ETOPS fuel requirement
 

Hi all,

You have departed with sufficient fuel to complete an ETOPS flight across the NAT HLA and your flight plan contains critical fuel. Due to wind/FL etc. you are now approaching the ETOPS entry point and you have sufficient fuel to complete the flight but you have unfortunately burned the ETOPS critical fuel which was added. My question is if you can legally complete the flight knowing that you will enter the ETOPS area without fuel to complete a critical scenario. I am not asking if it's wise to do so, but only if you can legally do it. Is the critical amount just a planning excercise valid on the ground, and as long as you have the min req fuel to complete the flight, you can legally enter and continue to destination. Or is the additional critical fuel an amount that must be carried onboard at the entry point, and if not a diversion/Replanning is required? If you can back it up with a legal reference it would be great. Thanks in advance

Yes.
There is no requirement in flight to maintain critical fuel.

Yep, Says as much in our Ops manual, which goes on to talk about low probabilities of all the holes in the cheese (engine out plus decompression occurring exactly at the critical point) and that in reality there will probably be closer alternates available to be used than those nominated at the ETOPS planning stage. Now please don't shoot the messenger.....

Unfortunately, the most fuel critical scenario (at least the types I have taken across the HLA) is a single failure - decompression, both engines operating. That being said - critical fuel is indeed a dispatch consideration, and while you legally can cross the EEP with less than critical fuel, it may be worth discussing between the crew how they plan on handling that 'black swan' event, should it occur...

OK, we don't have critical fuel to make the alternate if the black swan event happens. The black swan event isn't going to happen so don't worry about it. Then again, even if we did have our critical fuel, how about levelling at 14000 feet initially and see what the fuel will be upon arrival at the critical alternate.

As has been pointed out. ETOPS/EDTO fuel is a Flight Planning requirement, much like Contingency fuel, and in flight, Airmanship dictates the best course of Action.

That being said, Company policies can differ on this, and some might expect you to protect your most critical point.

And others will expect you to protect 'the bottom line' and your backside can go to .........