B737-800 ENROUTE TO ANC NEEDS TO MAKE FUEL STOP AT CYEG AS PLANNED BY AIRLINE IN THE EVENT OF HIGHER THAN PLANNED FUEL BURN. DISCOVER THAT ACFT IS WELL ABOVE MAX LNDG WEIGHT.

Narrative

WE DEPARTED ENRTE TO ANC. THIS IS A VERY LONG FLT AND ALWAYS SUBJECT TO DIVERSION. THE PROCS FOR OUR ANC FLT WERE TO LAND IN EDMONTON; CANADA; IF WE NEED MORE GAS SINCE THERE WERE NO MORE GOOD LNDG FACILITIES FOR THE NEXT FEW HRS UNTIL ANC. WE NOTICED THAT OUR FUEL WAS NOT LOOKING GOOD AROUND SOUTH DAKOTA. WHEN THE DECISION TO DIVERT FOR GAS WAS MADE; WE IMMEDIATELY DSNDED FROM FL360 OR FL380 TO 16000 FT. WE WERE AWARE THAT ALTHOUGH WE WERE DIVERTING FOR FUEL; WE WERE GOING TO BE OVERWT FOR LNDG. WE SPENT THE NEXT 45 MINS DOWN LOW TO BURN AS MUCH GAS AS POSSIBLE; EVEN STARTING THE APU. WE DECIDED TO LAND OVERWT BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE ANOTHER 30 MINS OF BURNING GAS BEFORE WE COULD LAND. OUR PLANES LAND OVERWT OFTEN ENOUGH THAT THE COMPANY HAS AN OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION THAT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINS TO ACCOMPLISH. THE CAPT DECIDED IT WOULD BE QUICKER TO LAND AND GET THE INSPECTION DONE RATHER THAN TO FLY AROUND FOR ANOTHER 30-45 MINS. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND OVERWT TO SAVE TIME; NOT FUEL. WHILE I THINK WE WERE IN THE RIGHT; THE CAPT WAS CONCERNED AND WANTED US TO FILL OUT A RPT. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE COMPANY PUT US IN THIS SITUATION STRETCHING THE B737-800 TO AND BEYOND ITS INTENDED STAGE LENGTH. A FUEL STOP IN EDMONTON IS HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE AT THE TIME YOU NEED TO DECIDE TO DIVERT; THERE IS NO WAY TO BE BELOW LNDG WT. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS IS THE LAST PLACE TO STOP BEFORE OVER 1000 MI OF UNSUITABLE LNDG SPOTS.