Declared emergency account minimum fuel.

Attributes
ACN	257478
Time
Date	199311
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	257478
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Holding at fqm with efc of XA35Z for ewr. At XA30Z asked for clearance to alternate (jfk). Cleared to jfk. Mins later, asked if we wanted to go to ewr. Said yes, if no delay. Cleared to ewr. Mins later, given hold. Refused and asked for clearance to jfk. Declared 'minimum fuel' advisory. Again, asked if we wanted to go to ewr. First officer said if no delay involved. I got on radio and emphasized that we could not take any delays. Given vector for ewr. Mins later given 160 degree heading. Asked why. 'You are #10 for a 20 mi final.' declared an emergency and proceeded to ewr for landing. Low fuel light on on final. It appears that the minimum fuel advisory does not carry much weight in the nyc area. We felt like we had been 'led down the path.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DECLARED EMER ACCOUNT MINIMUM FUEL.

Narrative: HOLDING AT FQM WITH EFC OF XA35Z FOR EWR. AT XA30Z ASKED FOR CLRNC TO ALTERNATE (JFK). CLRED TO JFK. MINS LATER, ASKED IF WE WANTED TO GO TO EWR. SAID YES, IF NO DELAY. CLRED TO EWR. MINS LATER, GIVEN HOLD. REFUSED AND ASKED FOR CLRNC TO JFK. DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL' ADVISORY. AGAIN, ASKED IF WE WANTED TO GO TO EWR. FO SAID IF NO DELAY INVOLVED. I GOT ON RADIO AND EMPHASIZED THAT WE COULD NOT TAKE ANY DELAYS. GIVEN VECTOR FOR EWR. MINS LATER GIVEN 160 DEG HDG. ASKED WHY. 'YOU ARE #10 FOR A 20 MI FINAL.' DECLARED AN EMER AND PROCEEDED TO EWR FOR LNDG. LOW FUEL LIGHT ON ON FINAL. IT APPEARS THAT THE MINIMUM FUEL ADVISORY DOES NOT CARRY MUCH WT IN THE NYC AREA. WE FELT LIKE WE HAD BEEN 'LED DOWN THE PATH.'

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.