A B757-200 PILOT COMMENTS THAT FLYING WITH AN MEL'ED ENG GEN ON A PRECISE PROFILE THE ACFT LANDED WITH 2300 LBS LESS FUEL THAN PLANNED.
Synopsis
A B757-200 PILOT COMMENTS THAT FLYING WITH AN MEL'ED ENG GEN ON A PRECISE PROFILE THE ACFT LANDED WITH 2300 LBS LESS FUEL THAN PLANNED.
Narrative
DESCRIPTION: PLANNED ARR FUEL 9700 LBS; ACTUAL TOUCHDOWN FUEL 7400 LBS. MEL 24-00-01 (ENG GENERATOR SYS). TKOF MINIMUM FUEL REQUIRED WAS 35524 LBS. ACTUAL TKOF FUEL WAS 36000 LBS. WX WAS CAVU AND FLT PROFILE WAS FLOWN EXACTLY AS FLT PLANNED. APU WAS RUNNING FOR THE ENTIRE FLT IN COMPLIANCE WITH MEL. 1000 LBS FUEL CARRIED FOR MEL (200 LBS/HR AS PER MEL). FORECAST WINDS WERE ACCURATE. COMPARING ACTUAL FUEL BURN TO FLT PLAN ESTIMATE SHOWED A 1300 LBS DISCREPANCY AFTER 1 HR 22 MINS OF FLT. THE DISCREPANCY CONTINUED TO INCREASE TO 1900 LBS AFTER 2 HRS 25 MINS; WHEN A POS RPT WAS SENT VIA ACARS. DISPATCH FAILED TO NOTE OR COMMENT ON THE INCREASED FUEL BURN. THE DISCREPANCY GREW TO 2100 LBS AFTER 2 HRS 55 MINS OF FLT WHEN 'MINIMUM FUEL' WAS DECLARED WITH ATC. WX AND TFC ALLOWED FOR AN EXPEDITED VISUAL APCH. FUEL AT TOUCHDOWN WAS 7400 LBS (2300 LBS LESS THAN FLT PLAN FORECAST). CAUSE: PERHAPS THE ACTUAL FUEL BURN FROM THE APU IS GREATER THAN THE ADVERTISED NUMBERS IN THE MEL. IF HISTORICAL DATA FROM TRANSCONTINENTAL FLT PLANS SHOWS SIMILAR DISCREPANCIES; FLT PLANNING WITH MVFR ARR FUEL SHOULD BE REVISITED. DISPATCHING ACFT WITH AN INOP GENERATOR THROUGH 2 MAINT BASES MAY COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MEL; BUT IS NOT IN KEEPING WITH A CULTURE OF SAFETY THAT IS MANDATED BY THE COMPANY MISSION STATEMENT. OBVIOUSLY THE BEST SUGGESTION IS TO REPAIR A FAULTY ENG DRIVEN GENERATOR AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE MAINT FACILITY -- ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PENALTY FOR APU FUEL BURN IS SUCH A HIGH COST ITEM. FAILING TO DO THAT; IT MAY HAVE BEEN PRUDENT FOR DISPATCH TO ALLOW FOR A GREATER AMOUNT OF CONTINGENCY FUEL.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.