LJ31A LEAR FLT CREW IS ISSUED A CLRNC THAT WILL CAUSE A LOW FUEL STATE; FLT CREW REQUESTS AN ABBREVIATED CLRNC AND ATC DECLARES A LOW FUEL EMER FOR THE CREW.

Date: 2006-03 · Aircraft: Learjet 31

Anomalies: other-fuel-emer

Synopsis

LJ31A LEAR FLT CREW IS ISSUED A CLRNC THAT WILL CAUSE A LOW FUEL STATE; FLT CREW REQUESTS AN ABBREVIATED CLRNC AND ATC DECLARES A LOW FUEL EMER FOR THE CREW.

Narrative

ATC WANTED TO AMEND OUR ARR CLRNC BY TAKING US OFF THE PUBLISHED ARR AND SENDING US DOWN TO ZZZ AT FL190 THEN BACK UP TO INTXN TO CONTINUE THE ARR. I INFORMED CTR THAT THE NEW CLRNC WOULD PUT US IN A LOW FUEL SITUATION AND THAT NO FURTHER DELAYS COULD BE ACCEPTED AND THAT WE COULD NOT BEGIN OUR DSCNT AT THIS TIME BUT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL LATER TO DSND. CTR ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING A LOW FUEL EMER. I SAID THAT WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER BUT WE WERE NOT GOING TO BEGIN OUR DSCNT AT THAT TIME. CTR THEN INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE DECLARING A LOW FUEL EMER FOR US AND THAT WE COULD EXPECT A TURN TOWARD OUR DEST SHORTLY. WHEN HANDED OFF TO APCH; THEY THOUGHT THAT WE HAD A LOW FUEL EMER AND I INFORMED THEM THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A LOW FUEL EMER. WHEN HANDED OFF TO TWR; THEY ALSO THOUGHT THAT WE HAD A LOW FUEL EMER AND I INFORMED THEM THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A LOW FUEL EMER. THE REFUSAL OF THE AMENDED CLRNC AS ISSUED BY CTR RESULTED IN OUR NOT HAVING A LOW FUEL EMER. ATC SHOULD NOT AMEND A CLRNC AT THE LAST MIN THAT WOULD ADD CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE AND TIME TO A FLT PLAN. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR TURBINE ACFT WHEN IT IS COMBINED WITH AN EARLY DSCNT TO A LOWER THAN PLANNED ALT BECAUSE THE AIRSPD OF THE PLANE DECREASES AND THE FUEL FLOW INCREASES AT THE LOWER ALTS; RESULTING IN A MUCH HIGHER RATE OF FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR EACH MI TRAVELED.

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