Narrative:

Flight departed bhm for scheduled flight to stl. Forecast and reported WX conditions were VFR with strong (50-70 KTS) headwinds anticipated for this leg. Planned fuel burn was 1900 pounds and IFR reserves plus contingency (200 pounds) brought minimum fuel required to 2900 pounds. We had been loaded with 3000 pounds and still had to deny 2 passenger on account of maximum tow problems. We knew that this would leave us with thin (albeit, adequate) IFR margins. We estimated a fuel burn of 2000 pounds plus 800 pounds for reserve would be minimum required (which was less than dispatch minimums). So we felt ok departing with 3000 pounds considering that the WX in stl was VFR, 3 major runways in use and available, and good visibility. Upon entering ZKC we were asked to slow to eliminate probability of holding. We compiled with that request and requested ATC leave us at our cruise altitude (FL200) for as long as possible. They replied with 'unable that, descend now to 15000 ft faster traffic behind you.' just before reaching rackk intersection on qball 2 arrival, received hold instruction with efc of :55 mins past hour. We did some quick calculating and determined we could do that. Then we notified our dispatchers in stl of the hold clearance and fuel remaining and they simply replied 'call us when you leave the hold.' as it turns out we didn't even complete 1 full pattern before being cleared inbound, normal speed. Great, we thought, we'll make it ok from here. Well, that was before we talked to stl approach control. They had vectors in store for us, and lots of 'em. First, we were told to slow from 250 KTS to 200 KTS and turn right 30 degrees. Remember we kept checking destination WX and it was good VFR with lots of visibility. So, upon receipt of this heading away from airport, first officer and I decided to declare 'minimum fuel.' controller responded 'roger, turn further right to 060 degrees, descend and maintain 4500 ft.' I read back clearance and very clearly announced 'flight XXX minimum fuel.' he rogered that and said if he turned us in closer, he'd have to take other aircraft out of the pattern and the only way he could do this was if we were declaring an emergency. I responded 'ok, let's declare an emergency and take a vector direct to stl.' this flight landed without further incident with fuel gauges reading approximately 850 pounds remaining which is just above the 800 ft required to meet the far IFR reserve requirement. I maybe did not fully understand that declaring 'minimum fuel' would not get me a direct heading for the airport 'without undue delay' and had the controller explained that we would not lose our sequence, we may have been able to continue and land, although we would have had somewhat less than IFR reserves remaining. So, I maybe erred on the conservative side by using emergency authority/authorized. Entire situation would have never happened if I would have bumped up 'my own minimum amount' to 2200 pounds and never let the result of this concern me. Specifically, the agents would have denied 1 more passenger a seat. Too much emphasis from above (management) on bottom line profits and politics at the expense of narrower and narrower safety margins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER EXPERIENCING A NUMBER OF DELAYS, AN ACR FLC DECLARED AN EMER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE PRIORITY WHEN IN A MINIMUM FUEL STATE.