Narrative:

Flight tus-iah. Released tus fuel 15300 pounds, actual 16100 pounds. Flight plan at 37000 ft. Due to moderate turbulence, flight, altitude was adjusted numerous times, to final cruise approaching elp of 27000 ft. Near elp flight rerouted from over aus, to south over crp, adding 12 mins to flight time. When turned over to approach control approximately 50 mi south of field, we were again given a number of delaying vectors away from iah. Told controller that we would not be able to accept many more delays, since our fuel was approaching that level where we would need to go to our alternate, efd. Controller turned us north and then informed us that we were #16 for the approach, and a level 6 thunderstorm was approaching the south end of the field and would probably be directly over the field when we would probably touchdown. I then attempted to obtain ATIS at efd, but was not receiving the information on 109.7. Visually, the WX looked bad at efd, so I requested WX information from controller about hub, he replied thunderstorm passed over hub and field conditions were good. I requested vectors to hub, and contacted company to have dispatch either add hub or change alternate from efd to hub - to avoid having to use captain emergency authority/authorized to land at airport not on clearance. Company replied that dispatch had made change, and concurred of our decision to land hub rather than efd, normal approach/landing resulted at hub. I feel that everything was handled pretty well considering the changing WX conditions. It would have been helpful if approach control would have told us sooner of the number of aircraft sequenced before us on the approach final - 16 is excessive.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT FINDS FAULT WITH IAH APCH FOR NOT IMMEDIATELY DISCLOSING THE NUMBER OF ACFT AWAITING APCH VECTORS FOR ARPT.

Narrative: FLT TUS-IAH. RELEASED TUS FUEL 15300 LBS, ACTUAL 16100 LBS. FLT PLAN AT 37000 FT. DUE TO MODERATE TURB, FLT, ALT WAS ADJUSTED NUMEROUS TIMES, TO FINAL CRUISE APCHING ELP OF 27000 FT. NEAR ELP FLT REROUTED FROM OVER AUS, TO S OVER CRP, ADDING 12 MINS TO FLT TIME. WHEN TURNED OVER TO APCH CTL APPROX 50 MI S OF FIELD, WE WERE AGAIN GIVEN A NUMBER OF DELAYING VECTORS AWAY FROM IAH. TOLD CTLR THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT MANY MORE DELAYS, SINCE OUR FUEL WAS APCHING THAT LEVEL WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO GO TO OUR ALTERNATE, EFD. CTLR TURNED US N AND THEN INFORMED US THAT WE WERE #16 FOR THE APCH, AND A LEVEL 6 TSTM WAS APCHING THE S END OF THE FIELD AND WOULD PROBABLY BE DIRECTLY OVER THE FIELD WHEN WE WOULD PROBABLY TOUCHDOWN. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN ATIS AT EFD, BUT WAS NOT RECEIVING THE INFO ON 109.7. VISUALLY, THE WX LOOKED BAD AT EFD, SO I REQUESTED WX INFO FROM CTLR ABOUT HUB, HE REPLIED TSTM PASSED OVER HUB AND FIELD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD. I REQUESTED VECTORS TO HUB, AND CONTACTED COMPANY TO HAVE DISPATCH EITHER ADD HUB OR CHANGE ALTERNATE FROM EFD TO HUB - TO AVOID HAVING TO USE CAPT EMER AUTH TO LAND AT ARPT NOT ON CLRNC. COMPANY REPLIED THAT DISPATCH HAD MADE CHANGE, AND CONCURRED OF OUR DECISION TO LAND HUB RATHER THAN EFD, NORMAL APCH/LNDG RESULTED AT HUB. I FEEL THAT EVERYTHING WAS HANDLED PRETTY WELL CONSIDERING THE CHANGING WX CONDITIONS. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF APCH CTL WOULD HAVE TOLD US SOONER OF THE NUMBER OF ACFT SEQUENCED BEFORE US ON THE APCH FINAL - 16 IS EXCESSIVE.

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.