Narrative:

The flight was dispatched with a planning from dispatch at FL350 with 7200lbs of fuel. It showed on release of 3103lbs of fuel for landing. Being that ZZZ is so remote to other civil airports and having only a single runway; I always take caution in fuel planning. This trip called for arrival ETA of xa:11Z where the forecast called for starting from xw:00Z- 24010KT; P6SM; BKN35. It was forecast to be like this all day. Even the current metar showed BKN35. I had the hindsight to take on additional fuel of 800lbs extra because of the above reasons for being a remote airline airport with single runway. Well; it turned out that this was a good call. Explanation to follow.after the TOC (top of climb) check; I pulled the weather for ZZZ and it showed 1800 ceiling at xx:51Z ATIS. Commented to my first officer (first officer) that we require an alternate. At this point; it wasn't much of concern. Yet; I had calculated in my mind that we had enough fuel to make it up to ZZZ1 if things go south. Somewhere along cruise; I notified dispatch of my concern for possible alternate airport and diversion potential. Another weather pulled showed a downward trend of BKN013 @ xa:00Z ATIS. Now; I am concerned and heighten in my sense of the real potential for a plan B.all along; we were set up for RNAV approach into ZZZ. The first approach was not an issue until we get to the minimums and although we broke out under the ceilings and we could see the ground; there was a wall of cloud in front of us that seem to go almost all the way to the ground. We did not see the airport or runway and we went missed. We were given a west heading and 5000 feet on our call to TRACON. Inquired if the ILS approach was available. The reply was that everyone has been making it in on [the current runway]. This information was irrelevant to us. But; I figured it was a brief low period of low cloud that stalled in front of our approach at minimums and we elected to try [the runway] again.at this point; we came down to ZZZ without an alternate and I had to call upon my options in the back of my mind for plan B. I stated to the first officer that we had enough fuel to attempt another approach; which he concurred. ATC was no help at all in the seriousness of our current predicament for bare bone fuel load; so I declared 'minimum fuel' to ATC. They vectored us to south downwind for another approach.we setup again for another try. Everything was fine until I get vectored way out there; almost all the way out there but there was a traffic that was in front of us going in; so I did not object to it since I figured we are in sequence to it. We were given multiple heading changes to the north; then northwest to intercept the RNAV course and at 5000 feet. As we progressed inbound; ATC is tied up with some other GA traffic and I can't seem to get a word in. We never received a clearance for the approach.getting increasingly concerned; I try to break the radio congestion with a pan; pan call. ATC finally responds and gives us an approach clearance. By this time we are too late. Too high for a normal setup.at this point; it wasn't a life threatening event; so we did not try to make the approach work out. ATC really screwed us on this one with a botched approach setup; even after I have declared minimum fuel. I tried to correct for the shortcomings from the ATC; but the ATC was preoccupied with the other traffic with lot of chatter. I elected to abandon the approach and told first officer to go missed. Told ATC we are diverting to ZZZ1. At which point they gave us a routing that is of concern. Initial heading followed by direct to ZZZ2 and to the ZZZ1 airport. Taking us way north and back down would put us in the very critical fuel range and something that I didn't take into account when I planned for a possible divert to ZZZ1 initially. Now; I am thinking ATC is not taking us seriously on the situation at hand; so I [advised ATC] due to an unplanned weather event with no alternate. Meaning; I am on uncharted territory with the quantity at hand and being task saturated with all the task of doing a diversion. Our fuel that I calculated mentally with some margin for error came to be enough to get to ZZZ1. But if we were to be sent up north and down; it meant that we had no safety net for a go around at ZZZ1. Giving us roughly 1000lbs landing fuel. If I hadn't taken on that extra 800lbs; we would probably looking at landing somewhere [closer].I did not like what they are telling me. Therefore; I [advised ATC]. ATC worked out a route into the military airspace for expeditious handling and landed in ZZZ1 at the gate with 2080lbs. After we land; we were graciously given a gate. I do all that is needed to inform the passengers and the station. Check myself as to the legality of it all and worked on getting back to ZZZ. On taxi in; I was given a phone number to call for what they described as possible pilot deviation. I got a new release and coordinated with all to return to ZZZ. Which I thought was a straight forward flight down. Our clearance filed was simple enough; but ATC decided to twist that cork screw into the side of me again. I am thinking to myself; here is a threat ATC is given us. The most complicated flight routing I ever gotten ever! It took some time to get it all set up while I was getting poked all over from station people; dispatch; coordinator; etc wondering why I am not pushing back yet. It was too much distraction while I am concentrating to figure this complex route. Over all it all worked out and we came back to ZZZ without any issues. I thanked my first officer for being a good team member.I called the TRACON number later and they stated that we were not responding to radio instructions. I don't know where this is coming from; but there were no instructions give or the lack of from ATC costing us a second attempt to a landing and to divert. The guy said he would check the tapes and call me back in 45mins. But never called back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Embraer 175 flight crew reported being dispatched without an alternate and then being unable to land at the destination airport due to weather and low fuel reserve.

