Flight crew of an light transport declared an emergency due to minimum fuel.

Attributes
ACN	301254
Time
Date	199503
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors enroute airway : stl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	301254
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Trip operated between bhm and stl. Fueled to 3000 pounds, dispatch release indicated that included 200 pounds increased for headwinds. WX en route to destination was forecast and reported as good. Departed with 2960 pounds, well above minimum fuel. The flight progressed normally and as expected until entering ZKC airspace. In the vicinity of the mwa VOR, ZKC requested we reduce our speed en route for possible holding. We complied with that and received descent clearance to 11000 ft. We asked center to delay our descent as long as possible and they told us faster traffic behind us and needed us to descend now down to 15000 ft. Approaching rackk intersection on the qball arrival, we received holding instructions at rackk with expect further clearance of XA55. We were continuously checking our fuel quantity and destination WX and called flight control with our holding instructions and estimated fuel calculated (efc) time. Flight control simply replied 'call us when you leave holding.' we calculated that we would leave holding with no less than 1100 pounds and our efc time would have allowed that. We also checked WX for diversion to nearby cgi airport. As it turned out, before we had made 1 complete circuit in holding pattern, ATC cleared us inbound at normal speed to cross qball at 8000 ft, before our efc time came up. Then we got into stl approach airspace and received a speed reduction and began receiving radar vectors. We discussed our fuel situation again and we decided to declare 'minimum fuel' to ATC. ATC acknowledged and gave us a further turn away from the airport. We then repeated and emphasized 'minimum fuel' and were told by the approach controller that he'd have to take aircraft out of sequence to get us in closer, and he would do that if we were declaring an emergency. We discussed it and decided to opt for the most expeditious handling possible and declared emergency to ATC. The flight arrived without further incident and upon arrival at stl, we had IFR reserves, plus some. I feel that stl needs to come up with a different plan to sequence airplanes in minimum fuel situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO MINIMUM FUEL.

Narrative: TRIP OPERATED BTWN BHM AND STL. FUELED TO 3000 LBS, DISPATCH RELEASE INDICATED THAT INCLUDED 200 LBS INCREASED FOR HEADWINDS. WX ENRTE TO DEST WAS FORECAST AND RPTED AS GOOD. DEPARTED WITH 2960 LBS, WELL ABOVE MINIMUM FUEL. THE FLT PROGRESSED NORMALLY AND AS EXPECTED UNTIL ENTERING ZKC AIRSPACE. IN THE VICINITY OF THE MWA VOR, ZKC REQUESTED WE REDUCE OUR SPD ENRTE FOR POSSIBLE HOLDING. WE COMPLIED WITH THAT AND RECEIVED DSCNT CLRNC TO 11000 FT. WE ASKED CTR TO DELAY OUR DSCNT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND THEY TOLD US FASTER TFC BEHIND US AND NEEDED US TO DSND NOW DOWN TO 15000 FT. APCHING RACKK INTXN ON THE QBALL ARR, WE RECEIVED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT RACKK WITH EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC OF XA55. WE WERE CONTINUOUSLY CHKING OUR FUEL QUANTITY AND DEST WX AND CALLED FLT CTL WITH OUR HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND ESTIMATED FUEL CALCULATED (EFC) TIME. FLT CTL SIMPLY REPLIED 'CALL US WHEN YOU LEAVE HOLDING.' WE CALCULATED THAT WE WOULD LEAVE HOLDING WITH NO LESS THAN 1100 LBS AND OUR EFC TIME WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THAT. WE ALSO CHKED WX FOR DIVERSION TO NEARBY CGI ARPT. AS IT TURNED OUT, BEFORE WE HAD MADE 1 COMPLETE CIRCUIT IN HOLDING PATTERN, ATC CLRED US INBOUND AT NORMAL SPD TO CROSS QBALL AT 8000 FT, BEFORE OUR EFC TIME CAME UP. THEN WE GOT INTO STL APCH AIRSPACE AND RECEIVED A SPD REDUCTION AND BEGAN RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS. WE DISCUSSED OUR FUEL SIT AGAIN AND WE DECIDED TO DECLARE 'MINIMUM FUEL' TO ATC. ATC ACKNOWLEDGED AND GAVE US A FURTHER TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT. WE THEN REPEATED AND EMPHASIZED 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND WERE TOLD BY THE APCH CTLR THAT HE'D HAVE TO TAKE ACFT OUT OF SEQUENCE TO GET US IN CLOSER, AND HE WOULD DO THAT IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. WE DISCUSSED IT AND DECIDED TO OPT FOR THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING POSSIBLE AND DECLARED EMER TO ATC. THE FLT ARRIVED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND UPON ARR AT STL, WE HAD IFR RESERVES, PLUS SOME. I FEEL THAT STL NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT PLAN TO SEQUENCE AIRPLANES IN MINIMUM FUEL SIT.

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.