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Medium large transport captain files peremptory report when advised by his company the FAA was looking into flts that declared minimum fuel enroute to ewr.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 785983 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200805 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr.airport |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 15000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : holding |
| Route In Use | arrival : holding pattern arrival star : penns |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 9500 |
| ASRS Report | 785983 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel qty gauges other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
I was called by mr X and asked to file this report. He said the FAA had sent him some flight numbers for some flts going to ewr that had declared minimum fuel. We were dispatched to ewr with no alternate (none required). En route to ewr on arrival ATC told us to expect holding ahead. We slowed to conserve fuel and notified dispatch and started looking for suitable alternates; ie; abe mdt phl. Etc; received holding; told ATC we would be able to hold for only a short while. During holding and while talking to dispatch we decided that abe or mdt would be good alternates. ATC had several aircraft asking about hold time and possibilities of getting into ewr. They responded that it would be at least a half of an hour before anyone got into ewr unless 'we were minimum fuel then that changes everything.' by this time we were very close to the minimum fuel we would need to land at an alternate. I conferred with first officer and declared 'minimum fuel.' we received vectors to the approach and landed at ewr without further incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MLG CAPTAIN FILES PEREMPTORY REPORT WHEN ADVISED BY HIS COMPANY THE FAA WAS LOOKING INTO FLTS THAT DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL ENROUTE TO EWR.
Narrative: I WAS CALLED BY MR X AND ASKED TO FILE THIS RPT. HE SAID THE FAA HAD SENT HIM SOME FLT NUMBERS FOR SOME FLTS GOING TO EWR THAT HAD DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL. WE WERE DISPATCHED TO EWR WITH NO ALTERNATE (NONE REQUIRED). ENRTE TO EWR ON ARR ATC TOLD US TO EXPECT HOLDING AHEAD. WE SLOWED TO CONSERVE FUEL AND NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND STARTED LOOKING FOR SUITABLE ALTERNATES; IE; ABE MDT PHL. ETC; RECEIVED HOLDING; TOLD ATC WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HOLD FOR ONLY A SHORT WHILE. DURING HOLDING AND WHILE TALKING TO DISPATCH WE DECIDED THAT ABE OR MDT WOULD BE GOOD ALTERNATES. ATC HAD SEVERAL ACFT ASKING ABOUT HOLD TIME AND POSSIBILITIES OF GETTING INTO EWR. THEY RESPONDED THAT IT WOULD BE AT LEAST A HALF OF AN HR BEFORE ANYONE GOT INTO EWR UNLESS 'WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL THEN THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING.' BY THIS TIME WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE MINIMUM FUEL WE WOULD NEED TO LAND AT AN ALTERNATE. I CONFERRED WITH FO AND DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL.' WE RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE APCH AND LANDED AT EWR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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.