Narrative:

Flight was dispatched from lgw to msp on sep/sun/95 with no alternate. The current msp WX at the time of the dispatch release was rain and ceiling that required an alternate, but the WX was forecast to be improving throughout the 9 hour flight, and therefore no alternate was listed. The msp WX did not improve. Flight experienced headwinds much greater than forecast for a significant portion of the flight. At times, the headwinds were 50-60 KTS higher than forecast. Because of the headwinds, the flight fell behind flight plan for both time and fuel burn. Over northeast canada, flight received a standard re-release. The proposed re-release now had rst listed as an alternate due to the deteriorating WX in msp. The re-release had 2 problems. The first problem was that the re-release minimum required fuel at gw (the re- release point) was higher than the fuel we now projected to have remaining at gw, and second, the re-release would put the flight into the alternate rst with only 17300 pounds fuel on board at an airport with a short, wet runway. The re- release was not accepted. From the initial rejection of the unacceptable re-release, we attempted to contact dispatch for more than 300 mi (50 mins) via ACARS, then via a HF phone patch. At this point a second re-release was received. This re-release lowered the minimum required fuel only 700 pounds and now named dlh as the alternate. If we would be required to go to dlh after a missed approach at msp, the new re-release would be required to go to dlh after a missed approach at msp, the new re- release would put us at dlh with an unacceptable 14000 pounds of fuel remaining. At the time of this second re- release, msp WX had dropped to 400 ft scattered, 700 ft broken, 2400 ft overcast, 2 rain and fog, and had been steadily decreasing all day. This second re-release was also rejected as we would still not have even the new minimum fuel of 67.3 at gw. Over fassa, the point just prior to gw, we were 3700 pounds below flight plan for fuel, we had been getting worse on every leg, and we now projected gw with less than 67.0 fob. We conferred with dispatch and with their concurrence, we elected to divert to our original short-release destination of yul. One hour later, just prior to our descent into montreal, dispatch sent an ACARS message relaying a maintenance request that we go to detroit instead. At that point we were unable to change our destination due to lack of fuel on board to proceed to detroit. We landed at yul, refueled, and had a mechanic sign off defer our outstanding maintenance items. After 1 1/2 hours on the ground at yul, we took off and proceeded to msp. We had plenty of capacity at lgw to have loaded more fuel. Next time, will require alternate with appropriate fuel for an alternate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A WDB DIVERTED FOR FUEL DUE TO UNFORECASTED WX AT DEST AND HEAVIER HEADWINDS THAN EXPECTED.

Narrative: FLT WAS DISPATCHED FROM LGW TO MSP ON SEP/SUN/95 WITH NO ALTERNATE. THE CURRENT MSP WX AT THE TIME OF THE DISPATCH RELEASE WAS RAIN AND CEILING THAT REQUIRED AN ALTERNATE, BUT THE WX WAS FORECAST TO BE IMPROVING THROUGHOUT THE 9 HR FLT, AND THEREFORE NO ALTERNATE WAS LISTED. THE MSP WX DID NOT IMPROVE. FLT EXPERIENCED HEADWINDS MUCH GREATER THAN FORECAST FOR A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE FLT. AT TIMES, THE HEADWINDS WERE 50-60 KTS HIGHER THAN FORECAST. BECAUSE OF THE HEADWINDS, THE FLT FELL BEHIND FLT PLAN FOR BOTH TIME AND FUEL BURN. OVER NE CANADA, FLT RECEIVED A STANDARD RE-RELEASE. THE PROPOSED RE-RELEASE NOW HAD RST LISTED AS AN ALTERNATE DUE TO THE DETERIORATING WX IN MSP. THE RE-RELEASE HAD 2 PROBS. THE FIRST PROB WAS THAT THE RE-RELEASE MINIMUM REQUIRED FUEL AT GW (THE RE- RELEASE POINT) WAS HIGHER THAN THE FUEL WE NOW PROJECTED TO HAVE REMAINING AT GW, AND SECOND, THE RE-RELEASE WOULD PUT THE FLT INTO THE ALTERNATE RST WITH ONLY 17300 LBS FUEL ON BOARD AT AN ARPT WITH A SHORT, WET RWY. THE RE- RELEASE WAS NOT ACCEPTED. FROM THE INITIAL REJECTION OF THE UNACCEPTABLE RE-RELEASE, WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DISPATCH FOR MORE THAN 300 MI (50 MINS) VIA ACARS, THEN VIA A HF PHONE PATCH. AT THIS POINT A SECOND RE-RELEASE WAS RECEIVED. THIS RE-RELEASE LOWERED THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FUEL ONLY 700 LBS AND NOW NAMED DLH AS THE ALTERNATE. IF WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GO TO DLH AFTER A MISSED APCH AT MSP, THE NEW RE-RELEASE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GO TO DLH AFTER A MISSED APCH AT MSP, THE NEW RE- RELEASE WOULD PUT US AT DLH WITH AN UNACCEPTABLE 14000 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING. AT THE TIME OF THIS SECOND RE- RELEASE, MSP WX HAD DROPPED TO 400 FT SCATTERED, 700 FT BROKEN, 2400 FT OVCST, 2 RAIN AND FOG, AND HAD BEEN STEADILY DECREASING ALL DAY. THIS SECOND RE-RELEASE WAS ALSO REJECTED AS WE WOULD STILL NOT HAVE EVEN THE NEW MINIMUM FUEL OF 67.3 AT GW. OVER FASSA, THE POINT JUST PRIOR TO GW, WE WERE 3700 LBS BELOW FLT PLAN FOR FUEL, WE HAD BEEN GETTING WORSE ON EVERY LEG, AND WE NOW PROJECTED GW WITH LESS THAN 67.0 FOB. WE CONFERRED WITH DISPATCH AND WITH THEIR CONCURRENCE, WE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO OUR ORIGINAL SHORT-RELEASE DEST OF YUL. ONE HR LATER, JUST PRIOR TO OUR DSCNT INTO MONTREAL, DISPATCH SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE RELAYING A MAINT REQUEST THAT WE GO TO DETROIT INSTEAD. AT THAT POINT WE WERE UNABLE TO CHANGE OUR DEST DUE TO LACK OF FUEL ON BOARD TO PROCEED TO DETROIT. WE LANDED AT YUL, REFUELED, AND HAD A MECH SIGN OFF DEFER OUR OUTSTANDING MAINT ITEMS. AFTER 1 1/2 HRS ON THE GND AT YUL, WE TOOK OFF AND PROCEEDED TO MSP. WE HAD PLENTY OF CAPACITY AT LGW TO HAVE LOADED MORE FUEL. NEXT TIME, WILL REQUIRE ALTERNATE WITH APPROPRIATE FUEL FOR AN ALTERNATE.

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.