An medium large transport air carrier crew ran into en route delays. They continued on to their VMC ...

Attributes
ACN	217697
Time
Date	199208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob tower : tus
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	217697
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7750 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	217815
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Declared min fuel due to unanticipated delays along route, and rerouting. Flight las-cle. Scheduled departure very early am, scheduled to arrive AM38 EDT. Flight plan: burn 0185 03:36, hold 0025 00:30, reserve 0034 00:45, taxi 0003 00:13. Actual: burn 0215 04:04, taxi 0003 00:14. Unrestricted climb out of las to cruise altitude. Cleared direct to the west boundary of ZDV. ZDV issued a rerte: direct gck-per further to follow -- immediately thought of fuel. West of publication, center issued right 360 -- on inquiry, stated that sector was saturated and unable to hand off. Discussed diverting to den at this time for fuel -- decided to continue using flight planned hold fuel, now accepting no more delays and landing with planned reserve. If ARTCC knew of delays, they should have notified my company so we could fuel accordingly, or ground hold las. After gck, went RNAV direct to cle. At this time sent ACARS ETA update of AM55Z. After hold and more southerly route, it looked as though we would be dipping into the reserve fuel and landing cle with 3000 pounds. WX was VFR in cle. After we received step down clearance from 370 to 290, declared min fuel. Did not want to take local traffic delays. Supplemental information from acn 217815: preparations were normal except that #1 fuel gauge was inoperative. Tank was filled with a known quantity and the mechanic even stuck the tank. Over den, ATC put us in a hold. This was early am and had never occurred before. We were holding for 25 mins before being cleared to continue. It was clear that we will arrive with a major arrival bank. Cle was VFR. The possibilities of delay vectors were likely, and with low altitude vectoring, our fuel would be very critical. We wanted to have enough fuel for 1 go around if needed. Between 2300-2800 pounds of fuel on board when we arrived at the gate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MLG ACR CREW RAN INTO ENRTE DELAYS. THEY CONTINUED ON TO THEIR VMC DEST, DECLARED A MIN FUEL STATE BECAUSE OF HVY ARR TFC AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Narrative: DECLARED MIN FUEL DUE TO UNANTICIPATED DELAYS ALONG RTE, AND REROUTING. FLT LAS-CLE. SCHEDULED DEP VERY EARLY AM, SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AM38 EDT. FLT PLAN: BURN 0185 03:36, HOLD 0025 00:30, RESERVE 0034 00:45, TAXI 0003 00:13. ACTUAL: BURN 0215 04:04, TAXI 0003 00:14. UNRESTRICTED CLBOUT OF LAS TO CRUISE ALT. CLRED DIRECT TO THE W BOUNDARY OF ZDV. ZDV ISSUED A RERTE: DIRECT GCK-PER FURTHER TO FOLLOW -- IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF FUEL. W OF PUB, CTR ISSUED R 360 -- ON INQUIRY, STATED THAT SECTOR WAS SATURATED AND UNABLE TO HAND OFF. DISCUSSED DIVERTING TO DEN AT THIS TIME FOR FUEL -- DECIDED TO CONTINUE USING FLT PLANNED HOLD FUEL, NOW ACCEPTING NO MORE DELAYS AND LNDG WITH PLANNED RESERVE. IF ARTCC KNEW OF DELAYS, THEY SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED MY COMPANY SO WE COULD FUEL ACCORDINGLY, OR GND HOLD LAS. AFTER GCK, WENT RNAV DIRECT TO CLE. AT THIS TIME SENT ACARS ETA UPDATE OF AM55Z. AFTER HOLD AND MORE SOUTHERLY RTE, IT LOOKED AS THOUGH WE WOULD BE DIPPING INTO THE RESERVE FUEL AND LNDG CLE WITH 3000 POUNDS. WX WAS VFR IN CLE. AFTER WE RECEIVED STEP DOWN CLRNC FROM 370 TO 290, DECLARED MIN FUEL. DID NOT WANT TO TAKE LCL TFC DELAYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 217815: PREPARATIONS WERE NORMAL EXCEPT THAT #1 FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP. TANK WAS FILLED WITH A KNOWN QUANTITY AND THE MECH EVEN STUCK THE TANK. OVER DEN, ATC PUT US IN A HOLD. THIS WAS EARLY AM AND HAD NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. WE WERE HOLDING FOR 25 MINS BEFORE BEING CLRED TO CONTINUE. IT WAS CLR THAT WE WILL ARRIVE WITH A MAJOR ARR BANK. CLE WAS VFR. THE POSSIBILITIES OF DELAY VECTORS WERE LIKELY, AND WITH LOW ALT VECTORING, OUR FUEL WOULD BE VERY CRITICAL. WE WANTED TO HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR 1 GAR IF NEEDED. BTWN 2300-2800 POUNDS OF FUEL ON BOARD WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE.

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.

An medium large transport air carrier crew ran into en route delays. They continued on to their VMC destination, declared a min fuel state because of heavy arrival traffic and landed without incident.