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B737-700 captain believes arrival at sna -- nearly compromised by convective WX -- without a planned alternate; indicates company fuel policy may not be cost effective.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 725772 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200701 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sna.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground other : post flt |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 725772 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Company Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Filed to sna with no alternate on file with sna forecast showing 2000 ft scat; 5 NM. Departed with 10500 fuel onboard. With 10400 required. Arrived in sna with 4460 (APU off for entire flight) despite shaving off miles and time with shortcuts and directs. On arrival; surface visibility was variable from 1 to 5 NM due to the sun and haze layer. A thunderstorm 20 miles south of sna was showing heavy rain at the time of our landing and was only 5 NM away on departure one hour later. Any go around in sna or diversion due to WX would have resulted in declaring a fuel emergency. My estimated saving by reducing fuel load with no alternate is about $25 dollars per leg. Seems like one diversion to refuel would cancel out any savings for the year. It is worth the 'savings?' I will be hard pressed to accept this trip without an alternate ever again.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-700 CAPT BELIEVES ARR AT SNA -- NEARLY COMPROMISED BY CONVECTIVE WX -- WITHOUT A PLANNED ALTERNATE; INDICATES COMPANY FUEL POLICY MAY NOT BE COST EFFECTIVE.
Narrative: FILED TO SNA WITH NO ALTERNATE ON FILE WITH SNA FORECAST SHOWING 2000 FT SCAT; 5 NM. DEPARTED WITH 10500 FUEL ONBOARD. WITH 10400 REQUIRED. ARRIVED IN SNA WITH 4460 (APU OFF FOR ENTIRE FLT) DESPITE SHAVING OFF MILES AND TIME WITH SHORTCUTS AND DIRECTS. ON ARR; SURFACE VISIBILITY WAS VARIABLE FROM 1 TO 5 NM DUE TO THE SUN AND HAZE LAYER. A THUNDERSTORM 20 MILES S OF SNA WAS SHOWING HEAVY RAIN AT THE TIME OF OUR LNDG AND WAS ONLY 5 NM AWAY ON DEP ONE HOUR LATER. ANY GAR IN SNA OR DIVERSION DUE TO WX WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN DECLARING A FUEL EMER. MY ESTIMATED SAVING BY REDUCING FUEL LOAD WITH NO ALTERNATE IS ABOUT $25 DOLLARS PER LEG. SEEMS LIKE ONE DIVERSION TO REFUEL WOULD CANCEL OUT ANY SAVINGS FOR THE YEAR. IT IS WORTH THE 'SAVINGS?' I WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO ACCEPT THIS TRIP WITHOUT AN ALTERNATE EVER AGAIN.
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.