Flight crew of A320 experience excessive ground delays awaiting final weight manifest revision. Resu...

Attributes
ACN	671341
Time
Date	200509
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	671341
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

On flight from den to bwi; we had a problem with load planning. It took us 34 minutes to receive our final weights. During this time we questioned load planning via the radio and ACARS several times. All we kept getting as a response was; they were working on it (no estimate of when they would get the numbers to us). All this time we were running on two engines. We had taxied out on one and started the second as we approached the runway anticipating no delay. Our fuel on board was planned at the minimum allowable for WX (45 minutes of reserve and 15 minutes of contingency). When we finally received our weights; the ZFW increased enough that we had to call dispatch and get new burn numbers. Our burnout increased by 300 pounds and with the delay of running both engines we had burned into our 15 minutes of contingency. Den now changed its configuration for takeoff and we had to taxi to a new runway. At takeoff we were at our 45 minutes of far reserve. This delay not only cost us 900 pounds of gas but also made us late in bwi for our arrival and departure. It could have been even worse of a delay if I had to go back to the gate and get more fuel. The only good thing that came our of this was the bwi did a great job in turning us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF A320 EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE GND DELAYS AWAITING FINAL WT MANIFEST REVISION. RESULTS IN TOTAL CONSUMPTION OF PLANNED CONTINGENCY FUEL; A LATE TKOF AND ARR AND DEPARTING WITH LESS THAN PLANNED FUEL.

Narrative: ON FLT FROM DEN TO BWI; WE HAD A PROB WITH LOAD PLANNING. IT TOOK US 34 MINUTES TO RECEIVE OUR FINAL WTS. DURING THIS TIME WE QUESTIONED LOAD PLANNING VIA THE RADIO AND ACARS SEVERAL TIMES. ALL WE KEPT GETTING AS A RESPONSE WAS; THEY WERE WORKING ON IT (NO ESTIMATE OF WHEN THEY WOULD GET THE NUMBERS TO US). ALL THIS TIME WE WERE RUNNING ON TWO ENGINES. WE HAD TAXIED OUT ON ONE AND STARTED THE SECOND AS WE APCHED THE RWY ANTICIPATING NO DELAY. OUR FUEL ON BOARD WAS PLANNED AT THE MINIMUM ALLOWABLE FOR WX (45 MINUTES OF RESERVE AND 15 MINUTES OF CONTINGENCY). WHEN WE FINALLY RECEIVED OUR WTS; THE ZFW INCREASED ENOUGH THAT WE HAD TO CALL DISPATCH AND GET NEW BURN NUMBERS. OUR BURNOUT INCREASED BY 300 LBS AND WITH THE DELAY OF RUNNING BOTH ENGINES WE HAD BURNED INTO OUR 15 MINUTES OF CONTINGENCY. DEN NOW CHANGED ITS CONFIGURATION FOR TAKEOFF AND WE HAD TO TAXI TO A NEW RWY. AT TAKEOFF WE WERE AT OUR 45 MINUTES OF FAR RESERVE. THIS DELAY NOT ONLY COST US 900 LBS OF GAS BUT ALSO MADE US LATE IN BWI FOR OUR ARR AND DEP. IT COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN WORSE OF A DELAY IF I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE GATE AND GET MORE FUEL. THE ONLY GOOD THING THAT CAME OUR OF THIS WAS THE BWI DID A GREAT JOB IN TURNING US.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Flight crew of A320 experience excessive ground delays awaiting final weight manifest revision. Results in total consumption of planned contingency fuel; a late takeoff and arrival and departing with less than planned fuel.