AJC Delta fuel emergency

[wood pecker]

In Saturday 11/21 AJC they had an article about a DAL737 declaring an emergency due to low fuel. The article stated they were given priority into New York but investigators said their was still an hours worth of fuel in the tanks.

Why is this news worthy? Heaven forbid a crew actually errors on the side of safety. The paper does not understand that maybe if they were not given prioity they probaly would have used more fuel = emergency.

What ever happened to the day when the media only cares if there is a crash?

 

[General Lee]

I don't really think it is news worthy, but the alternative could be a large glider like the Avianca 707 crash at Cove Neck, Long Island. Maybe articles like this will make pilots think twice about asking for priority, which would actually be a bad thing. If you have any doubts about your fuel load or how much you may need to shoot an approach or two and go missed, then ask for priority.



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Paul R. Smith]

There is a difference between "Minimum Fuel" and "Emergency Fuel". I wonder if the news medai is familiar with that? Min Fuel will definitely shave time off your flight plan if you use it the way it is supposed to be used. The crew probably avoided declaring "emergency fuel" by declaring "min fuel" and some cornhole with a sporty's radio scanner..well you can see where I'm going with this.

 

[Huck]

Back when I first got started, I was sitting in the right seat of a King Aire and had the PIC try and declare min fuel on the ground!

We were about #8 for takeoff in MCO and didn't have time (he thought) to get more gas, and were below required. He dialed up tower and asked for an intersection t/o. Tower advised him that if it was that bad, maybe he needed to turn around and go buy some Jet A. We didn't, and ended up landing with 20 minutes in the tanks. (My last day at that company, and he killed himself and two passengers a few years later.)

 

[Russ]

"Maybe articles like this will make pilots think twice about asking for priority"

Correct. Lets hope there is a good CP who understands the power of a few words of positive reinforcement to counter the negative media these guys are getting.

 

[Networ-King]

Back when I first got started, I was sitting in the right seat of a King Aire and had the PIC try and declare min fuel on the ground!

We were about #8 for takeoff in MCO and didn't have time (he thought) to get more gas, and were below required. He dialed up tower and asked for an intersection t/o. Tower advised him that if it was that bad, maybe he needed to turn around and go buy some Jet A. We didn't, and ended up landing with 20 minutes in the tanks. (My last day at that company, and he killed himself and two passengers a few years later.)

While flying out of London Gatwick got behind a continental 757 sitting on the ground, number 2 for takeoff headed for Newark and due to the ground delay and slot times he asked tower how much longer. Tower didn't know.... so CAL said they'd have to declare min fuel in less then 10 minutes...... they made it off within that time luckily and didn't hear anything else about it...... I guess it happens. Its easy to be the monday morning quarterback......and the media? Yeah they've never gotten anything wrong before

 

[jimcav]

As long as I sign the release it is my comfort level that matters, screw everyone who may have a problem with that. I'd rather have my wife and kids in the back of that Delta crews airplane anytime. Being conservative when it comes to safety is the best policy and my hat is off to them.

 

[atldc9]

Got to agree with Cav, everyone has their own comfort level. Declaring min fuel is not an emergency, and I will not hesitate to do it if the need arises. If I get in a jam anytime after that, call an emergency and do what you got to do. It is much better to explain why you declared an emergency with x amount of fuel than to glide into a parking lot because you didn't want to declare an emergency. It's the PIC's judgement, that's why they pay us.

 

[HalinTexas]

At my airline on the B737-800 it is company policy to declare "min fuel" at 4000lbs. and emergency at 3000#. This crew was probably following their company's procedure. I'm sure also the press has it wrong. They usually have no clue what they're talking about.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Yep - if they were sweating fuel - good call.