Narrative:

Location: 10 NM west of bpr. Just before departure, the payload jumped about 10000 pounds. Dispatch sent an ACARS message advising of that but stating the desire was not to take a delay for additional fuel and to send a lot of position reports to track the fuel. We did, but we could not go to FL370 because we were too heavy at first, then the ride at FL370 was reported very bad. We went by abq 600 pounds behind, we were losing a little more on each leg, but I figured we would land with about 5300 pounds or so. We got a clearance direct bpr, and then ZFW told us to cross 50 mi west of bpr at FL240. I planned to start an idle descent at 95 mi from bpr to minimize fuel burn, but at 150 mi out they asked us to start our descent and accelerate to 320 KTS. I told them we were minimum fuel and would like to remain at FL330 as long as we could, that we would cross 50 mi west at FL240. They said ok. When we got on approach control, it became obvious that center had not relayed our minimum fuel state, and we had to declare minimum fuel again to avoid a long vector off to the north. As it was, we landed with 5100 pounds. I submit this report to ask whether ATC facilities are required to relay the aircraft status once they have declared minimum fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD80 TAKE OFF WITH A LOW FUEL LOAD AND THEN DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL TO CTR WHEN INSTRUCTED TO DSND EARLY. IN ADDITION, APCH CTL STARTED GIVING VECTORS AND THE CREW DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AGAIN TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAYS AND SUBSEQUENTLY LNDG SAFELY.

Narrative: LOCATION: 10 NM W OF BPR. JUST BEFORE DEP, THE PAYLOAD JUMPED ABOUT 10000 LBS. DISPATCH SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE ADVISING OF THAT BUT STATING THE DESIRE WAS NOT TO TAKE A DELAY FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL AND TO SEND A LOT OF POS RPTS TO TRACK THE FUEL. WE DID, BUT WE COULD NOT GO TO FL370 BECAUSE WE WERE TOO HVY AT FIRST, THEN THE RIDE AT FL370 WAS RPTED VERY BAD. WE WENT BY ABQ 600 LBS BEHIND, WE WERE LOSING A LITTLE MORE ON EACH LEG, BUT I FIGURED WE WOULD LAND WITH ABOUT 5300 LBS OR SO. WE GOT A CLRNC DIRECT BPR, AND THEN ZFW TOLD US TO CROSS 50 MI W OF BPR AT FL240. I PLANNED TO START AN IDLE DSCNT AT 95 MI FROM BPR TO MINIMIZE FUEL BURN, BUT AT 150 MI OUT THEY ASKED US TO START OUR DSCNT AND ACCELERATE TO 320 KTS. I TOLD THEM WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL AND WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN AT FL330 AS LONG AS WE COULD, THAT WE WOULD CROSS 50 MI W AT FL240. THEY SAID OK. WHEN WE GOT ON APCH CTL, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT CTR HAD NOT RELAYED OUR MINIMUM FUEL STATE, AND WE HAD TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL AGAIN TO AVOID A LONG VECTOR OFF TO THE N. AS IT WAS, WE LANDED WITH 5100 LBS. I SUBMIT THIS RPT TO ASK WHETHER ATC FACILITIES ARE REQUIRED TO RELAY THE ACFT STATUS ONCE THEY HAVE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL.

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.