Flight crew of a B737-300 used into their minimum fuel during delayed approach at destination.

Attributes
ACN	490450
Time
Date	200010
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl single value : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc tracon : p50.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : fossel
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	490450
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : acft fuel guages other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Phx WX 38 broken, 60 ovct, 10 mi visibility. We had progressed through a series of holds and vectors with a reroute from the karlo arrival to the fossel arrival. With this final efc from abq I advised them that in 28 mins (our efc) that I would declare 'minimum fuel' and either need no delays to phx or I would divert to our listed alternate of tus. Abq thanked me for my heads-up. Approximately 5 mins prior to our efc we were cleared inbound and handed off to phx TRACON. Upon initial contact I advised them that we were very close to 'minimum fuel.' phx advised me that one turn in holding at tonto would be needed. I responded that we could do one turn, but any further delay would probably cause us to divert to tus. After one turn we were cleared inbound. At approximately 8000 ft MSL near the phx VOR, we could see the airport. At 6000 ft MSL I could clearly see the city and sky harbor (phx) as we were below the cloud deck. Approach then sent us out west quite a ways and had us slow which with gear and flaps resulted higher fuel flowas. We burned into our minimum fuel (tus and 4.0), during this extensive pattern, however, we were VFR throughout.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-300 USED INTO THEIR MINIMUM FUEL DURING DELAYED APCH AT DEST.

Narrative: PHX WX 38 BROKEN, 60 OVCT, 10 MI VISIBILITY. WE HAD PROGRESSED THROUGH A SERIES OF HOLDS AND VECTORS WITH A REROUTE FROM THE KARLO ARR TO THE FOSSEL ARR. WITH THIS FINAL EFC FROM ABQ I ADVISED THEM THAT IN 28 MINS (OUR EFC) THAT I WOULD DECLARE 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND EITHER NEED NO DELAYS TO PHX OR I WOULD DIVERT TO OUR LISTED ALTERNATE OF TUS. ABQ THANKED ME FOR MY HEADS-UP. APPROX 5 MINS PRIOR TO OUR EFC WE WERE CLRED INBOUND AND HANDED OFF TO PHX TRACON. UPON INITIAL CONTACT I ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO 'MINIMUM FUEL.' PHX ADVISED ME THAT ONE TURN IN HOLDING AT TONTO WOULD BE NEEDED. I RESPONDED THAT WE COULD DO ONE TURN, BUT ANY FURTHER DELAY WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE US TO DIVERT TO TUS. AFTER ONE TURN WE WERE CLRED INBOUND. AT APPROX 8000 FT MSL NEAR THE PHX VOR, WE COULD SEE THE ARPT. AT 6000 FT MSL I COULD CLRLY SEE THE CITY AND SKY HARBOR (PHX) AS WE WERE BELOW THE CLOUD DECK. APCH THEN SENT US OUT W QUITE A WAYS AND HAD US SLOW WHICH WITH GEAR AND FLAPS RESULTED HIGHER FUEL FLOWAS. WE BURNED INTO OUR MINIMUM FUEL (TUS AND 4.0), DURING THIS EXTENSIVE PATTERN, HOWEVER, WE WERE VFR THROUGHOUT.

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.