Narrative:

Departed antigua with 52000 pounds of fuel. While en route, we were rerouted to a longer route, due to a radar failure in the atlantic area. This route caused us to go over bacus (intersection) which is well to the south of where we normally come into the coastline, and puts us into the north flow of traffic from florida and a lot more traffic. We crossed robinsville VOR with 10000 pounds of fuel (ewr landing south) which given WX conditions and wind, should not have been a problem. However, after being handed over to approach control and stating that we had come from the islands and were having concerns about fuel, the approach controller (128.55) gave us a turn to 330 degrees off our usual 360 degree heading. We again stated our fuel concerns, we were then turned over to the next controller (120.15) who gave us a further turn to the west of 300 degrees. At this time we informed this controller that we were at 'minimum fuel' and were there any unusual traffic sits that we should be aware of? The controller came back with the statement 'let me see, you want to know the traffic situation and you are at minimum fuel' (or words to that effect). Then he said that we were #18 on the approach and he could not help us unless we declared a 'fuel emergency' and turn left to 270 degrees slow to 180 KTS (another turn away from the airport). At this time declared a 'fuel emergency' and received a clearance direct to teterboro VOR and speed up. Arriving at the gate with 6300 pounds of fuel. Had we not declared a fuel emergency, we estimate we would have landed with less than 5000 pounds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC BURNED MORE FUEL THAN PLANNED DUE TO A REROUTE WHEN ATC RADAR EQUIP FAILED. THEY DECLARED A FUEL EMER WITH N90.

Narrative: DEPARTED ANTIGUA WITH 52000 LBS OF FUEL. WHILE ENRTE, WE WERE REROUTED TO A LONGER RTE, DUE TO A RADAR FAILURE IN THE ATLANTIC AREA. THIS RTE CAUSED US TO GO OVER BACUS (INTXN) WHICH IS WELL TO THE S OF WHERE WE NORMALLY COME INTO THE COASTLINE, AND PUTS US INTO THE N FLOW OF TFC FROM FLORIDA AND A LOT MORE TFC. WE CROSSED ROBINSVILLE VOR WITH 10000 LBS OF FUEL (EWR LNDG S) WHICH GIVEN WX CONDITIONS AND WIND, SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB. HOWEVER, AFTER BEING HANDED OVER TO APCH CTL AND STATING THAT WE HAD COME FROM THE ISLANDS AND WERE HAVING CONCERNS ABOUT FUEL, THE APCH CTLR (128.55) GAVE US A TURN TO 330 DEGS OFF OUR USUAL 360 DEG HDG. WE AGAIN STATED OUR FUEL CONCERNS, WE WERE THEN TURNED OVER TO THE NEXT CTLR (120.15) WHO GAVE US A FURTHER TURN TO THE W OF 300 DEGS. AT THIS TIME WE INFORMED THIS CTLR THAT WE WERE AT 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND WERE THERE ANY UNUSUAL TFC SITS THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH THE STATEMENT 'LET ME SEE, YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TFC SIT AND YOU ARE AT MINIMUM FUEL' (OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT). THEN HE SAID THAT WE WERE #18 ON THE APCH AND HE COULD NOT HELP US UNLESS WE DECLARED A 'FUEL EMER' AND TURN L TO 270 DEGS SLOW TO 180 KTS (ANOTHER TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT). AT THIS TIME DECLARED A 'FUEL EMER' AND RECEIVED A CLRNC DIRECT TO TETERBORO VOR AND SPD UP. ARRIVING AT THE GATE WITH 6300 LBS OF FUEL. HAD WE NOT DECLARED A FUEL EMER, WE ESTIMATE WE WOULD HAVE LANDED WITH LESS THAN 5000 LBS.

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.