Narrative:

We were en route from iah to sea. Upon commencing the chins 2 arrival into seatac we were advised by ZSE of a metering, or crossing, time for our flight over the suned intersection. To comply with the metering time it would require us to hold, as published at suned intersection. We would need to hold for about 20 mins. Our flight had been dispatched with an alternate of boeing field, and with additional fuel to hold for 20 mins. While in the hold the captain determined that we could still use bfi as an alternate if necessary. The WX there was VFR. We figured we had enough fuel to hold the required time, proceed to sea, and still have adequate reserves for our alternate, but that was it. We could not absorb any additional en route delays. As the metering time came, and passed, we were still not cleared from our holding. We were required to hold some additional few mins. Shortly thereafter we were released from holding, and handed off to the next ATC sector. Our additional holding time, while not extensive, had cut slightly into our personal safety margin of fuel reserves. The next sector controller almost immediately issued us another metering time delay. At this point we informed ATC that we could not accept any further delaying vectors, or holding. We were at min fuel, and needed to either continue to sea, or divert to bfi. ZSE's response to us was to ask if we wanted to declare a fuel emergency. Knowing that bfi was a good, close alternate and with plenty of fuel to go there, we concluded that this was not an emergency situation, but again asked if they could work something out for us to help us get to our destination, sea, with no further delay. Moments later ZSE, coldly, offered us 3 choices: 1) take delaying vectors for the raddy intersection metering delay time. 2) declare an emergency. 3) divert to boeing/king county field. Supplemental information from acn 216572: I operated flight iah-sea on jul/xx/92. At departure time, the WX in sea did not require an alternate for landing and as such we were dispatched with no alternate given.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT ACCOUNT TFC VOLUME DELAYS AND LOW FUEL REMAINING.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM IAH TO SEA. UPON COMMENCING THE CHINS 2 ARR INTO SEATAC WE WERE ADVISED BY ZSE OF A METERING, OR XING, TIME FOR OUR FLT OVER THE SUNED INTXN. TO COMPLY WITH THE METERING TIME IT WOULD REQUIRE US TO HOLD, AS PUBLISHED AT SUNED INTXN. WE WOULD NEED TO HOLD FOR ABOUT 20 MINS. OUR FLT HAD BEEN DISPATCHED WITH AN ALTERNATE OF BOEING FIELD, AND WITH ADDITIONAL FUEL TO HOLD FOR 20 MINS. WHILE IN THE HOLD THE CAPT DETERMINED THAT WE COULD STILL USE BFI AS AN ALTERNATE IF NECESSARY. THE WX THERE WAS VFR. WE FIGURED WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO HOLD THE REQUIRED TIME, PROCEED TO SEA, AND STILL HAVE ADEQUATE RESERVES FOR OUR ALTERNATE, BUT THAT WAS IT. WE COULD NOT ABSORB ANY ADDITIONAL ENRTE DELAYS. AS THE METERING TIME CAME, AND PASSED, WE WERE STILL NOT CLRED FROM OUR HOLDING. WE WERE REQUIRED TO HOLD SOME ADDITIONAL FEW MINS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE RELEASED FROM HOLDING, AND HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT ATC SECTOR. OUR ADDITIONAL HOLDING TIME, WHILE NOT EXTENSIVE, HAD CUT SLIGHTLY INTO OUR PERSONAL SAFETY MARGIN OF FUEL RESERVES. THE NEXT SECTOR CTLR ALMOST IMMEDIATELY ISSUED US ANOTHER METERING TIME DELAY. AT THIS POINT WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY FURTHER DELAYING VECTORS, OR HOLDING. WE WERE AT MIN FUEL, AND NEEDED TO EITHER CONTINUE TO SEA, OR DIVERT TO BFI. ZSE'S RESPONSE TO US WAS TO ASK IF WE WANTED TO DECLARE A FUEL EMER. KNOWING THAT BFI WAS A GOOD, CLOSE ALTERNATE AND WITH PLENTY OF FUEL TO GO THERE, WE CONCLUDED THAT THIS WAS NOT AN EMER SITUATION, BUT AGAIN ASKED IF THEY COULD WORK SOMETHING OUT FOR US TO HELP US GET TO OUR DEST, SEA, WITH NO FURTHER DELAY. MOMENTS LATER ZSE, COLDLY, OFFERED US 3 CHOICES: 1) TAKE DELAYING VECTORS FOR THE RADDY INTXN METERING DELAY TIME. 2) DECLARE AN EMER. 3) DIVERT TO BOEING/KING COUNTY FIELD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 216572: I OPERATED FLT IAH-SEA ON JUL/XX/92. AT DEP TIME, THE WX IN SEA DID NOT REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE FOR LNDG AND AS SUCH WE WERE DISPATCHED WITH NO ALTERNATE GIVEN.

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.