Narrative:

Flight dispatched DME-lga with 25500 pounds fuel. Flight plan was for 3 hours 13 mins with arrival fuel of 7400 pounds. No alternate was required, WX was forecast for marginal VFR at arrival. Flight was routine until inbound to keating for milton 6 arrival. At that point ATC gave us clearance to hold at miget with at efc time 8 mins after our planned arrival at miget. Fuel was not a problem at this time although ATIS showed lga WX was worse than forecast but well above minimums. After 1 1/2 turns in holding ATC cleared us to hold 270 degree heading for spacing. After holding 270 heading for about 50 mi ATC informed us that WX on mip-6 arrival was bad (trw's) and cleared us north to rockdale for an arrival from the northwest. This route would add 150 mi to the flight but I still computed fuel on arrival at lga to be 4500 pounds. En route to rockdale we were given more vectors off arwys which continued to eat into fuel remaining. ATC also dropped us to lower altitudes and slowed us which added to the problem. Several times I queried ATC about direct routing or further delays and was assured they would turn us toward airport shortly. At bridgeport VOR fuel was 4500 pounds and I declared 'minimum fuel' and requested no further delays. ATC handling after that point was normal and we were sequenced for ILS approach to runway 4 at lga. Approach was commenced with 3100 pounds and we landed with 2500 pounds. Lga WX was 6 overcast 1 1/2 rain/fog. This incident was caused by creeping delays and constant modification of plans by ATC. They kept dangling the carrot, leading us to believe normal routing to the airport was imminent, then vectoring us off route for spacing. Had I known fuel would be that low at lga, I would have landed at albany. Total flight time was 4 hours 29 mins vice 3 hours 13 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARRIVAL DELAYS CAUSED FLT CREW OF MLG TO BECOME CONCERNED WITH FUEL REMAINING. ADVISED CTLR OF MINIMUM FUEL. UNABLE TO ACCEPT FURTHER DELAYS.

Narrative: FLT DISPATCHED DME-LGA WITH 25500 LBS FUEL. FLT PLAN WAS FOR 3 HRS 13 MINS WITH ARR FUEL OF 7400 LBS. NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED, WX WAS FORECAST FOR MARGINAL VFR AT ARR. FLT WAS ROUTINE UNTIL INBND TO KEATING FOR MILTON 6 ARR. AT THAT POINT ATC GAVE US CLRNC TO HOLD AT MIGET WITH AT EFC TIME 8 MINS AFTER OUR PLANNED ARR AT MIGET. FUEL WAS NOT A PROB AT THIS TIME ALTHOUGH ATIS SHOWED LGA WX WAS WORSE THAN FORECAST BUT WELL ABOVE MINIMUMS. AFTER 1 1/2 TURNS IN HOLDING ATC CLRED US TO HOLD 270 DEG HDG FOR SPACING. AFTER HOLDING 270 HDG FOR ABOUT 50 MI ATC INFORMED US THAT WX ON MIP-6 ARR WAS BAD (TRW'S) AND CLRED US N TO ROCKDALE FOR AN ARR FROM THE NW. THIS RTE WOULD ADD 150 MI TO THE FLT BUT I STILL COMPUTED FUEL ON ARR AT LGA TO BE 4500 LBS. ENRTE TO ROCKDALE WE WERE GIVEN MORE VECTORS OFF ARWYS WHICH CONTINUED TO EAT INTO FUEL REMAINING. ATC ALSO DROPPED US TO LOWER ALTS AND SLOWED US WHICH ADDED TO THE PROB. SEVERAL TIMES I QUERIED ATC ABOUT DIRECT ROUTING OR FURTHER DELAYS AND WAS ASSURED THEY WOULD TURN US TOWARD ARPT SHORTLY. AT BRIDGEPORT VOR FUEL WAS 4500 LBS AND I DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND REQUESTED NO FURTHER DELAYS. ATC HANDLING AFTER THAT POINT WAS NORMAL AND WE WERE SEQUENCED FOR ILS APCH TO RWY 4 AT LGA. APCH WAS COMMENCED WITH 3100 LBS AND WE LANDED WITH 2500 LBS. LGA WX WAS 6 OVCST 1 1/2 RAIN/FOG. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY CREEPING DELAYS AND CONSTANT MODIFICATION OF PLANS BY ATC. THEY KEPT DANGLING THE CARROT, LEADING US TO BELIEVE NORMAL ROUTING TO THE ARPT WAS IMMINENT, THEN VECTORING US OFF RTE FOR SPACING. HAD I KNOWN FUEL WOULD BE THAT LOW AT LGA, I WOULD HAVE LANDED AT ALBANY. TOTAL FLT TIME WAS 4 HRS 29 MINS VICE 3 HRS 13 MINS.

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.