Narrative:

En route den-lax right side bleed trip would not reset. Abnormal procedures complied with, MEL procedures reviewed, and company maintenance control and dispatch notified. Approval to continue to lax was granted based on optimum cruise at FL250, left pack only operational, and FMC computations (FL250 input to crz page) for landing at lax with 4900 pounds fuel. Since company minimum planning fuel is 4000 pounds and we were VFR at landing at lax, we decided to continue flight to lax. At 300 plus NM from lax, ATC slowed us to 250 KTS. With the new airspeed of 250 KIAS in the FMC 'crz' and 'des' pages, the landing fuel at lax was 4300 pounds. The lower fuel computation at this point may have been due to higher than forecast headwinds. At about 150 plus NM out of lax, ATC issued an amended clearance to pmd for the sadde 6 arrival. I manually computed this route to be well north of lax, then west over the pacific, and then 180 degrees of vectors back around for a west landing on lax runway 24 or 25. We input this into the FMC. It confirmed my concern by showing lax fuel at 3900 pounds. I then notified ATC that their new clearance would make us minimum fuel at lax. They then gave me my old direct clearance to lax of the civet 1 arrival. Our new FMC fuel was now about 4200 pounds at lax. During the approach at about 50 plus NM, lax approach control gave me an 'south-vector' for sequencing, and asked me if I could accept off-course vectoring due to our fuel. I stated that I could only accept a short vector, but our fuel was good for now. After the first vector, our FMC landing fuel was 4100 pounds. He gave us one more 'south-vector' for sequencing before clearing us to intercept runway 25L final to follow a 'heavy' aircraft for landing. I do not remember the fuel at touchdown, but our taxi-in fuel was 3700 pounds. I and my first officer made sound and appropriate pilot decisions during this entire flight. I complied with ATC at every opportunity, so long as it did not degrade the safety of our flight. When a new ATC clearance did not give us minimum fuel, I appropriately notified ATC. I would have thought absolutely nothing of this, other than we did a good job and it was a good example of what excessive ATC slow downs and vectoring can do to take what appears to be an acceptable fuel state and push that fuel state to the limits of acceptability. Unfortunately, I found out that an FAA inspector was on the jump seat of another air carrier, heard that I was 'minimum fuel' (which I was not), and was investigating. Thus, I decided this report was appropriate for me, and to notify you of what I thought was excessive slow downs and clrncs/vectors on arrival into lax. Crews with less experience, and in aircraft without as good of on-board computers as the B737-300, might have accepted additional clrncs and vectors leading to a critical fuel state.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC WITH ONE AIR-CONDITIONING PRESSURIZATION SYS FAILED, DECIDED TO FLY AT 25000 FT AND THIS CAUSED A HIGHER THAN NORMAL FUEL BURN.

Narrative: ENRTE DEN-LAX R SIDE BLEED TRIP WOULD NOT RESET. ABNORMAL PROCS COMPLIED WITH, MEL PROCS REVIEWED, AND COMPANY MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH NOTIFIED. APPROVAL TO CONTINUE TO LAX WAS GRANTED BASED ON OPTIMUM CRUISE AT FL250, L PACK ONLY OPERATIONAL, AND FMC COMPUTATIONS (FL250 INPUT TO CRZ PAGE) FOR LNDG AT LAX WITH 4900 LBS FUEL. SINCE COMPANY MINIMUM PLANNING FUEL IS 4000 LBS AND WE WERE VFR AT LNDG AT LAX, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE FLT TO LAX. AT 300 PLUS NM FROM LAX, ATC SLOWED US TO 250 KTS. WITH THE NEW AIRSPD OF 250 KIAS IN THE FMC 'CRZ' AND 'DES' PAGES, THE LNDG FUEL AT LAX WAS 4300 LBS. THE LOWER FUEL COMPUTATION AT THIS POINT MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO HIGHER THAN FORECAST HEADWINDS. AT ABOUT 150 PLUS NM OUT OF LAX, ATC ISSUED AN AMENDED CLRNC TO PMD FOR THE SADDE 6 ARR. I MANUALLY COMPUTED THIS RTE TO BE WELL N OF LAX, THEN W OVER THE PACIFIC, AND THEN 180 DEGS OF VECTORS BACK AROUND FOR A W LNDG ON LAX RWY 24 OR 25. WE INPUT THIS INTO THE FMC. IT CONFIRMED MY CONCERN BY SHOWING LAX FUEL AT 3900 LBS. I THEN NOTIFIED ATC THAT THEIR NEW CLRNC WOULD MAKE US MINIMUM FUEL AT LAX. THEY THEN GAVE ME MY OLD DIRECT CLRNC TO LAX OF THE CIVET 1 ARR. OUR NEW FMC FUEL WAS NOW ABOUT 4200 LBS AT LAX. DURING THE APCH AT ABOUT 50 PLUS NM, LAX APCH CTL GAVE ME AN 'S-VECTOR' FOR SEQUENCING, AND ASKED ME IF I COULD ACCEPT OFF-COURSE VECTORING DUE TO OUR FUEL. I STATED THAT I COULD ONLY ACCEPT A SHORT VECTOR, BUT OUR FUEL WAS GOOD FOR NOW. AFTER THE FIRST VECTOR, OUR FMC LNDG FUEL WAS 4100 LBS. HE GAVE US ONE MORE 'S-VECTOR' FOR SEQUENCING BEFORE CLRING US TO INTERCEPT RWY 25L FINAL TO FOLLOW A 'HVY' ACFT FOR LNDG. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE FUEL AT TOUCHDOWN, BUT OUR TAXI-IN FUEL WAS 3700 LBS. I AND MY FO MADE SOUND AND APPROPRIATE PLT DECISIONS DURING THIS ENTIRE FLT. I COMPLIED WITH ATC AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, SO LONG AS IT DID NOT DEGRADE THE SAFETY OF OUR FLT. WHEN A NEW ATC CLRNC DID NOT GIVE US MINIMUM FUEL, I APPROPRIATELY NOTIFIED ATC. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OF THIS, OTHER THAN WE DID A GOOD JOB AND IT WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT EXCESSIVE ATC SLOW DOWNS AND VECTORING CAN DO TO TAKE WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE FUEL STATE AND PUSH THAT FUEL STATE TO THE LIMITS OF ACCEPTABILITY. UNFORTUNATELY, I FOUND OUT THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS ON THE JUMP SEAT OF ANOTHER ACR, HEARD THAT I WAS 'MINIMUM FUEL' (WHICH I WAS NOT), AND WAS INVESTIGATING. THUS, I DECIDED THIS RPT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR ME, AND TO NOTIFY YOU OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS EXCESSIVE SLOW DOWNS AND CLRNCS/VECTORS ON ARR INTO LAX. CREWS WITH LESS EXPERIENCE, AND IN ACFT WITHOUT AS GOOD OF ON-BOARD COMPUTERS AS THE B737-300, MIGHT HAVE ACCEPTED ADDITIONAL CLRNCS AND VECTORS LEADING TO A CRITICAL FUEL STATE.

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.