Narrative:

Original gate release fuel 17198 pounds. Original arrival fuel per release: 5900 pounds. Reported to dispatcher with arrival fuel of 5900 pounds; while above the minimum target arrival fuel; was an unrealistic number due to the following reason: descent profile on CWRLD1 arrival to mco has a hard altitude required over lamma intersection of 12000 ft. That being the case the intersection just prior to lamma is omn. To cross lamma at the 12000 ft; omn needs to be crossed at around 15200 ft. The original release shows lamma at FL280 and omn at FL350. Clearly the scheduled arrival fuel of 5900 pounds was unrealistic. The dispatcher argued the point and we incurred an 18 min delay. I requested an accurate release to reflect the arrival profile but the dispatcher was unable. My point to the dispatcher was simply that with his original arrival fuel of 5900 pounds; given the required descent profile; I would arrive mco below the min VFR target fuel of 5000 pounds. He responded by stating 5000 pounds was only a target! Update the system to accurately show arrival descent profiles; then I would trust the release more when arrival fuel is reduced to absolute minimums.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPTAIN HAS ISSUES WITH COMPANY FLIGHT PLANNING SOFTWARE THAT DOES NOT TAKE REAL WORLD PROFILES INTO ACCOUNT.

Narrative: ORIGINAL GATE RELEASE FUEL 17198 LBS. ORIGINAL ARR FUEL PER RELEASE: 5900 LBS. RPTED TO DISPATCHER WITH ARR FUEL OF 5900 LBS; WHILE ABOVE THE MINIMUM TARGET ARR FUEL; WAS AN UNREALISTIC NUMBER DUE TO THE FOLLOWING REASON: DSCNT PROFILE ON CWRLD1 ARR TO MCO HAS A HARD ALT REQUIRED OVER LAMMA INTXN OF 12000 FT. THAT BEING THE CASE THE INTXN JUST PRIOR TO LAMMA IS OMN. TO CROSS LAMMA AT THE 12000 FT; OMN NEEDS TO BE CROSSED AT AROUND 15200 FT. THE ORIGINAL RELEASE SHOWS LAMMA AT FL280 AND OMN AT FL350. CLEARLY THE SCHEDULED ARR FUEL OF 5900 LBS WAS UNREALISTIC. THE DISPATCHER ARGUED THE POINT AND WE INCURRED AN 18 MIN DELAY. I REQUESTED AN ACCURATE RELEASE TO REFLECT THE ARR PROFILE BUT THE DISPATCHER WAS UNABLE. MY POINT TO THE DISPATCHER WAS SIMPLY THAT WITH HIS ORIGINAL ARR FUEL OF 5900 LBS; GIVEN THE REQUIRED DSCNT PROFILE; I WOULD ARRIVE MCO BELOW THE MIN VFR TARGET FUEL OF 5000 LBS. HE RESPONDED BY STATING 5000 LBS WAS ONLY A TARGET! UPDATE THE SYS TO ACCURATELY SHOW ARR DSCNT PROFILES; THEN I WOULD TRUST THE RELEASE MORE WHEN ARR FUEL IS REDUCED TO ABSOLUTE MINIMUMS.

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.