American Eagle flight diverts to GA Podunk airport

[Kritchlow]

Sometimes they are instructed to tanker extra fuel into airports known to have exorbitant fuel prices.

We get dispatch releases with how much fuel they want us to take. Indeed that number reflects future fuel prices vs the cost of carrying fuel.

The only hard number for our airline is brake release fuel (pushing throttles up for TO). Other numbers are always negotiable. Sometime brake release fuel is also negotiable, but we need an amended release.

 

[Brad Z]

It's just not possible to know the thought process of the crew. *If they thought they needed to land there*, for whatever reason, and everyone is safe without a bent airplane, that's all that counts.

True although it's worth noting that in doing so, the captain likely exercised his emergency authority powers, as the airport was not a part 139 certificated airport. Thankfully it ended well, but even if they had ended up running off the end of the (relatively) short runway, it'd still preferable to the potential alternatives.

 

[Kritchlow]

True although it's worth noting that in doing so, the captain likely exercised his emergency authority powers, as the airport was not a part 139 certificated airport. Thankfully it ended well, but even if they had ended up running off the end of the (relatively) short runway, it'd still preferable to the potential alternatives.

There's no doubt if there was an issue with an unapproved airport it would be trouble.
That said... For every airport we go to we have at our fingertips a list of approved alternates. They may be in Podunk, but they are approved so I assume fire/crash rescue, adequate stairs and so forth.

 

[unsafervguy]

There's no doubt if there was an issue with an unapproved airport it would be trouble.
That said... For every airport we go to we have at our fingertips a list of approved alternates. They may be in Podunk, but they are approved so I assume fire/crash rescue, adequate stairs and so forth.

Very true, but I KNOW that one is not on their list.
I'm putting you on the do not pair list, 5k in the bus and I'm starting to worry.

. Bob

 

[ARFlyer]

We get dispatch releases with how much fuel they want us to take. Indeed that number reflects future fuel prices vs the cost of carrying fuel.

The only hard number for our airline is brake release fuel (pushing throttles up for TO). Other numbers are always negotiable. Sometime brake release fuel is also negotiable, but we need an amended release.

Always interesting what other companies call the same "number". We call our brake release fuel MinF with a separate Gate that includes our Taxi fuel. Like yours our MinF covers the flight and reserve fuel. Other fuel like Hold, Tanker, and Capt. arn't factored into MinF.

True although it's worth noting that in doing so, the captain likely exercised his emergency authority powers, as the airport was not a part 139 certificated airport. Thankfully it ended well, but even if they had ended up running off the end of the (relatively) short runway, it'd still preferable to the potential alternatives.

During training they told us that any airport that is the length required would be acceptable if it came to that. Also any airports that we were personally familiar with would be even better. Always thought it would be interesting putting a 50 pax jet into my rural training field. So I bet there was a meeting and if everything fell in line then nothing should happen to the Capt. As you said he exercised his PIC authority.

There's no doubt if there was an issue with an unapproved airport it would be trouble.
That said... For every airport we go to we have at our fingertips a list of approved alternates. They may be in Podunk, but they are approved so I assume fire/crash rescue, adequate stairs and so forth.

Do y'all carry a jepp brick for offline airports?

 

[Kritchlow]

Always interesting what other companies call the same "number". We call our brake release fuel MinF with a separate Gate that includes our Taxi fuel. Like yours our MinF covers the flight and reserve fuel. Other fuel like Hold, Tanker, and Capt. arn't factored into MinF.



During training they told us that any airport that is the length required would be acceptable if it came to that. Also any airports that we were personally familiar with would be even better. Always thought it would be interesting putting a 50 pax jet into my rural training field. So I bet there was a meeting and if everything fell in line then nothing should happen to the Capt. As you said he exercised his PIC authority.



Do y'all carry a jepp brick for offline airports?

We are fully electronic.

 

[Bobcat1]

Do Captains who always want more fuel get the evil eye from the company?

Depends upon the company. UPS was notorious for pressuring guys to take less back in the days when they first decided to do their own flying.

 

[ARFlyer]

We are fully electronic.

We just got EFBs in Nov but we still have the Jepp Brick somewhere behind my seat. I've never seen one used.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

We just got EFBs in Nov but we still have the Jepp Brick somewhere behind my seat. I've never seen one used.

Somewhere at my place someone found a reference that said paper charts must be readily available. Someone somewhere interpreted that to mean out and opened to the airport where the approach was being made. Until someone can show me that in print. . .