Narrative:

Departed lax with absolute minimum acceptable fuel load (for me), 8000 pound, destination fuel. Tailwinds were less than forecast and I had to run anti-ice most of the way. Started getting nervous about fuel at cim. Dispatcher deleted alternate when we xed cap. Center forgot about us and left us at FL330 way too long. Fine by me. That gave me 115 KT tailwind. I asked a couple of times if pit expected inbound ATC delays. I was told no delays. I left FL330 with 5900 pounds of fuel. I was given 'expect 10 west of ctw at 17000''. I knew then there was no way I could make the restriction. I made an idle descent to each lower altitude to save fuel so I wouldn't have to divert. When I checked on with the last cle controller before going to pit approach he got really upset with me for not being at 17000' and gave me a turn to the south. I told him I didn't have adequate fuel for any delay and had been told there wouldn't't be delays in his sector. He then told me I should have been at 17000'. I told him I had never received the actual clearance. I also told him that I now had to go to akron due to low fuel. He told me that I couldn't go to akron because of traffic. I told him that I had to go land now or was going to declare an emergency. He subsequently cleared me direct to mms but not before a smart comment about only vectoring me 4 mi off course. I realize the controller had traffic to worry about. I had a even more critical fuel conservation and potential divert to worry about. Once I got on pit approach, the first sector handled us very expeditiously. Then the final sector vectored us for a 20 mi final at 180 KT. I came very close to going into agc but just then got turned on final and landed with 4690 pounds. 690 pounds above resereve. Perhaps I could have had better communications with the controller. I have to think that every controller knew I had a potential fuel problem. I resent that I have to actually get myself into an emergency before they respond to my requests. What the cle controller did not recognize was that I was within 3 min of declaring an emergency and going to akron and letting him move traffic away from me. I think the ATC system was playing 'brinksmanship' with me. This problem may not have happened if carriers were allowed to use aircraft reported inertial winds for flight planning purposes. At present air carriers are not allowed to use these winds because they are not from an approved source. This must be changed. Controllers must also understand that when we indicate that fuel is getting tight they need to cooperate rather than forcing us to declare an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LOW ON FUEL PLAYS GAMES WITH ATC.

Narrative: DEPARTED LAX WITH ABSOLUTE MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE FUEL LOAD (FOR ME), 8000 LB, DEST FUEL. TAILWINDS WERE LESS THAN FORECAST AND I HAD TO RUN ANTI-ICE MOST OF THE WAY. STARTED GETTING NERVOUS ABOUT FUEL AT CIM. DISPATCHER DELETED ALTERNATE WHEN WE XED CAP. CTR FORGOT ABOUT US AND LEFT US AT FL330 WAY TOO LONG. FINE BY ME. THAT GAVE ME 115 KT TAILWIND. I ASKED A COUPLE OF TIMES IF PIT EXPECTED INBND ATC DELAYS. I WAS TOLD NO DELAYS. I LEFT FL330 WITH 5900 LBS OF FUEL. I WAS GIVEN 'EXPECT 10 W OF CTW AT 17000''. I KNEW THEN THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD MAKE THE RESTRICTION. I MADE AN IDLE DSNT TO EACH LOWER ALT TO SAVE FUEL SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO DIVERT. WHEN I CHKED ON WITH THE LAST CLE CTLR BEFORE GOING TO PIT APCH HE GOT REALLY UPSET WITH ME FOR NOT BEING AT 17000' AND GAVE ME A TURN TO THE S. I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE FUEL FOR ANY DELAY AND HAD BEEN TOLD THERE WOULDN'T'T BE DELAYS IN HIS SECTOR. HE THEN TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 17000'. I TOLD HIM I HAD NEVER RECEIVED THE ACTUAL CLRNC. I ALSO TOLD HIM THAT I NOW HAD TO GO TO AKRON DUE TO LOW FUEL. HE TOLD ME THAT I COULDN'T GO TO AKRON BECAUSE OF TFC. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD TO GO LAND NOW OR WAS GOING TO DECLARE AN EMER. HE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED ME DIRECT TO MMS BUT NOT BEFORE A SMART COMMENT ABOUT ONLY VECTORING ME 4 MI OFF COURSE. I REALIZE THE CTLR HAD TFC TO WORRY ABOUT. I HAD A EVEN MORE CRITICAL FUEL CONSERVATION AND POTENTIAL DIVERT TO WORRY ABOUT. ONCE I GOT ON PIT APCH, THE FIRST SECTOR HANDLED US VERY EXPEDITIOUSLY. THEN THE FINAL SECTOR VECTORED US FOR A 20 MI FINAL AT 180 KT. I CAME VERY CLOSE TO GOING INTO AGC BUT JUST THEN GOT TURNED ON FINAL AND LANDED WITH 4690 LBS. 690 LBS ABOVE RESEREVE. PERHAPS I COULD HAVE HAD BETTER COMS WITH THE CTLR. I HAVE TO THINK THAT EVERY CTLR KNEW I HAD A POTENTIAL FUEL PROB. I RESENT THAT I HAVE TO ACTUALLY GET MYSELF INTO AN EMER BEFORE THEY RESPOND TO MY REQUESTS. WHAT THE CLE CTLR DID NOT RECOGNIZE WAS THAT I WAS WITHIN 3 MIN OF DECLARING AN EMER AND GOING TO AKRON AND LETTING HIM MOVE TFC AWAY FROM ME. I THINK THE ATC SYS WAS PLAYING 'BRINKSMANSHIP' WITH ME. THIS PROB MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF CARRIERS WERE ALLOWED TO USE ACFT RPTED INERTIAL WINDS FOR FLT PLANNING PURPOSES. AT PRESENT AIR CARRIERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THESE WINDS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FROM AN APPROVED SOURCE. THIS MUST BE CHANGED. CTLRS MUST ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE INDICATE THAT FUEL IS GETTING TIGHT THEY NEED TO COOPERATE RATHER THAN FORCING US TO DECLARE AN EMER.

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.