Narrative:

The computer; without further input from dispatcher/captain; will flight plan flight to arrive at the destination alternate for vidp with reserve fuel; and it will allow as little as a 1/4 hour holding time at vidp. That's from personal experience. My thinking: I will arrive at the destination alternate 1 hour before I run out of fuel; not 30 mins (or 45 mins: B43 reserves). The ATC system in india allows no closer margin. This is; in round numbers; 12000 pounds of fuel in our aircraft. The situation: destination alternates (again: round numbers) for vidp are not close. Vijp is 45 mins (8000 pounds) away; viar or opla 1 hour (12000 pounds) and vaah 1 1/2 hours (18000 pounds). Our duty day is already scheduled to be 16 hours 25 mins. Hold at vidp with available fuel; fly to; say; viar and you're easily 18 or more hours into your duty day. To return to vidp will be another 1 hour flight; so you have less than 1 hour on the ground before crew duty day is met and the flight grounded. Going to a destination alternate on flight XXX is a 1-WAY trip. On flight XXX we were planned with 25 mins holding at vidp with room to put more fuel on board. Had we taken the plan as given and flown it as planned (we were fortunate in this instance to save considerable fuel en route which; of course; cannot be expected every trip) we would not have been able to land in vidp and would have ended up in viar. There were normal to minimal delays (for vidp) that night. We had added fuel before departure and landed in vidp. The danger: a captain will accept the flight as planned and get caught short in vidp. It can be deceiving -- what looks like normal; 'no problem' traffic for another destination can easily turn into 1 hour or more of fooling around to get on the ground in vidp. The captain ends up into his reserve fuel. Something happens causing longer delay and it's 'mayday; mayday; mayday' time. Worst case is; well; very bad. Answer: vidp cannot be treated like arriving egll or ord. It's a special case airport that needs special attention. The normal fuel load should be enough to hold in vidp for at least 1 hour; arriving at the alternate with 1 hour of fuel. If the load will not allow this to happen then a fuel truck should be standing by; at the aircraft; so that if the load falls off the additional fuel can be quickly loaded on. Crews should be cautioned that bingo fuel is bingo fuel; go to the alternate if you get there; don't press the mission. And; operations should be ready to handle a stranded airplane in a location with no company staff; because; as I said; it'll be a 1-WAY trip unless we have a miracle happen on the ground. I've been there enough not to expect a miracle. I've heard enough anecdotal stories of crews pressing the mission to land in vidp; eliminating the option of an alternate airport; that cause me serious concern. The company standard procedure of dispatching a flight; as though going to the alternate; was considered a normal option and is helping to corner the crew into taking chances that should not be taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WIDEBODY INT'L CAPT BELIEVES HIS COMPANY FUEL POLICY RESULTS IN INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR FLIGHTS TO VIDP.

Narrative: THE COMPUTER; WITHOUT FURTHER INPUT FROM DISPATCHER/CAPT; WILL FLT PLAN FLT TO ARRIVE AT THE DEST ALTERNATE FOR VIDP WITH RESERVE FUEL; AND IT WILL ALLOW AS LITTLE AS A 1/4 HR HOLDING TIME AT VIDP. THAT'S FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. MY THINKING: I WILL ARRIVE AT THE DEST ALTERNATE 1 HR BEFORE I RUN OUT OF FUEL; NOT 30 MINS (OR 45 MINS: B43 RESERVES). THE ATC SYS IN INDIA ALLOWS NO CLOSER MARGIN. THIS IS; IN ROUND NUMBERS; 12000 LBS OF FUEL IN OUR ACFT. THE SITUATION: DEST ALTERNATES (AGAIN: ROUND NUMBERS) FOR VIDP ARE NOT CLOSE. VIJP IS 45 MINS (8000 LBS) AWAY; VIAR OR OPLA 1 HR (12000 LBS) AND VAAH 1 1/2 HRS (18000 LBS). OUR DUTY DAY IS ALREADY SCHEDULED TO BE 16 HRS 25 MINS. HOLD AT VIDP WITH AVAILABLE FUEL; FLY TO; SAY; VIAR AND YOU'RE EASILY 18 OR MORE HRS INTO YOUR DUTY DAY. TO RETURN TO VIDP WILL BE ANOTHER 1 HR FLT; SO YOU HAVE LESS THAN 1 HR ON THE GND BEFORE CREW DUTY DAY IS MET AND THE FLT GNDED. GOING TO A DEST ALTERNATE ON FLT XXX IS A 1-WAY TRIP. ON FLT XXX WE WERE PLANNED WITH 25 MINS HOLDING AT VIDP WITH ROOM TO PUT MORE FUEL ON BOARD. HAD WE TAKEN THE PLAN AS GIVEN AND FLOWN IT AS PLANNED (WE WERE FORTUNATE IN THIS INSTANCE TO SAVE CONSIDERABLE FUEL ENRTE WHICH; OF COURSE; CANNOT BE EXPECTED EVERY TRIP) WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LAND IN VIDP AND WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN VIAR. THERE WERE NORMAL TO MINIMAL DELAYS (FOR VIDP) THAT NIGHT. WE HAD ADDED FUEL BEFORE DEP AND LANDED IN VIDP. THE DANGER: A CAPT WILL ACCEPT THE FLT AS PLANNED AND GET CAUGHT SHORT IN VIDP. IT CAN BE DECEIVING -- WHAT LOOKS LIKE NORMAL; 'NO PROB' TFC FOR ANOTHER DEST CAN EASILY TURN INTO 1 HR OR MORE OF FOOLING AROUND TO GET ON THE GND IN VIDP. THE CAPT ENDS UP INTO HIS RESERVE FUEL. SOMETHING HAPPENS CAUSING LONGER DELAY AND IT'S 'MAYDAY; MAYDAY; MAYDAY' TIME. WORST CASE IS; WELL; VERY BAD. ANSWER: VIDP CANNOT BE TREATED LIKE ARRIVING EGLL OR ORD. IT'S A SPECIAL CASE ARPT THAT NEEDS SPECIAL ATTN. THE NORMAL FUEL LOAD SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO HOLD IN VIDP FOR AT LEAST 1 HR; ARRIVING AT THE ALTERNATE WITH 1 HR OF FUEL. IF THE LOAD WILL NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN THEN A FUEL TRUCK SHOULD BE STANDING BY; AT THE ACFT; SO THAT IF THE LOAD FALLS OFF THE ADDITIONAL FUEL CAN BE QUICKLY LOADED ON. CREWS SHOULD BE CAUTIONED THAT BINGO FUEL IS BINGO FUEL; GO TO THE ALTERNATE IF YOU GET THERE; DON'T PRESS THE MISSION. AND; OPS SHOULD BE READY TO HANDLE A STRANDED AIRPLANE IN A LOCATION WITH NO COMPANY STAFF; BECAUSE; AS I SAID; IT'LL BE A 1-WAY TRIP UNLESS WE HAVE A MIRACLE HAPPEN ON THE GND. I'VE BEEN THERE ENOUGH NOT TO EXPECT A MIRACLE. I'VE HEARD ENOUGH ANECDOTAL STORIES OF CREWS PRESSING THE MISSION TO LAND IN VIDP; ELIMINATING THE OPTION OF AN ALTERNATE ARPT; THAT CAUSE ME SERIOUS CONCERN. THE COMPANY STANDARD PROC OF DISPATCHING A FLT; AS THOUGH GOING TO THE ALTERNATE; WAS CONSIDERED A NORMAL OPTION AND IS HELPING TO CORNER THE CREW INTO TAKING CHANCES THAT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN.

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.