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Delays during taxi-out and extensive vectoring for WX after departure caused B732 crew to divert to aus for fuel before continuing to destination.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 586752 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200307 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : aus.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm Ice |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time type : 18000 |
| ASRS Report | 586752 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 2200 |
| ASRS Report | 586751 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Clearance delivery gave us a rerte on our iah-dal route. I took a calculation of our fuel load, and decided with the contingency fuel onboard, we could safely fly the new route without getting additional fuel. Now events started to play against us. From pushback to takeoff was 51 mins due to heavy departure traffic from iah. Before takeoff, I made another fuel calculation and figured we still had enough for our new filed rteing. Once airborne though, instead of our rteing of spurs and jen, we were given vectors due west. After passing over austin, we still could not get back on course toward dallas, probably due to the backlog of traffic, then to the WX, which didn't look that bad. Soon we heard that air traffic was holding over jen. At that point, I realized diverting to aus was a better course of action. We landed in aus without further difficulty. Hindsight being wonderful, I should have gotten more fuel in iah before leaving. If anyone of the other factors, ie, extensive ground delays, being vectored out of our way, holding at jen, had not presented itself, it would have been fine. Unfortunately, they worked against us. Supplemental information from acn 586751: I think next time, I will insist that we get dispatch involved right away.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DELAYS DURING TAXI-OUT AND EXTENSIVE VECTORING FOR WX AFTER DEP CAUSED B732 CREW TO DIVERT TO AUS FOR FUEL BEFORE CONTINUING TO DEST.
Narrative: CLRNC DELIVERY GAVE US A RERTE ON OUR IAH-DAL RTE. I TOOK A CALCULATION OF OUR FUEL LOAD, AND DECIDED WITH THE CONTINGENCY FUEL ONBOARD, WE COULD SAFELY FLY THE NEW RTE WITHOUT GETTING ADDITIONAL FUEL. NOW EVENTS STARTED TO PLAY AGAINST US. FROM PUSHBACK TO TKOF WAS 51 MINS DUE TO HEAVY DEP TFC FROM IAH. BEFORE TKOF, I MADE ANOTHER FUEL CALCULATION AND FIGURED WE STILL HAD ENOUGH FOR OUR NEW FILED RTEING. ONCE AIRBORNE THOUGH, INSTEAD OF OUR RTEING OF SPURS AND JEN, WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS DUE W. AFTER PASSING OVER AUSTIN, WE STILL COULD NOT GET BACK ON COURSE TOWARD DALLAS, PROBABLY DUE TO THE BACKLOG OF TFC, THEN TO THE WX, WHICH DIDN'T LOOK THAT BAD. SOON WE HEARD THAT AIR TFC WAS HOLDING OVER JEN. AT THAT POINT, I REALIZED DIVERTING TO AUS WAS A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION. WE LANDED IN AUS WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY. HINDSIGHT BEING WONDERFUL, I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE FUEL IN IAH BEFORE LEAVING. IF ANYONE OF THE OTHER FACTORS, IE, EXTENSIVE GND DELAYS, BEING VECTORED OUT OF OUR WAY, HOLDING AT JEN, HAD NOT PRESENTED ITSELF, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY WORKED AGAINST US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 586751: I THINK NEXT TIME, I WILL INSIST THAT WE GET DISPATCH INVOLVED RIGHT AWAY.
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.