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Flight crew of MD80 encountering ATC delays diverts to another airport and declares minimum fuel. Upon arrival at alternate; flight crew encounters further ATC delays and approach controller ultimately declares a fuel emergency to expedite their landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 670658 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200509 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : zzz |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 670658 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| ASRS Report | 670656 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Aircraft FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Company |
Narrative:
Flight from ZZZ to ZZZ1. No alternate required and dispatched with approximately 25 mins of holding fuel. Approaching fix; we were given a clearance to do two 360 degree turns. Following that clearance; we were given direct ZZZ2 VOR and 2 more turns in holding. Released from that fix to next fix and the arrival. Approaching intersection; we were told to hold again with an efc of approximately 30 mins. After one turn in holding; told them we were unable to hold and requested divert to ZZZ3. After being given a heading away from the field; I declared min fuel. After still being given the vector away from the field I restated to the center that I was min fuel. Was then given vectors to another arrival. Approaching intersection and after requesting vectors to runway 31L; I was told we were 15 in line for runway 31R and I again informed the controller we were minimum fuel. He said unless we were emergency fuel we were still 15 in line. The approach controller ultimately declared us as emergency and then gave us clearance for a visual to runway 31L. Please stress to the controllers that by declaring minimum fuel; we are saying that we cannot accept any further delays. Ultimately; we landed with approximately 4 minutes of fuel before we were in an emergency fuel status.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF MD80 ENCOUNTERING ATC DELAYS DIVERTS TO ANOTHER ARPT AND DECLARES MINIMUM FUEL. UPON ARR AT ALTERNATE; FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS FURTHER ATC DELAYS AND APCH CTLR ULTIMATELY DECLARES A FUEL EMER TO EXPEDITE THEIR LNDG.
Narrative: FLT FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1. NO ALTERNATE REQUIRED AND DISPATCHED WITH APPROX 25 MINS OF HOLDING FUEL. APCHING FIX; WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DO TWO 360 DEG TURNS. FOLLOWING THAT CLRNC; WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT ZZZ2 VOR AND 2 MORE TURNS IN HOLDING. RELEASED FROM THAT FIX TO NEXT FIX AND THE ARR. APCHING INTXN; WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD AGAIN WITH AN EFC OF APPROX 30 MINS. AFTER ONE TURN IN HOLDING; TOLD THEM WE WERE UNABLE TO HOLD AND REQUESTED DIVERT TO ZZZ3. AFTER BEING GIVEN A HDG AWAY FROM THE FIELD; I DECLARED MIN FUEL. AFTER STILL BEING GIVEN THE VECTOR AWAY FROM THE FIELD I RESTATED TO THE CTR THAT I WAS MIN FUEL. WAS THEN GIVEN VECTORS TO ANOTHER ARR. APCHING INTXN AND AFTER REQUESTING VECTORS TO RWY 31L; I WAS TOLD WE WERE 15 IN LINE FOR RWY 31R AND I AGAIN INFORMED THE CTLR WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL. HE SAID UNLESS WE WERE EMER FUEL WE WERE STILL 15 IN LINE. THE APCH CTLR ULTIMATELY DECLARED US AS EMER AND THEN GAVE US CLRNC FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 31L. PLEASE STRESS TO THE CTLRS THAT BY DECLARING MINIMUM FUEL; WE ARE SAYING THAT WE CANNOT ACCEPT ANY FURTHER DELAYS. ULTIMATELY; WE LANDED WITH APPROX 4 MINUTES OF FUEL BEFORE WE WERE IN AN EMER FUEL STATUS.
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.