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An air carrier pilot describes air carrier mgmt pressuring dispatchers to flight plan min fuel and allow additional fuel only at captain's request.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 764900 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200712 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Ice |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 135 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 764900 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Weather |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Planning flight from ZZZ to stl; noticed following local WX with forecast not much different: stl metar xx XA51Z 00000KT 3SM br OVC007 M01/M03 A3030 rmk AO2 SLP270. While reviewing release; noticed that the dispatcher had selected an alternate that was appropriate but cut the dispatch add to 14 minutes and maintained the new 'management induced' fuel profile of only 10 minutes of hold.....no consideration for the forecast WX was given as management has directed dispatchers not to touch the profile fuel unless the captain asks for more. The dispatcher was contacted; fuel added to hold column. Dispatch has been pressured into allowing management to dictate fuel loads placing the full brunt of 'catching' the shortfall and take responsibility for the added fuel to the release on the captain. This 'wait and see' to save money is causing some to divert needlessly since the fuel 'profile' implemented by management does not fit the realities of the operation. FAA intervention to prevent air carrier management from interfering with and pressuring dispatch into releasing aircraft without adequate holding fuel without captain 're-dispatching' fuel for flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR PLT DESCRIBES ACR MGMT PRESSURING DISPATCHERS TO FLT PLAN MIN FUEL AND ALLOW ADDITIONAL FUEL ONLY AT CAPT'S REQUEST.
Narrative: PLANNING FLT FROM ZZZ TO STL; NOTICED FOLLOWING LOCAL WX WITH FORECAST NOT MUCH DIFFERENT: STL METAR XX XA51Z 00000KT 3SM BR OVC007 M01/M03 A3030 RMK AO2 SLP270. WHILE REVIEWING RELEASE; NOTICED THAT THE DISPATCHER HAD SELECTED AN ALTERNATE THAT WAS APPROPRIATE BUT CUT THE DISPATCH ADD TO 14 MINUTES AND MAINTAINED THE NEW 'MANAGEMENT INDUCED' FUEL PROFILE OF ONLY 10 MINUTES OF HOLD.....NO CONSIDERATION FOR THE FORECAST WX WAS GIVEN AS MANAGEMENT HAS DIRECTED DISPATCHERS NOT TO TOUCH THE PROFILE FUEL UNLESS THE CAPT ASKS FOR MORE. THE DISPATCHER WAS CONTACTED; FUEL ADDED TO HOLD COLUMN. DISPATCH HAS BEEN PRESSURED INTO ALLOWING MANAGEMENT TO DICTATE FUEL LOADS PLACING THE FULL BRUNT OF 'CATCHING' THE SHORTFALL AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADDED FUEL TO THE RELEASE ON THE CAPT. THIS 'WAIT AND SEE' TO SAVE MONEY IS CAUSING SOME TO DIVERT NEEDLESSLY SINCE THE FUEL 'PROFILE' IMPLEMENTED BY MANAGEMENT DOES NOT FIT THE REALITIES OF THE OPERATION. FAA INTERVENTION TO PREVENT ACR MANAGEMENT FROM INTERFERING WITH AND PRESSURING DISPATCH INTO RELEASING ACFT WITHOUT ADEQUATE HOLDING FUEL WITHOUT CAPT 'RE-DISPATCHING' FUEL FOR FLT.
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.