Narrative:

Entered holding over jamestown at XA15Z. At XB30Z we and dispatcher decided to divert to lga, fuel state 11000 pounds. The planned diversion was 75 mi and 8900 pounds of fuel. We asked for clearance to lga. At the time we were headed toward lga, 65 mi out at 28000'. The controller turned us to a heading of 280 degrees. This concerned me greatly. We waited and asked how long this heading was to last. He said we were being vectored behind traffic. We were now 102 mi from lga. I decided and told the controller that we could not live with this heading. He asked us for our fuel, I answered 9000 pounds. Again I stated that I had to have a heading direct to lga. Another controller came on the radio and asked if we were declaring an emergency. I answered no, but that we did need the direct heading for lga. We were turned toward lga by another controller. He asked our flying time. I answered 25-30 mins. The 25-30 mins was planned to have us arrive at lga with 6000' of fuel. The 6000' is the high side of company minimum for diversion to land with. We landed at lga with 6900# of fuel. We were able to adjust the descent to save fuel which gave us a little more than 6000'. The emergency ground equipment was called out, but not by us. The controller did not seem to understand, even though I said that I needed a direct heading for lga, that the heading we were on was totally unacceptable. We had been holding and vectoring for over 1:30 mins, and had asked for a clearance to the diversion field. I expected to be vectored and handled more timely and efficiently. I knew my fuel state and had decided that I did not want to land with less than 6000 pounds, and I feel that we would have if we had not been so strong with our demand for a direct heading. The FAA met the plane, took my name, looked at my ticket, took fuel readings and copied log book.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT REQUESTS PRIORITY HANDLING DUE LOW FUEL, BUT DOES NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

Narrative: ENTERED HOLDING OVER JAMESTOWN AT XA15Z. AT XB30Z WE AND DISPATCHER DECIDED TO DIVERT TO LGA, FUEL STATE 11000 LBS. THE PLANNED DIVERSION WAS 75 MI AND 8900 LBS OF FUEL. WE ASKED FOR CLRNC TO LGA. AT THE TIME WE WERE HEADED TOWARD LGA, 65 MI OUT AT 28000'. THE CTLR TURNED US TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS. THIS CONCERNED ME GREATLY. WE WAITED AND ASKED HOW LONG THIS HDG WAS TO LAST. HE SAID WE WERE BEING VECTORED BEHIND TFC. WE WERE NOW 102 MI FROM LGA. I DECIDED AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE COULD NOT LIVE WITH THIS HDG. HE ASKED US FOR OUR FUEL, I ANSWERED 9000 LBS. AGAIN I STATED THAT I HAD TO HAVE A HDG DIRECT TO LGA. ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO AND ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. I ANSWERED NO, BUT THAT WE DID NEED THE DIRECT HDG FOR LGA. WE WERE TURNED TOWARD LGA BY ANOTHER CTLR. HE ASKED OUR FLYING TIME. I ANSWERED 25-30 MINS. THE 25-30 MINS WAS PLANNED TO HAVE US ARRIVE AT LGA WITH 6000' OF FUEL. THE 6000' IS THE HIGH SIDE OF COMPANY MINIMUM FOR DIVERSION TO LAND WITH. WE LANDED AT LGA WITH 6900# OF FUEL. WE WERE ABLE TO ADJUST THE DSCNT TO SAVE FUEL WHICH GAVE US A LITTLE MORE THAN 6000'. THE EMER GND EQUIP WAS CALLED OUT, BUT NOT BY US. THE CTLR DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND, EVEN THOUGH I SAID THAT I NEEDED A DIRECT HDG FOR LGA, THAT THE HDG WE WERE ON WAS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. WE HAD BEEN HOLDING AND VECTORING FOR OVER 1:30 MINS, AND HAD ASKED FOR A CLRNC TO THE DIVERSION FIELD. I EXPECTED TO BE VECTORED AND HANDLED MORE TIMELY AND EFFICIENTLY. I KNEW MY FUEL STATE AND HAD DECIDED THAT I DID NOT WANT TO LAND WITH LESS THAN 6000 LBS, AND I FEEL THAT WE WOULD HAVE IF WE HAD NOT BEEN SO STRONG WITH OUR DEMAND FOR A DIRECT HDG. THE FAA MET THE PLANE, TOOK MY NAME, LOOKED AT MY TICKET, TOOK FUEL READINGS AND COPIED LOG BOOK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.