Narrative:

Paperwork had no alternate and planned fuel of 10200 pounds. Personal knowledge of smf's location on the sacramento river and conditions of the low dew point; temperature spread; calm wind and night told me 'ground fog' may exist even though none was forecast. Added total fuel to 13500 pounds and listed oak as an alternate and flight operated uneventfully. But; the entire sacramento valley had had visibility of 1 to 5 miles with patchy fog as observed on flight WX. The smf WX next morning showed RVR of 1000 and 100 ft ceilings the previous night. Our landing fuel in smf would have been 4700 pounds if we had missed the approach in smf and gone to oak we would have been at 'emergency fuel' of 3000 pounds. It appears that fuel loads are based on WX forecasts about 16 hours old when the operation finally get to smf with no updates as WX changes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CAPT BELIEVES COMPANY FLT FUEL PLANNING FAILS TO TAKE POTENTIAL FOR FOGGY CONDITIONS AT SMF INTO CONSIDERATION.

Narrative: PAPERWORK HAD NO ALTERNATE AND PLANNED FUEL OF 10200 LBS. PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF SMF'S LOCATION ON THE SACRAMENTO RIVER AND CONDITIONS OF THE LOW DEW POINT; TEMP SPREAD; CALM WIND AND NIGHT TOLD ME 'GND FOG' MAY EXIST EVEN THOUGH NONE WAS FORECAST. ADDED TOTAL FUEL TO 13500 LBS AND LISTED OAK AS AN ALTERNATE AND FLT OPERATED UNEVENTFULLY. BUT; THE ENTIRE SACRAMENTO VALLEY HAD HAD VISIBILITY OF 1 TO 5 MILES WITH PATCHY FOG AS OBSERVED ON FLT WX. THE SMF WX NEXT MORNING SHOWED RVR OF 1000 AND 100 FT CEILINGS THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. OUR LNDG FUEL IN SMF WOULD HAVE BEEN 4700 LBS IF WE HAD MISSED THE APCH IN SMF AND GONE TO OAK WE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT 'EMER FUEL' OF 3000 LBS. IT APPEARS THAT FUEL LOADS ARE BASED ON WX FORECASTS ABOUT 16 HOURS OLD WHEN THE OPERATION FINALLY GET TO SMF WITH NO UPDATES AS WX CHANGES.

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.