Citationjet (C525/C526) - CJ I / II / III / IV
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Weather
Upon departure; we were aware that our flight planning predicted landing fuel of 536 lbs; but decided we would exercise the option to reduce power early if we felt we needed it. After takeoff; we reduced our power setting preemptively to ensure we would have enough fuel on landing. This decision was solidified by ATC notifying us that our final altitude would be FL380; 2;000 feet below our flight planned altitude of FL400. We reduced N1% by just over 3% to an N1% setting of 100%. This set our predicted fuel-on-landing number comfortably in the mid-to-low 700 lbs range. Within about an hour remaining in the flight the predicted landing fuel showed in the 600 lb range. We were aware that this was because of the winds in the last half of the flight being more direct than in the first half. As we descended; the fuel number decreased; but we still thought we would be able to land above company minimums of 500 lbs. As it turned out; we were slightly off and landed such that the fuel at shutdown was 470 lbs.
Citation Captain reported that unforecast winds in cruise caused them to land with less than the company minimum fuel.