Air carrier medium large transport in diversion to an alternate airport.

Attributes
ACN	216495
Time
Date	199207
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 240
ASRS Report	216495
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	216217
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Departed sea with fuel for iah plus alternate of ellington. Yaw damper was inoperative and flight was restr to FL270. Abeam dfw airport, we determined that we did not have enough fuel to go to our destination plus our alternate. Since the WX was between our destination and our alternate we decided to divert into dfw for more fuel. Supplemental information from acn 216217: forecast for thunderstorms in the houston area at our time of arrival. We burned more fuel en route than anticipated. Talked with dispatch and elected to divert to dfw. There was never a critical fuel situation. The flight could have landed in iah with no hold fuel with eed as the alternate, which is southeast of iah, and expected deviations in the iah area, we felt the best solution was to stop in dfw. This problem can be avoided in the future by checking for more current winds and temperatures en route and perhaps adding a few thousand pounds of additional fuel as a cushion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG IN DIVERSION TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT.

Narrative: DEPARTED SEA WITH FUEL FOR IAH PLUS ALTERNATE OF ELLINGTON. YAW DAMPER WAS INOP AND FLT WAS RESTR TO FL270. ABEAM DFW ARPT, WE DETERMINED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GO TO OUR DEST PLUS OUR ALTERNATE. SINCE THE WX WAS BTWN OUR DEST AND OUR ALTERNATE WE DECIDED TO DIVERT INTO DFW FOR MORE FUEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 216217: FORECAST FOR TSTMS IN THE HOUSTON AREA AT OUR TIME OF ARR. WE BURNED MORE FUEL ENRTE THAN ANTICIPATED. TALKED WITH DISPATCH AND ELECTED TO DIVERT TO DFW. THERE WAS NEVER A CRITICAL FUEL SITUATION. THE FLT COULD HAVE LANDED IN IAH WITH NO HOLD FUEL WITH EED AS THE ALTERNATE, WHICH IS SE OF IAH, AND EXPECTED DEVS IN THE IAH AREA, WE FELT THE BEST SOLUTION WAS TO STOP IN DFW. THIS PROBLEM CAN BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE BY CHKING FOR MORE CURRENT WINDS AND TEMPS ENRTE AND PERHAPS ADDING A FEW THOUSAND POUNDS OF ADDITIONAL FUEL AS A CUSHION.

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.