FLC OF AN LGT DECLARED A MINIMUM FUEL STATUS DURING HOLDS AND DELAYS DURING A STAR APCH RESULTING IN SUCCESSFULLY LNDG WITH NO FUEL PROB.

1996-04 · NASA ASRS report 334537

Date: 1996-04 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-unspecified

Synopsis

FLC OF AN LGT DECLARED A MINIMUM FUEL STATUS DURING HOLDS AND DELAYS DURING A STAR APCH RESULTING IN SUCCESSFULLY LNDG WITH NO FUEL PROB.

Narrative

FLT FROM SAN-MSP; NO SIGNIFICANT WX INDICATED ON FORECAST. ROUTINE FLT UNTIL APCHING MSP. SEVERAL ACFT INCLUDING US WERE PUT INTO HOLDING PATTERN AT RWF FOR A SHORT DELAY FOR TSTM AND RAIN MOVING THROUGH MSP ARPT AREA. DEPARTED HOLDING INBOUND MSP ON SLIGHTLY EXTENDED RTE TO REMAIN CLR OF SMALL LINE OF TSTM CELLS; THEN GIVEN ADDITIONAL DELAY VECTOR FOR DEPARTING TFC. FUEL GETTING CLOSE TO MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR INBOUND; ALTERNATE AND RESERVE. CONTACTED COMPANY DISPATCH FOR ASSISTANCE AND UPDATED ON GND SIT. DISPATCH CHANGED OUR ALTERNATE TO A MORE DISTANT ALTERNATE DUE TO WX MOVING TOWARD ORIGINAL FIELD ALTERNATE. THIS PUT US BELOW FUEL REQUIREMENTS; HOWEVER; OUR DEST ARPT WAS NOW IN SIGHT FOR A VISUAL APCH. TO AVOID GETTING DEEPER INTO A LOW FUEL NUMBERS GAME WE DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL.' APCH CTL SOON CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH. WE LANDED WITH NO FURTHER DELAYS OR PROBS. WE NEVER TRULY WERE IN A 'MINIMUM FUEL' DANGEROUS FUEL STATE BUT RATHER WERE INTO THE AREA OF NOT MEETING THE APCH-GAR-GO TO ALTERNATE AND RESERVE FUEL ON BOARD REQUIREMENTS DUE TO THE NEW ALTERNATE. I MAY HAVE USED THE 'MINIMUM FUEL' CALL WHEN NOT REALLY NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE.

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

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