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When the flight crew of a B737-300 advised ARTCC radar controller that they did not have sufficient fuel to take delayed routing proposed due to WX and traffic, controller declared an emergency for crew in order to get direct routing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 441301 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199906 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : mci.vortac |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j80.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 441301 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quanity gauges |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
We were under control of ATC (I think ZKC) and they gave us a rerte for WX and en route spacing into den. The rerte sent us way south to alamosa and our FMS and our own calculations determined that with the rerte we did not have enough fuel to be legal to fly to den and cos (alternate). We asked for a better route and they told us unable. ATC then asked if we were an emergency aircraft. We stated no. They said we could not proceed to den on a more direct routing unless we declared a fuel emergency. Captain stated that we were dispatched legally with enough fuel to land at den and also have alternate fuel for cos. ATC gave us direct den and declared us an emergency aircraft. The rerte would have brought us some 100-150 mi off our original course which most aircraft would not be able to comply with without stopping short of their original destination.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WHEN THE FLC OF A B737-300 ADVISED ARTCC RADAR CTLR THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL TO TAKE DELAYED ROUTING PROPOSED DUE TO WX AND TFC, CTLR DECLARED AN EMER FOR CREW IN ORDER TO GET DIRECT ROUTING.
Narrative: WE WERE UNDER CTL OF ATC (I THINK ZKC) AND THEY GAVE US A RERTE FOR WX AND ENRTE SPACING INTO DEN. THE RERTE SENT US WAY S TO ALAMOSA AND OUR FMS AND OUR OWN CALCULATIONS DETERMINED THAT WITH THE RERTE WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO BE LEGAL TO FLY TO DEN AND COS (ALTERNATE). WE ASKED FOR A BETTER RTE AND THEY TOLD US UNABLE. ATC THEN ASKED IF WE WERE AN EMER ACFT. WE STATED NO. THEY SAID WE COULD NOT PROCEED TO DEN ON A MORE DIRECT ROUTING UNLESS WE DECLARED A FUEL EMER. CAPT STATED THAT WE WERE DISPATCHED LEGALLY WITH ENOUGH FUEL TO LAND AT DEN AND ALSO HAVE ALTERNATE FUEL FOR COS. ATC GAVE US DIRECT DEN AND DECLARED US AN EMER ACFT. THE RERTE WOULD HAVE BROUGHT US SOME 100-150 MI OFF OUR ORIGINAL COURSE WHICH MOST ACFT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH WITHOUT STOPPING SHORT OF THEIR ORIGINAL DEST.
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.