<< >> NASA ASRS Report 371637, June 1997

Flight crew of widebody transport aircraft has problem maintaining air speed and possible problem with fuel. They declare an emergency to descend.

Attributes
ACN	371637
Time
Date	199706
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ihd
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 41000 msl bound upper : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other 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 : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	371637
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Climbed to FL410 to help ATC, and to stay on top of cloud layer. Gross weight at the time was maximum for that altitude. We were later given a clearance to hold at ihd. After the first turn in holding pattern I began to consider fuel remaining and alternate airports. During this period IAS began to decay and I felt I would be unable to recover speed with added thrust alone. With another aircraft holding at FL390 I had to declare an emergency to get a lower altitude. To some degree this came about due to my relying on the autothrottle and FMC to handle the situation, and not taking timely action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF WDB ACFT HAS PROB MAINTAINING AIR SPD AND POSSIBLE PROB WITH FUEL. THEY DECLARE AN EMER TO DSND.

Narrative: CLBED TO FL410 TO HELP ATC, AND TO STAY ON TOP OF CLOUD LAYER. GROSS WT AT THE TIME WAS MAX FOR THAT ALT. WE WERE LATER GIVEN A CLRNC TO HOLD AT IHD. AFTER THE FIRST TURN IN HOLDING PATTERN I BEGAN TO CONSIDER FUEL REMAINING AND ALTERNATE ARPTS. DURING THIS PERIOD IAS BEGAN TO DECAY AND I FELT I WOULD BE UNABLE TO RECOVER SPD WITH ADDED THRUST ALONE. WITH ANOTHER ACFT HOLDING AT FL390 I HAD TO DECLARE AN EMER TO GET A LOWER ALT. TO SOME DEGREE THIS CAME ABOUT DUE TO MY RELYING ON THE AUTOTHROTTLE AND FMC TO HANDLE THE SIT, AND NOT TAKING TIMELY ACTION.

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.