Narrative:

Aircraft was dispatched den-ewr with 12000 pounds FOD. The aircraft burned excessive fuel en route for unknown causes. New york center slowed us to 250 KTS during initial descent and issued a series of off course vectors for spacing. We advised new york center of minimum fuel state and requested direct newark. After being switched to new york approach we were again vectored off course at which time we stated we were minimum fuel and asked for direct newark. The approach controller declared an emergency, cleared us direct newark, to land on runway 22R. The problem basically is the captain has no way to judge the expected time nor the amount of fuel burn when ATC has the arrival spacing such that low altitude vectoring is required. Approach control and center are not properly coordinated to allow fuel conservational dscnts and do not seem to cooperate with each other. Approach has a deluge of aircraft dumped upon them by center and thereby puts the flight at risk by fuel wasting delay vectors! This problem is supposed to be solved prior to departure by 'flow control' but the system is not working well. A second problem is that ATC did not give priority handling when we advised them of minimum fuel!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS EXCESSIVE FUEL BURN THEN EXCESSIVE VECTORING. CTLR DECLARES EMER FOR PRIORITY HANDLING.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED DEN-EWR WITH 12000 POUNDS FOD. THE ACFT BURNED EXCESSIVE FUEL ENRTE FOR UNKNOWN CAUSES. NEW YORK CENTER SLOWED US TO 250 KTS DURING INITIAL DSCNT AND ISSUED A SERIES OF OFF COURSE VECTORS FOR SPACING. WE ADVISED NEW YORK CENTER OF MINIMUM FUEL STATE AND REQUESTED DIRECT NEWARK. AFTER BEING SWITCHED TO NEW YORK APCH WE WERE AGAIN VECTORED OFF COURSE AT WHICH TIME WE STATED WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL AND ASKED FOR DIRECT NEWARK. THE APCH CTLR DECLARED AN EMER, CLRED US DIRECT NEWARK, TO LAND ON RWY 22R. THE PROBLEM BASICALLY IS THE CAPT HAS NO WAY TO JUDGE THE EXPECTED TIME NOR THE AMOUNT OF FUEL BURN WHEN ATC HAS THE ARR SPACING SUCH THAT LOW ALT VECTORING IS REQUIRED. APCH CTL AND CENTER ARE NOT PROPERLY COORDINATED TO ALLOW FUEL CONSERVATIONAL DSCNTS AND DO NOT SEEM TO COOPERATE WITH EACH OTHER. APCH HAS A DELUGE OF ACFT DUMPED UPON THEM BY CENTER AND THEREBY PUTS THE FLT AT RISK BY FUEL WASTING DELAY VECTORS! THIS PROBLEM IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOLVED PRIOR TO DEP BY 'FLOW CTL' BUT THE SYS IS NOT WORKING WELL. A SECOND PROBLEM IS THAT ATC DID NOT GIVE PRIORITY HANDLING WHEN WE ADVISED THEM OF MINIMUM FUEL!

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.