's changed routing; anticipated additional fuel requirements; and WX in ZZZ1. Authorization was given to increase the fuel on board to a safer level. Since the WX (cloud cover and visibility) at ZZZ1 did not require the use of a landing alternate; extra fuel was added for contingencies. The dispatch release required approximately 6200 pounds of fuel and was increased to 9000 pounds prior to flight. Upon arrival in the ZZZ1 area; the reported WX arose concerns about the ability to safely land the aircraft due to the wind speed and direction and the windshear advisories in effect. While on approach; and at approximately 300 ft; a windshear warning was heard from the aircraft's EICAS and a missed approach was executed. After the missed approach; tower reported wind at 340/45 gusting 56 which raised concerns of safely landing the aircraft. Fuel concerns to make another unsuccessful attempt; and then fly to safety became our main concern. Clearance to depart the ZZZ1 area and head for an alternate was requested. Initial heading and altitude changes were given while my first officer and I calculated the best diversionary airport considering fuel presently on board. Initially departure gave us a heading direct as requested to ZZZ which had an acceptable forecasted arrival fuel of approximately 2800 pounds (approximately 45 minutes). A handoff to center was given and a notification was made that we were 'minimum fuel.' ATC then issued a fly direct to the VOR and the RNAV arrival. A check was made of the additional fuel required to fly as instructed; determining it would put us landing with an unsafe fuel amount of 25 minutes remaining. We announced again to ATC of our fuel status and that a direct flight to ZZZ was needed due to minimum fuel. ATC acknowledged by saying that that was not possible due to flight through restr airspace. At that time we declared an emergency and once again requested direct flight to ZZZ. The aircraft was given direct routing and arrived in ZZZ safely with approximately 2700 pounds of fuel on board. Preventative actions: there is a system in place at most airlines of checks and balances. The captain and the dispatcher are both responsible to check the safe planning and in effect; operation of the aircraft. In the planning phase of this flight; the dispatcher's improper route filing and failure to adequately interpret the WX in ZZZ1; in my opinion; caused a total lack of fuel consideration for safe flight. It was only after a call from the crew prompted a closer look at the conditions; that measures were taken prior to flight. Gone unchecked; as it didn't in this case; the aircraft could have been left with a dangerous fuel critical situation. Thankfully; there was enough fuel on board to have a safe option and take the airplane out of danger with a positive outcome. It is unknown to me why the dispatcher didn't interpret the forecasted WX better and plan the flight more carefully. As fuel on board our aircraft becomes micromanaged down to the last pound; it is very important that in the planning phase that rtes are accurate for correct fuel planning. Also; dispatcher workloads may need to be checked and be reduced; allowing more time to carefully analyze all pertinent data relating to any given flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ900 EXECUTED A GAR DUE TO WINDSHEAR WARNING. DIVERSION TO ANOTHER ARPT WAS CONSIDERED THE SAFER COURSE OF ACTION; AND FLT CREW DECLARED EMER FUEL TO OBTAIN CLRNC DIRECT TO THE ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER OUR CLRNC WAS RECEIVED FOR OUR FLT TO ZZZ1; IT BECAME KNOWN THAT ATC HAD CHANGED THE RTE TO THE WELL KNOWN PREFERRED FLT PLAN TO ZZZ1. OUR DISPATCHERS HAVE BEEN INFORMED FOR QUITE SOME TIME THAT; IN THE CRJ 900 SERIES ACFT; WHICH ARE RNAV EQUIPPED; ARE TO BE FILED RNAV DEPS AND ARRS INTO ALL CITIES THAT PROVIDE THEM. IN SOME CASES RNAV DEPS; COUPLED WITH RNAV ARRS; CAN REQUIRE AS MUCH AS 1000 LBS OF ADDITIONAL FUEL TO COMPLY WITH THE BASIC FAR'S. ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM BY CAPTS APPEAR TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL AS THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES. ALSO; THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE EXTREMELY GUSTY CONDITIONS THAT WERE APPARENTLY OVERLOOKED BY DISPATCH; WHICH WERE TO BE EXPECTED. THE DISPATCHER WAS INFORMED OF THE FLT'S CHANGED ROUTING; ANTICIPATED ADDITIONAL FUEL REQUIREMENTS; AND WX IN ZZZ1. AUTHORIZATION WAS GIVEN TO INCREASE THE FUEL ON BOARD TO A SAFER LEVEL. SINCE THE WX (CLOUD COVER AND VISIBILITY) AT ZZZ1 DID NOT REQUIRE THE USE OF A LNDG ALTERNATE; EXTRA FUEL WAS ADDED FOR CONTINGENCIES. THE DISPATCH RELEASE REQUIRED APPROX 6200 LBS OF FUEL AND WAS INCREASED TO 9000 LBS PRIOR TO FLT. UPON ARR IN THE ZZZ1 AREA; THE RPTED WX AROSE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ABILITY TO SAFELY LAND THE ACFT DUE TO THE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION AND THE WINDSHEAR ADVISORIES IN EFFECT. WHILE ON APCH; AND AT APPROX 300 FT; A WINDSHEAR WARNING WAS HEARD FROM THE ACFT'S EICAS AND A MISSED APCH WAS EXECUTED. AFTER THE MISSED APCH; TOWER RPTED WIND AT 340/45 GUSTING 56 WHICH RAISED CONCERNS OF SAFELY LNDG THE ACFT. FUEL CONCERNS TO MAKE ANOTHER UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT; AND THEN FLY TO SAFETY BECAME OUR MAIN CONCERN. CLRNC TO DEPART THE ZZZ1 AREA AND HEAD FOR AN ALTERNATE WAS REQUESTED. INITIAL HEADING AND ALTITUDE CHANGES WERE GIVEN WHILE MY FO AND I CALCULATED THE BEST DIVERSIONARY ARPT CONSIDERING FUEL PRESENTLY ON BOARD. INITIALLY DEP GAVE US A HEADING DIRECT AS REQUESTED TO ZZZ WHICH HAD AN ACCEPTABLE FORECASTED ARR FUEL OF APPROX 2800 LBS (APPROX 45 MINUTES). A HANDOFF TO CENTER WAS GIVEN AND A NOTIFICATION WAS MADE THAT WE WERE 'MINIMUM FUEL.' ATC THEN ISSUED A FLY DIRECT TO THE VOR AND THE RNAV ARR. A CHK WAS MADE OF THE ADDITIONAL FUEL REQUIRED TO FLY AS INSTRUCTED; DETERMINING IT WOULD PUT US LNDG WITH AN UNSAFE FUEL AMOUNT OF 25 MINUTES REMAINING. WE ANNOUNCED AGAIN TO ATC OF OUR FUEL STATUS AND THAT A DIRECT FLT TO ZZZ WAS NEEDED DUE TO MINIMUM FUEL. ATC ACKNOWLEDGED BY SAYING THAT THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO FLT THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE. AT THAT TIME WE DECLARED AN EMER AND ONCE AGAIN REQUESTED DIRECT FLT TO ZZZ. THE ACFT WAS GIVEN DIRECT ROUTING AND ARRIVED IN ZZZ SAFELY WITH APPROX 2700 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS: THERE IS A SYSTEM IN PLACE AT MOST AIRLINES OF CHECKS AND BALANCES. THE CAPT AND THE DISPATCHER ARE BOTH RESPONSIBLE TO CHECK THE SAFE PLANNING AND IN EFFECT; OPERATION OF THE ACFT. IN THE PLANNING PHASE OF THIS FLT; THE DISPATCHER'S IMPROPER RTE FILING AND FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY INTERPRET THE WX IN ZZZ1; IN MY OPINION; CAUSED A TOTAL LACK OF FUEL CONSIDERATION FOR SAFE FLT. IT WAS ONLY AFTER A CALL FROM THE CREW PROMPTED A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS; THAT MEASURES WERE TAKEN PRIOR TO FLT. GONE UNCHECKED; AS IT DIDN'T IN THIS CASE; THE ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH A DANGEROUS FUEL CRITICAL SITUATION. THANKFULLY; THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD TO HAVE A SAFE OPTION AND TAKE THE AIRPLANE OUT OF DANGER WITH A POSITIVE OUTCOME. IT IS UNKNOWN TO ME WHY THE DISPATCHER DIDN'T INTERPRET THE FORECASTED WX BETTER AND PLAN THE FLT MORE CAREFULLY. AS FUEL ON BOARD OUR ACFT BECOMES MICROMANAGED DOWN TO THE LAST POUND; IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT IN THE PLANNING PHASE THAT RTES ARE ACCURATE FOR CORRECT FUEL PLANNING. ALSO; DISPATCHER WORKLOADS MAY NEED TO BE CHECKED AND BE REDUCED; ALLOWING MORE TIME TO CAREFULLY ANALYZE ALL PERTINENT DATA RELATING TO ANY GIVEN FLT.

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.