Narrative: The flight was dispatched with a planning from dispatch at FL350 with 7200lbs of fuel. It showed on release of 3103lbs of fuel for landing. Being that ZZZ is so remote to other civil airports and having only a single runway; I always take caution in fuel planning. This trip called for arrival ETA of XA:11Z where the forecast called for starting from XW:00Z- 24010KT; P6SM; BKN35. It was forecast to be like this all day. Even the current METAR showed BKN35. I had the hindsight to take on additional fuel of 800lbs extra because of the above reasons for being a remote airline airport with single runway. Well; it turned out that this was a good call. Explanation to follow.After the TOC (Top of climb) check; I pulled the weather for ZZZ and it showed 1800 ceiling at XX:51Z ATIS. Commented to my FO (First Officer) that we require an alternate. At this point; it wasn't much of concern. Yet; I had calculated in my mind that we had enough fuel to make it up to ZZZ1 if things go south. Somewhere along cruise; I notified dispatch of my concern for possible alternate airport and diversion potential. Another weather pulled showed a downward trend of BKN013 @ XA:00Z ATIS. Now; I am concerned and heighten in my sense of the real potential for a plan B.All along; we were set up for RNAV Approach into ZZZ. The first approach was not an issue until we get to the minimums and although we broke out under the ceilings and we could see the ground; there was a wall of cloud in front of us that seem to go almost all the way to the ground. We did not see the airport or runway and we went missed. We were given a west heading and 5000 feet on our call to TRACON. Inquired if the ILS approach was available. The reply was that everyone has been making it in on [the current runway]. This information was irrelevant to us. But; I figured it was a brief low period of low cloud that stalled in front of our approach at minimums and we elected to try [the runway] again.At this point; we came down to ZZZ without an alternate and I had to call upon my options in the back of my mind for plan B. I stated to the FO that we had enough fuel to attempt another approach; which he concurred. ATC was no help at all in the seriousness of our current predicament for bare bone fuel load; so I declared 'Minimum Fuel' to ATC. They vectored us to south downwind for another approach.We setup again for another try. Everything was fine until I get vectored way out there; almost all the way out there but there was a traffic that was in front of us going in; so I did not object to it since I figured we are in sequence to it. We were given multiple heading changes to the north; then northwest to intercept the RNAV course and at 5000 feet. As we progressed inbound; ATC is tied up with some other GA traffic and I can't seem to get a word in. We never received a clearance for the approach.Getting increasingly concerned; I try to break the radio congestion with a PAN; PAN call. ATC finally responds and gives us an approach clearance. By this time we are too late. Too high for a normal setup.At this point; it wasn't a life threatening event; so we did not try to make the approach work out. ATC really screwed us on this one with a botched approach setup; even after I have declared minimum fuel. I tried to correct for the shortcomings from the ATC; but the ATC was preoccupied with the other traffic with lot of chatter. I elected to abandon the approach and told FO to go missed. Told ATC we are diverting to ZZZ1. At which point they gave us a routing that is of concern. Initial heading followed by direct to ZZZ2 and to the ZZZ1 airport. Taking us way north and back down would put us in the very critical fuel range and something that I didn't take into account when I planned for a possible divert to ZZZ1 initially. Now; I am thinking ATC is not taking us seriously on the situation at hand; so I [advised ATC] due to an unplanned weather event with no alternate. Meaning; I am on uncharted territory with the quantity at hand and being task saturated with all the task of doing a diversion. Our fuel that I calculated mentally with some margin for error came to be enough to get to ZZZ1. But if we were to be sent up north and down; it meant that we had no safety net for a go around at ZZZ1. Giving us roughly 1000lbs landing fuel. If I hadn't taken on that extra 800lbs; we would probably looking at landing somewhere [closer].I did not like what they are telling me. Therefore; I [advised ATC]. ATC worked out a route into the military airspace for expeditious handling and landed in ZZZ1 at the gate with 2080lbs. After we land; we were graciously given a gate. I do all that is needed to inform the passengers and the station. Check myself as to the legality of it all and worked on getting back to ZZZ. On taxi in; I was given a phone number to call for what they described as possible pilot deviation. I got a new release and coordinated with all to return to ZZZ. Which I thought was a straight forward flight down. Our clearance filed was simple enough; but ATC decided to twist that cork screw into the side of me again. I am thinking to myself; here is a threat ATC is given us. The most complicated flight routing I ever gotten ever! It took some time to get it all set up while I was getting poked all over from station people; Dispatch; coordinator; etc wondering why I am not pushing back yet. It was too much distraction while I am concentrating to figure this complex route. Over all it all worked out and we came back to ZZZ without any issues. I thanked my FO for being a good team member.I called the TRACON number later and they stated that we were not responding to radio instructions. I don't know where this is coming from; but there were no instructions give or the lack of from ATC costing us a second attempt to a landing and to divert. The guy said he would check the tapes and call me back in 45mins. But never called back.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.