A B737-400 FLC MAKES A MISSED APCH WHEN THE WINDS FROM TSTM ACTIVITY ARE UNFAVORABLE FOR LNDG AND LATER; AFTER TFC DELAYS; DECLARE A FUEL EMER FOR PRIORITY HANDLING TO A LNDG AT CLT; NC.
Synopsis
A B737-400 FLC MAKES A MISSED APCH WHEN THE WINDS FROM TSTM ACTIVITY ARE UNFAVORABLE FOR LNDG AND LATER; AFTER TFC DELAYS; DECLARE A FUEL EMER FOR PRIORITY HANDLING TO A LNDG AT CLT; NC.
Narrative
FLT XX WAS DISPATCHED BOS TO CLT. GATE RELEASE FUEL 22000 LBS MINIMUM TKOF FUEL 20500 LBS ACTUAL TKOF FUEL 21400 LBS. FLT DISPATCHED WITH NO ALTERNATE AS FORECAST WX AT CLT WAS VMC. ENRTE; I WAS NOTIFIED THAT TSTMS WERE DEVELOPING NW OF GSP. PRIOR TO MAGIC (MAGIC 9 ARR TO CLT) I WAS GIVEN A HOLD 'AS PUBLISHED' DUE TO WX IN CLT AREA. I NOTIFIED DISPATCHER OF HOLD; FUEL ON BOARD; ETC. I REQUESTED GSO BE ESTABLISHED AS POSSIBLE ALTERNATE. I RECEIVED CONFIRMATION OF GSO AS ALTERNATE AND FUEL BURN CLT/GSO OF 3200 LBS. THE HOLD AT MAGIC WAS CANCELED PRIOR TO MAGIC AND WE WERE TURNED AS VECTOR TO FINAL APCH TO CLT RWY 18R. AT APPROX 10 MI OUT; TWR ADVISED ME THE SURFACE WIND OF 010 DEGS AT 10 KTS. I ASKED FOR CONTINUOUS WIND READOUT. AT APPROX 1000 FT; TWR ADVISED WIND OF 360 DEGS AT 12 KTS (MAX TAILWIND COMPONENT FOR MY ACFT IS 10 KTS). I DIRECTED MY FO (PF) TO ABANDON THE APCH. WE WERE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL FREQ. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 230 DEGS AT 4000 FT. I ASKED IF THE RWYS WOULD BE SWITCHED AND WAS TOLD 'WE'RE WORKING ON IT.' AS WE PROCEEDED SW; THE FO AND I DISCUSSED GSP AS A POSSIBLE ALTERNATE FOR FUEL. AT APPROX 20 MI SW OF CLT; WE WERE TURNED BACK TOWARD CLT TO HOLD ON THE CLT 270 DEG RADIAL AT 15 DME WHILE A SMALL TSTM CELL PASSED. CLT ARPT ITSELF WAS VMC; WINDS CALM -- THE RWYS WERE NOT SWITCHED. AS THE FO AND I DISCUSSED DIVERTING TO ALTERNATE; WE WERE TURNED N FOR VECTORS TO FINAL FOR CLT RWY 18R. WE WERE SWITCHED TO APCH CTL. I ASKED FOR 'EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING DUE TO FUEL.' WE WERE TOLD WE WERE #7 IN LINE BUT THAT APCH CTL WOULD 'DO HIS BEST' TO TURN US IN. I DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL BURN OF BEING #7 IN LINE; APCH FUEL; POSSIBLE MISSED APCH FUEL; FUEL BURN TO GSO OUR ALTERNATE; INTO UNCERTAIN WX CONDITIONS WOULD LEAVE ME WITH ONLY RESERVE FUEL. THIS WAS UNSATISFACTORY IN MY VIEW. I DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO FUEL FOR IMMEDIATE HANDLING. WE WERE TURNED IN AND THE ACFT LANDED AT CLT AND THE ACFT SECURED. 6500 LBS FUEL ON BOARD AT LNDG; 6100 LBS AT THE GATE.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.