Narrative:

Our flight was about 24 hours in delay due to a hydraulic problem that forced us to divert to a maintenance base. Our rip was cut from altus AFB to tinker AFB, then on to frankfurt. When arriving at the plane in altus we found that the problem was not corrected and waited for 4 hours before they could correct the problem. Upon arriving at tinker AFB (oklahoma city) we checked the WX for frankfurt and found the forecast to be very marginal. WX was to be just at or slightly below CAT I WX. The closest acceptable alternate was in england. We took a crew duty extension which put us on duty for over 18 hours to get the flight back on time. The captain was on his initial line check so he was not yet legal to fly CAT ii approachs. Fortunately, the examiner was. The flight from tinker to frankfurt took 10.5 hours which was close to the limit of endurance for the aircraft. If all went as planned, we would have the required fuel to complete the trip, get to the alternate and have the required holding fuel. Fuel burn was somewhat bigger than expected due to a very high unforecast temperature deviation. (+18). 3 hours from destination we updated the WX and found ramstein AFB (abut 60 mi south) above min and improving visibility. It was morning and the temperature\dewpoint spread was increasing. The fog was dissipating. The destination airport was up to CAT ii minimums and forecast to be above CAT I min at our time of arrival. Our alternate WX was forecast to be near the crosswind limit for the fact. The captain made the decision to continue to destination and if any delay was encountered we would divert to ramstein AFB. About 180 mi out I picked up the WX for frankfurt and ramstein. Frankfurt was using CAT ii approachs, ramstein was about 1 1/4 mi visibility (below the legal limit to use as an alternate.) on the descent approach advised of a 30 min delay. I recommended either diverting at this point or putting the examiner in the seat to fly the CAT ii approach. The examiner was not willing to get in the seat and the captain elected to divert. We now had about 17000 pounds of fuel (about 1 hour 10 min.) we did not have enough fuel to reach a legal alternate. Ramstein approach advised that it was quiet hours and we would have to hold for 2 hours. I advised them that we would not be able to do that and to clear us for the approach. They told us to hold at frankenstein fix (no radar.) at this point the examiner rethought his position and decided to fly the CAT ii approach at frankfurt. He didn't want to have to see the base commander. I advised ramstein approach of our intentions and of our fuel problem. They handed us to frankfurt where I announced 'min fuel.' frankfurt gave us priority handling and we landed safely. I estimate that we had enough fuel to go back to ramstein, fly the approach and land with about 15 min of fuel. Although not an emergency, I believe that factors in this situation were; 1) get there itis, 2) marginal WX at all locations, 3) fatigue, we were up a long time, 4) early inaction by the examiner, 5) inaccurate WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW FUEL STATE DECLARED TO APCH CTLR FOR SPECIAL HANDLING IN POOR TERMINAL AREA CONDITIONS.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS ABOUT 24 HRS IN DELAY DUE TO A HYDRAULIC PROBLEM THAT FORCED US TO DIVERT TO A MAINT BASE. OUR RIP WAS CUT FROM ALTUS AFB TO TINKER AFB, THEN ON TO FRANKFURT. WHEN ARRIVING AT THE PLANE IN ALTUS WE FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED AND WAITED FOR 4 HRS BEFORE THEY COULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. UPON ARRIVING AT TINKER AFB (OKLAHOMA CITY) WE CHKED THE WX FOR FRANKFURT AND FOUND THE FORECAST TO BE VERY MARGINAL. WX WAS TO BE JUST AT OR SLIGHTLY BELOW CAT I WX. THE CLOSEST ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATE WAS IN ENGLAND. WE TOOK A CREW DUTY EXTENSION WHICH PUT US ON DUTY FOR OVER 18 HRS TO GET THE FLT BACK ON TIME. THE CAPT WAS ON HIS INITIAL LINE CHK SO HE WAS NOT YET LEGAL TO FLY CAT II APCHS. FORTUNATELY, THE EXAMINER WAS. THE FLT FROM TINKER TO FRANKFURT TOOK 10.5 HRS WHICH WAS CLOSE TO THE LIMIT OF ENDURANCE FOR THE ACFT. IF ALL WENT AS PLANNED, WE WOULD HAVE THE REQUIRED FUEL TO COMPLETE THE TRIP, GET TO THE ALTERNATE AND HAVE THE REQUIRED HOLDING FUEL. FUEL BURN WAS SOMEWHAT BIGGER THAN EXPECTED DUE TO A VERY HIGH UNFORECAST TEMP DEV. (+18). 3 HRS FROM DEST WE UPDATED THE WX AND FOUND RAMSTEIN AFB (ABUT 60 MI S) ABOVE MIN AND IMPROVING VISIBILITY. IT WAS MORNING AND THE TEMPERATURE\DEWPOINT SPREAD WAS INCREASING. THE FOG WAS DISSIPATING. THE DEST ARPT WAS UP TO CAT II MINIMUMS AND FORECAST TO BE ABOVE CAT I MIN AT OUR TIME OF ARR. OUR ALTERNATE WX WAS FORECAST TO BE NEAR THE XWIND LIMIT FOR THE FACT. THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE TO DEST AND IF ANY DELAY WAS ENCOUNTERED WE WOULD DIVERT TO RAMSTEIN AFB. ABOUT 180 MI OUT I PICKED UP THE WX FOR FRANKFURT AND RAMSTEIN. FRANKFURT WAS USING CAT II APCHS, RAMSTEIN WAS ABOUT 1 1/4 MI VISIBILITY (BELOW THE LEGAL LIMIT TO USE AS AN ALTERNATE.) ON THE DSCNT APCH ADVISED OF A 30 MIN DELAY. I RECOMMENDED EITHER DIVERTING AT THIS POINT OR PUTTING THE EXAMINER IN THE SEAT TO FLY THE CAT II APCH. THE EXAMINER WAS NOT WILLING TO GET IN THE SEAT AND THE CAPT ELECTED TO DIVERT. WE NOW HAD ABOUT 17000 POUNDS OF FUEL (ABOUT 1 HR 10 MIN.) WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH A LEGAL ALTERNATE. RAMSTEIN APCH ADVISED THAT IT WAS QUIET HRS AND WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD FOR 2 HRS. I ADVISED THEM THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND TO CLR US FOR THE APCH. THEY TOLD US TO HOLD AT FRANKENSTEIN FIX (NO RADAR.) AT THIS POINT THE EXAMINER RETHOUGHT HIS POS AND DECIDED TO FLY THE CAT II APCH AT FRANKFURT. HE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO SEE THE BASE COMMANDER. I ADVISED RAMSTEIN APCH OF OUR INTENTIONS AND OF OUR FUEL PROBLEM. THEY HANDED US TO FRANKFURT WHERE I ANNOUNCED 'MIN FUEL.' FRANKFURT GAVE US PRIORITY HANDLING AND WE LANDED SAFELY. I ESTIMATE THAT WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO GO BACK TO RAMSTEIN, FLY THE APCH AND LAND WITH ABOUT 15 MIN OF FUEL. ALTHOUGH NOT AN EMER, I BELIEVE THAT FACTORS IN THIS SITUATION WERE; 1) GET THERE ITIS, 2) MARGINAL WX AT ALL LOCATIONS, 3) FATIGUE, WE WERE UP A LONG TIME, 4) EARLY INACTION BY THE EXAMINER, 5) INACCURATE WX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.