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Terminal WX below forecast causes delays resulting in air carrier widebody transport declaring low fuel state and special handling.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 99876 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198812 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lgw |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : egcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 12288 |
| ASRS Report | 99876 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 665 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Flight departed frankfurt for gatwick. Arrived gatwick area and received holding instructions. Informed london control of marginal hold fuel. Given efc of plus 30 mins. Made 1 turn in holding and requested clearance to manchester (alternate). Clearance given included routing to another holding fix. Declared fuel state emergency due to inability to hold either at gatwick or manchester. Supplemental information from acn 100665: when we arrived in the gatwick area we received holding instructions with at efc in 30 mins. After 1 turn in the holding pattern we started to our alternate and were given a hold at manchester. At this point we declared a fuel emergency and landed at heathrow with 8900 pounds of fuel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: lgw WX on departure was VFR and forecast to be that for arrival, but then went to pot causing delays. Had required fuel for alternate, but when told also delays there decided best to declare low fuel and land. Could have held a little longer but with possible delay at alternate felt not wise to hold. Captain had decided based on everything not to request extra fuel at frr but in retrospect operating into lgw area now figures it is wise to ask for extra. Aircraft had been fueled through frr which influenced not asking for added fuel.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TERMINAL WX BELOW FORECAST CAUSES DELAYS RESULTING IN ACR WDB DECLARING LOW FUEL STATE AND SPECIAL HANDLING.
Narrative: FLT DEPARTED FRANKFURT FOR GATWICK. ARRIVED GATWICK AREA AND RECEIVED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. INFORMED LONDON CTL OF MARGINAL HOLD FUEL. GIVEN EFC OF PLUS 30 MINS. MADE 1 TURN IN HOLDING AND REQUESTED CLRNC TO MANCHESTER (ALTERNATE). CLRNC GIVEN INCLUDED ROUTING TO ANOTHER HOLDING FIX. DECLARED FUEL STATE EMER DUE TO INABILITY TO HOLD EITHER AT GATWICK OR MANCHESTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 100665: WHEN WE ARRIVED IN THE GATWICK AREA WE RECEIVED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WITH AT EFC IN 30 MINS. AFTER 1 TURN IN THE HOLDING PATTERN WE STARTED TO OUR ALTERNATE AND WERE GIVEN A HOLD AT MANCHESTER. AT THIS POINT WE DECLARED A FUEL EMER AND LANDED AT HEATHROW WITH 8900 LBS OF FUEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: LGW WX ON DEP WAS VFR AND FORECAST TO BE THAT FOR ARR, BUT THEN WENT TO POT CAUSING DELAYS. HAD REQUIRED FUEL FOR ALTERNATE, BUT WHEN TOLD ALSO DELAYS THERE DECIDED BEST TO DECLARE LOW FUEL AND LAND. COULD HAVE HELD A LITTLE LONGER BUT WITH POSSIBLE DELAY AT ALTERNATE FELT NOT WISE TO HOLD. CAPT HAD DECIDED BASED ON EVERYTHING NOT TO REQUEST EXTRA FUEL AT FRR BUT IN RETROSPECT OPERATING INTO LGW AREA NOW FIGURES IT IS WISE TO ASK FOR EXTRA. ACFT HAD BEEN FUELED THROUGH FRR WHICH INFLUENCED NOT ASKING FOR ADDED FUEL.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.