Narrative:

Our company is reducing the amount of fuel on our flts to bare minimums. 'It's too costly to carry extra fuel' we are told. There is no room left for errors, gars, unforecast headwinds, extra vectoring, sequencing, etc. (No flying lower to avoid turbulence, anymore.) case in point: flight dfw to okc on mar/thu/97, legal fuel alright, but we landed with 1300 pounds, reserve fuel was 1460 pounds, 160 pounds into reserve fuel. Taxi fuel: 315 pounds, en route burn: 1163 pounds and reserve fuel: 1460 pounds for a total fuel of 2938 pounds. We left the gate with 3000 pounds, totally legal. After a 30 min taxi and burning 260 pounds, our FAA inspector, doing a line-check on the jump seat, started asking questions. I told him: 'another 55 pounds of burn and we are taxiing back to the gate.' he knew it. This being cost efficient is going to hurt someone. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is very concerned with reduced fuel loading. Apparently he has been enjoying landing with a sizeable margin of fuel over his far mandated reserve fuel. He is able to get more fuel before departure if he requests it. He seems to realize that reserve fuel is there for him to use. He is now aware of the FAA safety hot-line. He was concerned that his conversation might be recorded. The reporter has heard nothing from the FAA on this matter and the FAA inspector on the jump seat had no criticism.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ATR72 PLT IS CONCERNED THAT HIS ACR IS TIGHTENING UP ON THE AMOUNT OF RESERVE FUEL THAT HE CARRIES. AIRLINE OPERATIONAL PROC TIGHTEN UP ON FUEL LOAD SO THAT THE ACFT CAN FLY LIGHTER AND THEREFORE SAVE FUEL.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY IS REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON OUR FLTS TO BARE MINIMUMS. 'IT'S TOO COSTLY TO CARRY EXTRA FUEL' WE ARE TOLD. THERE IS NO ROOM LEFT FOR ERRORS, GARS, UNFORECAST HEADWINDS, EXTRA VECTORING, SEQUENCING, ETC. (NO FLYING LOWER TO AVOID TURB, ANYMORE.) CASE IN POINT: FLT DFW TO OKC ON MAR/THU/97, LEGAL FUEL ALRIGHT, BUT WE LANDED WITH 1300 LBS, RESERVE FUEL WAS 1460 LBS, 160 LBS INTO RESERVE FUEL. TAXI FUEL: 315 LBS, ENRTE BURN: 1163 LBS AND RESERVE FUEL: 1460 LBS FOR A TOTAL FUEL OF 2938 LBS. WE LEFT THE GATE WITH 3000 LBS, TOTALLY LEGAL. AFTER A 30 MIN TAXI AND BURNING 260 LBS, OUR FAA INSPECTOR, DOING A LINE-CHK ON THE JUMP SEAT, STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS. I TOLD HIM: 'ANOTHER 55 LBS OF BURN AND WE ARE TAXIING BACK TO THE GATE.' HE KNEW IT. THIS BEING COST EFFICIENT IS GOING TO HURT SOMEONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS VERY CONCERNED WITH REDUCED FUEL LOADING. APPARENTLY HE HAS BEEN ENJOYING LNDG WITH A SIZEABLE MARGIN OF FUEL OVER HIS FAR MANDATED RESERVE FUEL. HE IS ABLE TO GET MORE FUEL BEFORE DEP IF HE REQUESTS IT. HE SEEMS TO REALIZE THAT RESERVE FUEL IS THERE FOR HIM TO USE. HE IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOT-LINE. HE WAS CONCERNED THAT HIS CONVERSATION MIGHT BE RECORDED. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER AND THE FAA INSPECTOR ON THE JUMP SEAT HAD NO CRITICISM.

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.