37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 777040 |
Time | |
Date | 200803 |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
State Reference | US |
Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Flight Phase | landing : roll ground : maintenance |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time type : 2000 |
ASRS Report | 777040 |
Events | |
Anomaly | non adherence : far |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Company Weather ATC Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
I was flying into ZZZ. The issue that I had was landing with 2500 pounds of fuel left. I did eat into the reserve required by the FAA. My reserve was 2600 pounds. The flight went fine. We left the gate with 8800 pounds as required by the release and this is what is shown on ACARS. We had a little flow time into ZZZ so I shut an engine down to save fuel. We sat on the ground for 36 mins before takeoff. We burned 600 pounds. The release had 400 pounds for the taxi; so we used 200 pounds more. We still should have been ok since we had 1563 pounds for tanker fuel. Upon departing we contacted departure. They told us to slow to 270/.73 mach in the climb per center's request. We did and climbed up to FL360. We were filed for FL380 but center said 360 would be our final. We were there for a while and then they descended us down to FL340 and then FL300. We were encountering strong headwinds at altitude. The paperwork shows at VOR at FL360 217/112 and FL340 214/120. With us having to stay lower that didn't help with the fuel burn. The flight plan was only saying 1 hour and 9 mins; but this took a flight time of 1 hour 33 mins. We were also on a 30 mi final to runway 10 in ZZZ. As we were approaching ZZZ I did notice that the fuel was a lot less than planned. We were overflying the airport with about 2800-2700 pounds. On the 30 mi final we were told to slow to 170 KTS; which didn't help since we then had to use flaps which was going to make us use more gas. So we touched down and the fuel was in the amber range at 2500 pounds and we got to the gate and it showed 2400 pounds. This is less than our FAA required fuel of 2600 pounds. The thing of it was we didn't even have any WX in the area and it was supposed to be 1:09 flight time. I know our program manager is ranking capts on landing with less fuel. I don't care to be ranked. I think this is a safety problem and I believe fuel is your friend. Looking back; I would have liked more gas yesterday and I was already carrying tanker fuel. If I wouldn't have had this extra there would have been real problems. When we blocked in the whole flight took 2:14. That is way over what was planned.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ERJ170 CAPT LANDS WITH LESS THAN FAA REQUIRED FUEL. BELIEVES COMPANY FUEL POLICIES ARE A SAFETY PROBLEM.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING INTO ZZZ. THE ISSUE THAT I HAD WAS LNDG WITH 2500 LBS OF FUEL LEFT. I DID EAT INTO THE RESERVE REQUIRED BY THE FAA. MY RESERVE WAS 2600 LBS. THE FLT WENT FINE. WE LEFT THE GATE WITH 8800 LBS AS REQUIRED BY THE RELEASE AND THIS IS WHAT IS SHOWN ON ACARS. WE HAD A LITTLE FLOW TIME INTO ZZZ SO I SHUT AN ENG DOWN TO SAVE FUEL. WE SAT ON THE GND FOR 36 MINS BEFORE TKOF. WE BURNED 600 LBS. THE RELEASE HAD 400 LBS FOR THE TAXI; SO WE USED 200 LBS MORE. WE STILL SHOULD HAVE BEEN OK SINCE WE HAD 1563 LBS FOR TANKER FUEL. UPON DEPARTING WE CONTACTED DEP. THEY TOLD US TO SLOW TO 270/.73 MACH IN THE CLB PER CTR'S REQUEST. WE DID AND CLBED UP TO FL360. WE WERE FILED FOR FL380 BUT CTR SAID 360 WOULD BE OUR FINAL. WE WERE THERE FOR A WHILE AND THEN THEY DSNDED US DOWN TO FL340 AND THEN FL300. WE WERE ENCOUNTERING STRONG HEADWINDS AT ALT. THE PAPERWORK SHOWS AT VOR AT FL360 217/112 AND FL340 214/120. WITH US HAVING TO STAY LOWER THAT DIDN'T HELP WITH THE FUEL BURN. THE FLT PLAN WAS ONLY SAYING 1 HR AND 9 MINS; BUT THIS TOOK A FLT TIME OF 1 HR 33 MINS. WE WERE ALSO ON A 30 MI FINAL TO RWY 10 IN ZZZ. AS WE WERE APCHING ZZZ I DID NOTICE THAT THE FUEL WAS A LOT LESS THAN PLANNED. WE WERE OVERFLYING THE ARPT WITH ABOUT 2800-2700 LBS. ON THE 30 MI FINAL WE WERE TOLD TO SLOW TO 170 KTS; WHICH DIDN'T HELP SINCE WE THEN HAD TO USE FLAPS WHICH WAS GOING TO MAKE US USE MORE GAS. SO WE TOUCHED DOWN AND THE FUEL WAS IN THE AMBER RANGE AT 2500 LBS AND WE GOT TO THE GATE AND IT SHOWED 2400 LBS. THIS IS LESS THAN OUR FAA REQUIRED FUEL OF 2600 LBS. THE THING OF IT WAS WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY WX IN THE AREA AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 1:09 FLT TIME. I KNOW OUR PROGRAM MGR IS RANKING CAPTS ON LNDG WITH LESS FUEL. I DON'T CARE TO BE RANKED. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY PROB AND I BELIEVE FUEL IS YOUR FRIEND. LOOKING BACK; I WOULD HAVE LIKED MORE GAS YESTERDAY AND I WAS ALREADY CARRYING TANKER FUEL. IF I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THIS EXTRA THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN REAL PROBS. WHEN WE BLOCKED IN THE WHOLE FLT TOOK 2:14. THAT IS WAY OVER WHAT WAS PLANNED.
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.