Minimum Fuel Emergency

Source: www.pilotworkshop.com
Featuring John Krug

Bob:

"John, in low-fuel situations pilots are often reluctant to declare an emergency and they’ll use the term, Minimum fuel. Is Minimum fuel going to get you on the ground any faster?"

John:

"No. Minimum fuel will not, and that’s very important to understand. It is not a declaration of an emergency. It’s merely a statement that is saying that you cannot accept any holding or other delays. It also means to ATC that you do have enough fuel to make it to your destination."

Bob:

"If you're sitting there sweating bullets on your fuel, you want to be using the real word and declare an emergency."

John:

"Declare an emergency. Absolutely. Declare an emergency. There have been numerous accidents over the years that have illustrated that point. Probably the most famous is the Avianca at JFK several years ago."

Bob:

"The pilots inside the cockpit were talking about their situation. The Captain told the First Officer to declare an emergency. The “E” word never left the cockpit and the airplane crashed short of the airport, killing numerous people."

John:

"Exactly. Right."