An air carrier medium large transport required priority handling due to a low fuel state.

Attributes
ACN	243452
Time
Date	199306
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bna tower : btr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	243452
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	244081
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

En route dtw to bna. Extensive deviating around thunderstorms used all of our contingency fuel. WX reports indicated no need for an alternate. Therefore, on arrival at bna, fuel was close to reserve, 5100 pounds. WX was moving over the field. Captain advised would declare an emergency if we were not given priority handling due to low fuel. Local FAA was advised of the situation. Supplemental information from acn 244081: main problem: gaining ATC clearance in areas clear of threatening WX. Due to deviations around WX areas and delays for other traffic, there were no suitable alternates within our fuel range. ATC was able to issue clearance for visual approach to another runway prior to our needing to declare an emergency to gain traffic priority. Suggest aircraft departures have lower priority than arrs when threatening WX in area. Aircraft already airborne should not be restr while departures are allowed to use clear areas.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG REQUIRED PRIORITY HANDLING DUE TO A LOW FUEL STATE.

Narrative: ENRTE DTW TO BNA. EXTENSIVE DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS USED ALL OF OUR CONTINGENCY FUEL. WX RPTS INDICATED NO NEED FOR AN ALTERNATE. THEREFORE, ON ARR AT BNA, FUEL WAS CLOSE TO RESERVE, 5100 LBS. WX WAS MOVING OVER THE FIELD. CAPT ADVISED WOULD DECLARE AN EMER IF WE WERE NOT GIVEN PRIORITY HANDLING DUE TO LOW FUEL. LCL FAA WAS ADVISED OF THE SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 244081: MAIN PROB: GAINING ATC CLRNC IN AREAS CLR OF THREATENING WX. DUE TO DEVS AROUND WX AREAS AND DELAYS FOR OTHER TFC, THERE WERE NO SUITABLE ALTERNATES WITHIN OUR FUEL RANGE. ATC WAS ABLE TO ISSUE CLRNC FOR VISUAL APCH TO ANOTHER RWY PRIOR TO OUR NEEDING TO DECLARE AN EMER TO GAIN TFC PRIORITY. SUGGEST ACFT DEPS HAVE LOWER PRIORITY THAN ARRS WHEN THREATENING WX IN AREA. ACFT ALREADY AIRBORNE SHOULD NOT BE RESTR WHILE DEPS ARE ALLOWED TO USE CLR AREAS.

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.