Minimum fuel emergency declared to ATC during radar vectoring.

Attributes
ACN	291555
Time
Date	199412
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zfw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	291555
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We were on the scy 7 arrival to dfw and were given instructions to hold at colax. We calculated our reserve and alternate and fuel burn to dfw. After once around the pattern ATC started releasing airplanes to act-aqn-AQN4- dfw. We asked ATC if we would have any delays once released to act. He said no. He released us on a 180 degree heading in the turn toward act. We told him we needed to continue on the act-aqn-AQN4 without delay so we would not have a minimum fuel situation. He told us no delays. We were then given direct to act (aqn equals action) then we were given a 240 degree heading. We told him we could not take anymore delays because we were fuel critical. We were changed to a new controller. We told her we were fuel critical and could not take anymore delays. She gave us a heading of 270 degrees. We asked how long we would be on that heading. She said 40 mi. That heading was 40 mi away from dfw and then 40 mi back -- 80 mi total and possibly more delays. We declared a minimum fuel emergency. We were given direct to hulen and completed the AQN4. We landed with 4.2 fuel on board.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MINIMUM FUEL EMER DECLARED TO ATC DURING RADAR VECTORING.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE SCY 7 ARR TO DFW AND WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD AT COLAX. WE CALCULATED OUR RESERVE AND ALTERNATE AND FUEL BURN TO DFW. AFTER ONCE AROUND THE PATTERN ATC STARTED RELEASING AIRPLANES TO ACT-AQN-AQN4- DFW. WE ASKED ATC IF WE WOULD HAVE ANY DELAYS ONCE RELEASED TO ACT. HE SAID NO. HE RELEASED US ON A 180 DEG HDG IN THE TURN TOWARD ACT. WE TOLD HIM WE NEEDED TO CONTINUE ON THE ACT-AQN-AQN4 WITHOUT DELAY SO WE WOULD NOT HAVE A MINIMUM FUEL SIT. HE TOLD US NO DELAYS. WE WERE THEN GIVEN DIRECT TO ACT (AQN EQUALS ACTION) THEN WE WERE GIVEN A 240 DEG HDG. WE TOLD HIM WE COULD NOT TAKE ANYMORE DELAYS BECAUSE WE WERE FUEL CRITICAL. WE WERE CHANGED TO A NEW CTLR. WE TOLD HER WE WERE FUEL CRITICAL AND COULD NOT TAKE ANYMORE DELAYS. SHE GAVE US A HDG OF 270 DEGS. WE ASKED HOW LONG WE WOULD BE ON THAT HDG. SHE SAID 40 MI. THAT HDG WAS 40 MI AWAY FROM DFW AND THEN 40 MI BACK -- 80 MI TOTAL AND POSSIBLY MORE DELAYS. WE DECLARED A MINIMUM FUEL EMER. WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT TO HULEN AND COMPLETED THE AQN4. WE LANDED WITH 4.2 FUEL ON BOARD.

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.