Narrative:

Captain's authority/authorized was used to declare emergency fuel. We were dispatched to land at lga with 5000 pounds of fuel. The WX was good and the flight took place as planned until we reached the gared intersection on the korry 3 arrival into lga. ZDC told us we had to hold at FL280 over gared due to traffic flow into lga. We entered the hold at XA20Z and was given an efc of XB00Z. We completed one turn and were proceeding outbound from gared when ZDC gave us clearance to go to lga via the korry 3. We asked ZDC of any further delays into lga. We were told none were expected. We were handed off to new york approach. Supplemental information from acn 647494: by now we were the same distance from jfk as lga. With the slowing on the approach; probable vectors and always the chance of a missed approach; we elected to declare emergency fuel. We were asked if we could accept the river visual to runway 13 and accepted. Landing was uneventful and after a little delay on taxi in; we arrived at the gate with 3500 pounds of fuel. ATC was excellent; I'm not sure if we were fit in or given traffic priority; but they handled us perfectly. Lesson learned: planning a 3 hour flight to busy cities on minimum fuel requires a lot of things to go right; ie; no departure delays; smooth flight planned altitudes; and no arrival delays -- even in perfect WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 CREW DECLARED A FUEL EMER WHEN UNEXPECTED DELAYS INTO LGA REDUCED FUEL BELOW ARR ESTIMATES.

Narrative: CAPT'S AUTH WAS USED TO DECLARE EMER FUEL. WE WERE DISPATCHED TO LAND AT LGA WITH 5000 LBS OF FUEL. THE WX WAS GOOD AND THE FLT TOOK PLACE AS PLANNED UNTIL WE REACHED THE GARED INTXN ON THE KORRY 3 ARR INTO LGA. ZDC TOLD US WE HAD TO HOLD AT FL280 OVER GARED DUE TO TFC FLOW INTO LGA. WE ENTERED THE HOLD AT XA20Z AND WAS GIVEN AN EFC OF XB00Z. WE COMPLETED ONE TURN AND WERE PROCEEDING OUTBOUND FROM GARED WHEN ZDC GAVE US CLRNC TO GO TO LGA VIA THE KORRY 3. WE ASKED ZDC OF ANY FURTHER DELAYS INTO LGA. WE WERE TOLD NONE WERE EXPECTED. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO NEW YORK APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 647494: BY NOW WE WERE THE SAME DISTANCE FROM JFK AS LGA. WITH THE SLOWING ON THE APCH; PROBABLE VECTORS AND ALWAYS THE CHANCE OF A MISSED APCH; WE ELECTED TO DECLARE EMER FUEL. WE WERE ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT THE RIVER VISUAL TO RWY 13 AND ACCEPTED. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND AFTER A LITTLE DELAY ON TAXI IN; WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE WITH 3500 LBS OF FUEL. ATC WAS EXCELLENT; I'M NOT SURE IF WE WERE FIT IN OR GIVEN TFC PRIORITY; BUT THEY HANDLED US PERFECTLY. LESSON LEARNED: PLANNING A 3 HR FLT TO BUSY CITIES ON MINIMUM FUEL REQUIRES A LOT OF THINGS TO GO RIGHT; IE; NO DEP DELAYS; SMOOTH FLT PLANNED ALTS; AND NO ARR DELAYS -- EVEN IN PERFECT WX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.