LGT FLC COMPLAINS THAT; AFTER EXTENSIVE HOLDING IN THE EWR AREA; THEY WERE VECTORED OUT OF THE HOLD BUT GIVEN S- TURNS WHICH ADDED ALMOST ONE HALF HR TO THE HOLD TIME. AT THIS TIME; FUEL WAS NEARING MARGINAL. RPTR FEELS THAT ANY NEED FOR EXTENSIVE VECTORING SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO THE FLCS SO THAT THEY CAN MORE ACCURATELY FIGURE THEIR BINGO FUEL.

Date: 1997-04 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

LGT FLC COMPLAINS THAT; AFTER EXTENSIVE HOLDING IN THE EWR AREA; THEY WERE VECTORED OUT OF THE HOLD BUT GIVEN S- TURNS WHICH ADDED ALMOST ONE HALF HR TO THE HOLD TIME. AT THIS TIME; FUEL WAS NEARING MARGINAL. RPTR FEELS THAT ANY NEED FOR EXTENSIVE VECTORING SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO THE FLCS SO THAT THEY CAN MORE ACCURATELY FIGURE THEIR BINGO FUEL.

Narrative

ENRTE SFO TO EWR WITH ABOUT 1 HR HOLD; RECEIVED NOTICE FROM DISPATCH OF 60-75 MIN DELAYS TO EWR. WE WORKED UP CONTINGENCY PLANS; AND CONFIRMED PREFERRED DIVERSION ARPT IN CASE THE HOLD LASTED TOO LONG. ON THE DSCNT (WILLIAMSPORT 1 ARR); WE RECEIVED HOLDING AT PENNS; EFC XA46Z. THIS WAS JUST ABOUT THE LIMIT OF OUR HOLDING ABILITY; BUT STILL ACCEPTABLE. AS WE GOT CLOSE TO OUR EFC; WE WERE CAREFULLY COMPUTING OUR BINGO FUEL BASED ON OUR BURN TO LGA AND OUR DESIRED MINIMUM FUEL TO LAND AT EITHER ARPT. WE WERE IN OUR LAST TURN IN HOLD BEFORE ASKING FOR OUR ALTERNATE WHEN WE WERE CLRED OUT OF THE HOLD. WE EXPECTED TO LAND WITH APPROX 8000 LBS OF FUEL AT THAT POINT. JUST INBOUND FROM PENNS; WE WERE HANDED OFF TO APCH; WHO GAVE US A VECTOR HDG OF 010 DEGS. WE CONFIRMED THEY MEANT 010 DEGS AND NOT 100 DEGS; SINCE 010 DEGS WAS BACK AWAY FROM THE ARPT. 010 DEGS IT WAS; FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL BIG S-TURNS IN A DAISY CHAIN. WE WERE WATCHING THIS ON TCASII AND RECALCULATED LNDG WITH ABOUT 6000 LBS; WHICH WHILE STILL PLENTY LEGAL; WAS GETTING BELOW OUR COMFORT LEVEL. ANY FURTHER DELAY AND WE WOULD HAVE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AND GONE STRAIGHT TO EWR OR LGA. (ALL THIS AT THE END OF AN 11 HR DUTY DAY AND NOW 8 HRS 28 MIN FLT TIME). MY BIG COMPLAINT IS THAT WE EXPECTED TO GO RELATIVELY DIRECT TO THE APCH UPON LEAVING THE HOLD; AND BASED OUR ACCEPTANCE OF THAT EFC ON THAT. NEITHER CTR NOR APCH ADVISED US THAT WE WOULD BE VECTORED ALMOST AN ADDITIONAL 1/2 HR UPON EXITING THE HOLD. HAD WE AT LEAST KNOWN THAT; WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DIVERTED. IT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO PLAN APPROPRIATELY. I FEEL THAT IF ATC HAS ANY SIGNIFICANT DELAYS FOR ACFT AFTER THEY EXIT THE HOLD; THIS SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO ALL AFFECTED ACFT ASAP; PREFERABLY ALONG WITH THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. SOME DAY SOMEONE WILL CUT IT TOO THIN AND BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE WITH UNEXPECTED FURTHER DELAYS. I'D RATHER JUST STAY IN THE HOLD UNTIL ABLE TO PROCEED TO THE APCH; RATHER THAN HAVE ATC TRY TO CAMOUFLAGE THE DELAY WITH EXCESSIVE VECTORS AFTER THE HOLD. AT LEAST THAT WAY I CAN PLAN MY FUEL BETTER.

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