An amended clearance for a route change from a mod 2 to a goldn 4 arrival was refused by the PIC of ...

Attributes
ACN	545422
Time
Date	200204
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zlc.artcc navaid : mva.vortac
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	arrival star : mod.mod 2
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Airspace Structure

Narrative:

Flight was filed on nrp over MVA then the MOD2 arrival to sfo. ATC called with rerte to fmg and the goldn 4 arrival. Captain refused clearance and said we wanted to stay on the nrp. ATC said we had to either declare a low fuel emergency or accept the rerte. Captain said he did not want to declare an emergency but also would not accept the clearance. I told the captain that I didn't think he had the authority/authorized to refuse a clearance just because we were on the nrp and I thought he should accept the clearance and fight it out after the trip was over. He insisted on remaining on the filed route and told ATC we would have to confer with dispatch about the fuel before accepting the rerte. Dispatch was unable to provide us with a different fuel burn if we accepted the route, so the captain decided that he would not accept the rerte without getting that information from dispatch. We never talked to ATC again about the situation and they never brought it up gain -- they just left us on the original filed route. There needs to be better communication to the pilots as to what our authority/authorized is on an nrp, and ATC needs to take into consideration that a rerte of that magnitude (an extra 20 mins or so) may impact our fuel state to an uncomfortable point without us needing to declare an emergency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AMENDED CLRNC FOR A RTE CHANGE FROM A MOD 2 TO A GOLDN 4 ARR WAS REFUSED BY THE PIC OF B767 BECAUSE OF INCREASED TIME AND FUEL BURN FROM OVER MVA, UT.

Narrative: FLT WAS FILED ON NRP OVER MVA THEN THE MOD2 ARR TO SFO. ATC CALLED WITH RERTE TO FMG AND THE GOLDN 4 ARR. CAPT REFUSED CLRNC AND SAID WE WANTED TO STAY ON THE NRP. ATC SAID WE HAD TO EITHER DECLARE A LOW FUEL EMER OR ACCEPT THE RERTE. CAPT SAID HE DID NOT WANT TO DECLARE AN EMER BUT ALSO WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE CLRNC. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I DIDN'T THINK HE HAD THE AUTH TO REFUSE A CLRNC JUST BECAUSE WE WERE ON THE NRP AND I THOUGHT HE SHOULD ACCEPT THE CLRNC AND FIGHT IT OUT AFTER THE TRIP WAS OVER. HE INSISTED ON REMAINING ON THE FILED RTE AND TOLD ATC WE WOULD HAVE TO CONFER WITH DISPATCH ABOUT THE FUEL BEFORE ACCEPTING THE RERTE. DISPATCH WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH A DIFFERENT FUEL BURN IF WE ACCEPTED THE RTE, SO THE CAPT DECIDED THAT HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE RERTE WITHOUT GETTING THAT INFO FROM DISPATCH. WE NEVER TALKED TO ATC AGAIN ABOUT THE SIT AND THEY NEVER BROUGHT IT UP GAIN -- THEY JUST LEFT US ON THE ORIGINAL FILED RTE. THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER COM TO THE PLTS AS TO WHAT OUR AUTH IS ON AN NRP, AND ATC NEEDS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT A RERTE OF THAT MAGNITUDE (AN EXTRA 20 MINS OR SO) MAY IMPACT OUR FUEL STATE TO AN UNCOMFORTABLE POINT WITHOUT US NEEDING TO DECLARE AN EMER.

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.

An amended clearance for a route change from a mod 2 to a goldn 4 arrival was refused by the PIC of B767 because of increased time and fuel burn from over MVA, ut.