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED BHM FOR SCHEDULED FLT TO STL. FORECAST AND RPTED WX CONDITIONS WERE VFR WITH STRONG (50-70 KTS) HEADWINDS ANTICIPATED FOR THIS LEG. PLANNED FUEL BURN WAS 1900 LBS AND IFR RESERVES PLUS CONTINGENCY (200 LBS) BROUGHT MINIMUM FUEL REQUIRED TO 2900 LBS. WE HAD BEEN LOADED WITH 3000 LBS AND STILL HAD TO DENY 2 PAX ON ACCOUNT OF MAX TOW PROBS. WE KNEW THAT THIS WOULD LEAVE US WITH THIN (ALBEIT, ADEQUATE) IFR MARGINS. WE ESTIMATED A FUEL BURN OF 2000 LBS PLUS 800 LBS FOR RESERVE WOULD BE MINIMUM REQUIRED (WHICH WAS LESS THAN DISPATCH MINIMUMS). SO WE FELT OK DEPARTING WITH 3000 LBS CONSIDERING THAT THE WX IN STL WAS VFR, 3 MAJOR RWYS IN USE AND AVAILABLE, AND GOOD VISIBILITY. UPON ENTERING ZKC WE WERE ASKED TO SLOW TO ELIMINATE PROBABILITY OF HOLDING. WE COMPILED WITH THAT REQUEST AND REQUESTED ATC LEAVE US AT OUR CRUISE ALT (FL200) FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. THEY REPLIED WITH 'UNABLE THAT, DSND NOW TO 15000 FT FASTER TFC BEHIND YOU.' JUST BEFORE REACHING RACKK INTXN ON QBALL 2 ARR, RECEIVED HOLD INSTRUCTION WITH EFC OF :55 MINS PAST HR. WE DID SOME QUICK CALCULATING AND DETERMINED WE COULD DO THAT. THEN WE NOTIFIED OUR DISPATCHERS IN STL OF THE HOLD CLRNC AND FUEL REMAINING AND THEY SIMPLY REPLIED 'CALL US WHEN YOU LEAVE THE HOLD.' AS IT TURNS OUT WE DIDN'T EVEN COMPLETE 1 FULL PATTERN BEFORE BEING CLRED INBOUND, NORMAL SPD. GREAT, WE THOUGHT, WE'LL MAKE IT OK FROM HERE. WELL, THAT WAS BEFORE WE TALKED TO STL APCH CTL. THEY HAD VECTORS IN STORE FOR US, AND LOTS OF 'EM. FIRST, WE WERE TOLD TO SLOW FROM 250 KTS TO 200 KTS AND TURN R 30 DEGS. REMEMBER WE KEPT CHKING DEST WX AND IT WAS GOOD VFR WITH LOTS OF VISIBILITY. SO, UPON RECEIPT OF THIS HDG AWAY FROM ARPT, FO AND I DECIDED TO DECLARE 'MINIMUM FUEL.' CTLR RESPONDED 'ROGER, TURN FURTHER R TO 060 DEGS, DSND AND MAINTAIN 4500 FT.' I READ BACK CLRNC AND VERY CLRLY ANNOUNCED 'FLT XXX MINIMUM FUEL.' HE ROGERED THAT AND SAID IF HE TURNED US IN CLOSER, HE'D HAVE TO TAKE OTHER ACFT OUT OF THE PATTERN AND THE ONLY WAY HE COULD DO THIS WAS IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. I RESPONDED 'OK, LET'S DECLARE AN EMER AND TAKE A VECTOR DIRECT TO STL.' THIS FLT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT WITH FUEL GAUGES READING APPROX 850 LBS REMAINING WHICH IS JUST ABOVE THE 800 FT REQUIRED TO MEET THE FAR IFR RESERVE REQUIREMENT. I MAYBE DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT DECLARING 'MINIMUM FUEL' WOULD NOT GET ME A DIRECT HDG FOR THE ARPT 'WITHOUT UNDUE DELAY' AND HAD THE CTLR EXPLAINED THAT WE WOULD NOT LOSE OUR SEQUENCE, WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE AND LAND, ALTHOUGH WE WOULD HAVE HAD SOMEWHAT LESS THAN IFR RESERVES REMAINING. SO, I MAYBE ERRED ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE BY USING EMER AUTH. ENTIRE SIT WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IF I WOULD HAVE BUMPED UP 'MY OWN MINIMUM AMOUNT' TO 2200 LBS AND NEVER LET THE RESULT OF THIS CONCERN ME. SPECIFICALLY, THE AGENTS WOULD HAVE DENIED 1 MORE PAX A SEAT. TOO MUCH EMPHASIS FROM ABOVE (MGMNT) ON BOTTOM LINE PROFITS AND POLITICS AT THE EXPENSE OF NARROWER AND NARROWER SAFETY MARGINS.

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.