Narrative:

En route from bwi to ewr had to declare a low fuel emergency. ATC had issued a gate hold of 1 hour and, when we departed bwi, we had the fuel necessary to complete the flight in accordance with the dispatch release. Normal cruise en route. 45 min holding and 45 min reserve. At the beginning of the trip, the route of flight was as filed and according to flight plan. At the end of the runway the route of flight was changed to add about 100 NM to the trip. It was determined that we could accept the clearance and still meet the fuel required by the regulations. No alternate was required because the WX was VFR. ATC issued delay vectors and speed changes to sequence our aircraft. After delaying our flight using vectors, we informed ATC that 'we had flight plan fuel' and needed to proceed to our destination without further delay. ATC asked if we needed to declare an emergency and we stated that we would not need to if we were cleared to our destination. ATC then stated that they wanted us to hold for 20 mins or more and we informed them that we could not accept this clearance. ATC would not give us a firm expect further clearance or EAC and, therefore, we declared a low fuel emergency and proceeded to the airport and landed safely with 4000 pounds of fuel, which is 40 mins of fuel. The system failed to service our needs when we informed the controller that we were 'flight plan fuel.' they ignored the need to expedite us to our destination and continued to mix us with the general flow of traffic. They kept giving us delay vectors to put us off until we were limited in our choices of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW DECLARED A FUEL EMER.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM BWI TO EWR HAD TO DECLARE A LOW FUEL EMER. ATC HAD ISSUED A GATE HOLD OF 1 HR AND, WHEN WE DEPARTED BWI, WE HAD THE FUEL NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE FLT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DISPATCH RELEASE. NORMAL CRUISE ENRTE. 45 MIN HOLDING AND 45 MIN RESERVE. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP, THE RTE OF FLT WAS AS FILED AND ACCORDING TO FLT PLAN. AT THE END OF THE RWY THE RTE OF FLT WAS CHANGED TO ADD ABOUT 100 NM TO THE TRIP. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE COULD ACCEPT THE CLRNC AND STILL MEET THE FUEL REQUIRED BY THE REGS. NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED BECAUSE THE WX WAS VFR. ATC ISSUED DELAY VECTORS AND SPD CHANGES TO SEQUENCE OUR ACFT. AFTER DELAYING OUR FLT USING VECTORS, WE INFORMED ATC THAT 'WE HAD FLT PLAN FUEL' AND NEEDED TO PROCEED TO OUR DEST WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. ATC ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND WE STATED THAT WE WOULD NOT NEED TO IF WE WERE CLRED TO OUR DEST. ATC THEN STATED THAT THEY WANTED US TO HOLD FOR 20 MINS OR MORE AND WE INFORMED THEM THAT WE COULD NOT ACCEPT THIS CLRNC. ATC WOULD NOT GIVE US A FIRM EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC OR EAC AND, THEREFORE, WE DECLARED A LOW FUEL EMER AND PROCEEDED TO THE ARPT AND LANDED SAFELY WITH 4000 LBS OF FUEL, WHICH IS 40 MINS OF FUEL. THE SYS FAILED TO SVC OUR NEEDS WHEN WE INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE WERE 'FLT PLAN FUEL.' THEY IGNORED THE NEED TO EXPEDITE US TO OUR DEST AND CONTINUED TO MIX US WITH THE GENERAL FLOW OF TFC. THEY KEPT GIVING US DELAY VECTORS TO PUT US OFF UNTIL WE WERE LIMITED IN OUR CHOICES OF ACTION.

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.