FLC OF ACR LGT CLAIM THEY DID NOT GET THE EXPEDITED CLRNC THEY EXPECTED AFTER ADVISING ATC 'THEY WOULD SOON HAVE TO GO TO THEIR ALTERNATE.'

Date: 1991-08 · Aircraft: Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

FLC OF ACR LGT CLAIM THEY DID NOT GET THE EXPEDITED CLRNC THEY EXPECTED AFTER ADVISING ATC 'THEY WOULD SOON HAVE TO GO TO THEIR ALTERNATE.'

Narrative

FLT WAS OPERATING ON A RERELEASE FLT PLAN FROM EGCC-KJFK. THE RERELEASE POINT WAS PQI AT WHICH TIME WE HAD OVER 2000 POUNDS MORE FUEL THAN REQUIRED; SO WE CONTINUED TO DEST. UPON ARR AT TRAIT INTXN; WE WERE PUT IN HOLDING AND SUBSEQUENTLY DSNDED IN THE STACK. WE KEPT CLOSE WATCH ON OUR FUEL AND ADVISED NY THAT WE WOULD SOON HAVE TO GO TO OUR ALTERNATE. OUR EFC TIME WAS ALSO OUR DIVERT TIME; BUT NY TOLD US THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER DELAY. WE WERE TAKEN OUT OF HOLDING AND HEADED TOWARD JFK; BUT THEY STARTED VECTORING US AGAIN. SINCE THE WX WAS GOOD AND OUR ALTERNATE WAS EWR WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE FOR THE MOMENT; BUT WE DID DECLARE MIN FUEL. THE VECTORING CONTINUED AND THEY TRIED TO TAKE US TO CRI FOR A VOR 13 APCH. WE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE FINAL FOR RWY 4 AND GOT IT SO WE CONTINUED TO JFK. WE LANDED 2500 POUNDS BELOW OUR NORMAL MIN. EVER SINCE ACR CRASHED AT JFK; THERE HAS BEEN A HEIGHTENED AWARENESS OF FUEL LEVELS; BUT JFK DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE LEARNED MUCH. I REALIZE THEY ARE VERY BUSY; BUT IF AN ACFT HAS DECLARED MIN FUEL; THE CTLRS SHOULD BE STRAIGHT WITH THEM. IF THE WX IS GOOD AND THERE ARE NO OTHER OBVIOUS PROBLEMS; THE PLTS HAVE TO RELY ON WHAT THEY ARE TOLD. NO DELAYS MEANS YOU GO STRAIGHT TO THE ARPT; NOT YOU WILL GET VECTORED ALL OVER THE SKY AND COVER AN EXTRA 80-100 MI ON THE WAY. YOU SHOULD ALSO EXPECT TO GO TO THE CLOSEST AVAILABLE RWY; NOT THE FARTHEST (ATIS SAID BOTH 13 AND 4 WERE ACTIVE FOR ARRS). AT ALL POINTS IN THIS APCH; WE DISCUSSED OUR OWN POINTS AT WHICH WE WOULD DIVERT. THE CTLRS KEPT BARELY MAKING OUR MINS BUT THEN WOULD DELAY OUR PROGRESS TOWARD OUR NEXT MIN. I REALIZE 'MIN FUEL' IS NOT AN EMER; BUT IT IS INDICATIVE OF A PENDING EMER AND SHOULD BE HANDLED IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER WITH FULL DISCLOSURE TO THE CREW.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.