Emergency declared account low fuel on diversion to alternate.

Attributes
ACN	81003
Time
Date	198801
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rav
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 206 flight time total : 14223 flight time type : 9522
ASRS Report	81003
Person 2
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Just prior to reaching woodstown VOR, phl WX dropped below landing minimums and approach control issued a holding clearance. While holding I contacted dispatch and asked if I should use syr as alternate as planned or possible ewr or bwi as only 6 of 147 passenger were booked to roc, the next leg of this flight. Was told by dispatch to use roc as alternate. Should have asked dispatch for new fuel to alternate, but didn't and none was given. Dispatch release showed missed and alternate fuel to syr as 6700 pounds and 45 mins reserve as 6800#. Departed ood VOR for roc with 14000#. Roc is a little farther from phl than syr, but as I didn't make a missed approach, I should have had adequate fuel to reach roc according to dispatch release. However the routing to roc was not dir and I did not get a high fuel efficient altitude. This was due to heavy e-w traffic in and out of the nyc-bos area. After receiving vectors off course to the west, fuel down to 9000 pounds, on a course almost 90 degrees from the direction I wanted to be going and still over PA, I declared an emergency due to low fuel and asked for vectors dir to roc. Landed in roc with 4100# of fuel, about 25 mins remaining at the most. 2 days later on a different flight under similar circumstance while holding at ood VOR, alternate was changed by dispatch to syr and I asked for new fuel to alternate and was told 9000 pounds. In this case though we were able to land at phl. In the future I intend to be more diligent in checking alternate and reserve fuel as well as fuel to destination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMERGENCY DECLARED ACCOUNT LOW FUEL ON DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO REACHING WOODSTOWN VOR, PHL WX DROPPED BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS AND APCH CTL ISSUED A HOLDING CLRNC. WHILE HOLDING I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND ASKED IF I SHOULD USE SYR AS ALTERNATE AS PLANNED OR POSSIBLE EWR OR BWI AS ONLY 6 OF 147 PAX WERE BOOKED TO ROC, THE NEXT LEG OF THIS FLT. WAS TOLD BY DISPATCH TO USE ROC AS ALTERNATE. SHOULD HAVE ASKED DISPATCH FOR NEW FUEL TO ALTERNATE, BUT DIDN'T AND NONE WAS GIVEN. DISPATCH RELEASE SHOWED MISSED AND ALTERNATE FUEL TO SYR AS 6700 LBS AND 45 MINS RESERVE AS 6800#. DEPARTED OOD VOR FOR ROC WITH 14000#. ROC IS A LITTLE FARTHER FROM PHL THAN SYR, BUT AS I DIDN'T MAKE A MISSED APCH, I SHOULD HAVE HAD ADEQUATE FUEL TO REACH ROC ACCORDING TO DISPATCH RELEASE. HOWEVER THE ROUTING TO ROC WAS NOT DIR AND I DID NOT GET A HIGH FUEL EFFICIENT ALT. THIS WAS DUE TO HEAVY E-W TFC IN AND OUT OF THE NYC-BOS AREA. AFTER RECEIVING VECTORS OFF COURSE TO THE W, FUEL DOWN TO 9000 LBS, ON A COURSE ALMOST 90 DEGS FROM THE DIRECTION I WANTED TO BE GOING AND STILL OVER PA, I DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO LOW FUEL AND ASKED FOR VECTORS DIR TO ROC. LANDED IN ROC WITH 4100# OF FUEL, ABOUT 25 MINS REMAINING AT THE MOST. 2 DAYS LATER ON A DIFFERENT FLT UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE WHILE HOLDING AT OOD VOR, ALTERNATE WAS CHANGED BY DISPATCH TO SYR AND I ASKED FOR NEW FUEL TO ALTERNATE AND WAS TOLD 9000 LBS. IN THIS CASE THOUGH WE WERE ABLE TO LAND AT PHL. IN THE FUTURE I INTEND TO BE MORE DILIGENT IN CHKING ALTERNATE AND RESERVE FUEL AS WELL AS FUEL TO DEST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.