Narrative:

Flight abc from dfw to ewr proceeded normally until encountering moderate turbulence and chop at FL410 in vicinity nashville. Flight was planned for 7000 pounds fuel over ewr. Unable to maintain FL410 and moderate turbulence was encountered in descent through FL330. We leveled at FL290 30 NM northeast bna VOR and fuel over destination ewr showed 6.0 at touchdown runway 4R on the FMC. No alternate was planned and reserve was 4262 pounds. So sent a message to dispatch via ACARS to inform of potential land short. After approximately 30 mins, we were able to climb back to FL370 and fuel over destination now showed 6400 pounds. Soon after, learned ewr now landing runway 22 with fuel over destination 5900 pounds. I knew this figure is optimistic from previous experience so on initial contact with ewr approach we declared minimum fuel to advise ewr we could not accept any extensive vectors, which can sometimes happen on runway 22 approachs. Ewr approach took this as an emergency and asked fuel remaining and souls on board. I gave them the information and informed them it was not an emergency, but they elected to handle as such regardless. I did initially give the fuel remaining at 30 mins, which was incorrect and revised that to 50 mins. They still elected to stay with almost emergency type handling, so we accepted vectors for a visual approach to runway 4R with winds reported 010 degrees at 7 KTS. This did cause some minor departure delays off runway 22R, but not anywhere near 15 mins, which dispatch said was reported to them after the fact. Fire trucks awaited us on landing, but of course were not necessary and a normal taxi brought flight abc to the gate with 4700 pounds after engine shutdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 ENDS UP CLOSE TO DEST, EWR, WITH MINIMUM FUEL. FLC RPTS FUEL STATUS TO TRACON, WHO DECLARES AN EMER FOR THE ARRIVING ACFT.

Narrative: FLT ABC FROM DFW TO EWR PROCEEDED NORMALLY UNTIL ENCOUNTERING MODERATE TURB AND CHOP AT FL410 IN VICINITY NASHVILLE. FLT WAS PLANNED FOR 7000 LBS FUEL OVER EWR. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FL410 AND MODERATE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED IN DSCNT THROUGH FL330. WE LEVELED AT FL290 30 NM NE BNA VOR AND FUEL OVER DEST EWR SHOWED 6.0 AT TOUCHDOWN RWY 4R ON THE FMC. NO ALTERNATE WAS PLANNED AND RESERVE WAS 4262 LBS. SO SENT A MESSAGE TO DISPATCH VIA ACARS TO INFORM OF POTENTIAL LAND SHORT. AFTER APPROX 30 MINS, WE WERE ABLE TO CLB BACK TO FL370 AND FUEL OVER DEST NOW SHOWED 6400 LBS. SOON AFTER, LEARNED EWR NOW LNDG RWY 22 WITH FUEL OVER DEST 5900 LBS. I KNEW THIS FIGURE IS OPTIMISTIC FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE SO ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH EWR APCH WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL TO ADVISE EWR WE COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY EXTENSIVE VECTORS, WHICH CAN SOMETIMES HAPPEN ON RWY 22 APCHS. EWR APCH TOOK THIS AS AN EMER AND ASKED FUEL REMAINING AND SOULS ON BOARD. I GAVE THEM THE INFO AND INFORMED THEM IT WAS NOT AN EMER, BUT THEY ELECTED TO HANDLE AS SUCH REGARDLESS. I DID INITIALLY GIVE THE FUEL REMAINING AT 30 MINS, WHICH WAS INCORRECT AND REVISED THAT TO 50 MINS. THEY STILL ELECTED TO STAY WITH ALMOST EMER TYPE HANDLING, SO WE ACCEPTED VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 4R WITH WINDS RPTED 010 DEGS AT 7 KTS. THIS DID CAUSE SOME MINOR DEP DELAYS OFF RWY 22R, BUT NOT ANYWHERE NEAR 15 MINS, WHICH DISPATCH SAID WAS RPTED TO THEM AFTER THE FACT. FIRE TRUCKS AWAITED US ON LNDG, BUT OF COURSE WERE NOT NECESSARY AND A NORMAL TAXI BROUGHT FLT ABC TO THE GATE WITH 4700 LBS AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN.

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.