Narrative:

I was concerned about fuel the last 2 hours of our flight ny to tokyo narita but there captain was not. I felt we were just legal until slowed and vectored just 30 mi from narita. At 7000' I asked for a fuel check. '21.7 worst case on the gauges' the F/east said. A min later approach said to 'hold at seagull intersection as published'. I looked at the captain and said 'we can't do that, lets go to the haneda' but he said ok to approach. He asked for the amount of time and reason and tokyo said 'indefininte we are looking for a foreign object on the runway and it's closed.' I said, 'let's go to haneda if we don't now we'll put ourselves in a corner with no options.' he thought and said 'with our fuel flow, we can hold 20 mins.' I said, 'how can we make haneda.' he said, 'we can always declare an emergency and go straight-in.' tokyo then said the runway was open and we were #4. We landed with 16.0 fuel. Not nearly enough, but everyone was unconcerned and the F/east joked that 'hey captain, we broke last weeks record of 18.8.' I was a reserve fill in for today only. I should have been more forceful but this is only my fifth flight on a widebody transport and these guys said they've flown the widebody transport 5-10 yrs. I remember thinking during the first hours of the flight that this crew broke more SOP's then I had seen in a long time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB FO BELIEVES THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE WHEN ASKED TO HOLD WITH MINIMUM FUEL.

Narrative: I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL THE LAST 2 HRS OF OUR FLT NY TO TOKYO NARITA BUT THERE CAPT WAS NOT. I FELT WE WERE JUST LEGAL UNTIL SLOWED AND VECTORED JUST 30 MI FROM NARITA. AT 7000' I ASKED FOR A FUEL CHK. '21.7 WORST CASE ON THE GAUGES' THE F/E SAID. A MIN LATER APCH SAID TO 'HOLD AT SEAGULL INTXN AS PUBLISHED'. I LOOKED AT THE CAPT AND SAID 'WE CAN'T DO THAT, LETS GO TO THE HANEDA' BUT HE SAID OK TO APCH. HE ASKED FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND REASON AND TOKYO SAID 'INDEFININTE WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FOREIGN OBJECT ON THE RWY AND IT'S CLOSED.' I SAID, 'LET'S GO TO HANEDA IF WE DON'T NOW WE'LL PUT OURSELVES IN A CORNER WITH NO OPTIONS.' HE THOUGHT AND SAID 'WITH OUR FUEL FLOW, WE CAN HOLD 20 MINS.' I SAID, 'HOW CAN WE MAKE HANEDA.' HE SAID, 'WE CAN ALWAYS DECLARE AN EMER AND GO STRAIGHT-IN.' TOKYO THEN SAID THE RWY WAS OPEN AND WE WERE #4. WE LANDED WITH 16.0 FUEL. NOT NEARLY ENOUGH, BUT EVERYONE WAS UNCONCERNED AND THE F/E JOKED THAT 'HEY CAPT, WE BROKE LAST WKS RECORD OF 18.8.' I WAS A RESERVE FILL IN FOR TODAY ONLY. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FORCEFUL BUT THIS IS ONLY MY FIFTH FLT ON A WDB AND THESE GUYS SAID THEY'VE FLOWN THE WDB 5-10 YRS. I REMEMBER THINKING DURING THE FIRST HRS OF THE FLT THAT THIS CREW BROKE MORE SOP'S THEN I HAD SEEN IN A LONG TIME.

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.