Narrative:

Flight was dispatched to land in dfw with 1 hour of fuel remaining. Taxi out of ord exceeded expected taxi-out time. At runway just before takeoff; fuel showed 16.0 kilo pounds which was 200 pounds less than cleared; but still plenty of fuel to arrive at dfw with over 45 mins remaining. No alternate was required due to cavu at dfw. Once airborne we immediately noticed actual winds were 30 KTS to as much as 50 KTS higher than forecast. Unfortunately; for us it was a headwind the entire flight to dfw. Notified dispatch passing mzv of wind bust and possibly we might have to declare minimum fuel due to poor wind forecast. Passing irk we determined that fuel at arrival would now only be about 40 mins due to headwinds. We declared minimum fuel with ZKC center and notified dispatch who in turn notified the ATC coordinator. ZKC was helpful by giving us direct byp; but the winds were killing us and we were actively asking for wind reports for altitudes below us to see if there was any relief; but all wind reports continued to be 30-50 KTS above forecast and we determined the higher fuel burn at the lower altitudes would cause us more fuel burn than to stay at FL360. ATC was helpful with the exception of first ZFW controller who took away our direct byp and put us back on arrival and told us we would need to declare an emergency to get any short cuts. However; next controller in ZFW gave us back our clearance to direct byp not more than a few mins from the first controller. I understand what minimum fuel means to ATC and they cannot give priority to you unless you declare an emergency. However; the whole name of the game is to prevent an emergency situation from developing in the first place. Therefore; if giving an aircraft with minimum fuel status a direct clearance doesn't interrupt their traffic flow; I don't see why they can't do that. The first ZFW controller only put us back on the arrival because of his procedures; not because of traffic. 2 mins after he gave us that clearance the other controller gave us direct byp back so obviously there wasn't any conflict. We ended up getting a short approach to runway 31R and landed with 40 mins fuel remaining. My mistake was having faith in our winds forecast. It won't happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 DISPATCHED TO DFW WITH MINIMUM FUEL ENCOUNTERS A WIND BUST AND DECLARES MINIMUM FUEL TO ATC.

Narrative: FLT WAS DISPATCHED TO LAND IN DFW WITH 1 HR OF FUEL REMAINING. TAXI OUT OF ORD EXCEEDED EXPECTED TAXI-OUT TIME. AT RWY JUST BEFORE TKOF; FUEL SHOWED 16.0 KILO LBS WHICH WAS 200 LBS LESS THAN CLRED; BUT STILL PLENTY OF FUEL TO ARRIVE AT DFW WITH OVER 45 MINS REMAINING. NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED DUE TO CAVU AT DFW. ONCE AIRBORNE WE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED ACTUAL WINDS WERE 30 KTS TO AS MUCH AS 50 KTS HIGHER THAN FORECAST. UNFORTUNATELY; FOR US IT WAS A HEADWIND THE ENTIRE FLT TO DFW. NOTIFIED DISPATCH PASSING MZV OF WIND BUST AND POSSIBLY WE MIGHT HAVE TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL DUE TO POOR WIND FORECAST. PASSING IRK WE DETERMINED THAT FUEL AT ARR WOULD NOW ONLY BE ABOUT 40 MINS DUE TO HEADWINDS. WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL WITH ZKC CTR AND NOTIFIED DISPATCH WHO IN TURN NOTIFIED THE ATC COORDINATOR. ZKC WAS HELPFUL BY GIVING US DIRECT BYP; BUT THE WINDS WERE KILLING US AND WE WERE ACTIVELY ASKING FOR WIND RPTS FOR ALTS BELOW US TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RELIEF; BUT ALL WIND RPTS CONTINUED TO BE 30-50 KTS ABOVE FORECAST AND WE DETERMINED THE HIGHER FUEL BURN AT THE LOWER ALTS WOULD CAUSE US MORE FUEL BURN THAN TO STAY AT FL360. ATC WAS HELPFUL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FIRST ZFW CTLR WHO TOOK AWAY OUR DIRECT BYP AND PUT US BACK ON ARR AND TOLD US WE WOULD NEED TO DECLARE AN EMER TO GET ANY SHORT CUTS. HOWEVER; NEXT CTLR IN ZFW GAVE US BACK OUR CLRNC TO DIRECT BYP NOT MORE THAN A FEW MINS FROM THE FIRST CTLR. I UNDERSTAND WHAT MINIMUM FUEL MEANS TO ATC AND THEY CANNOT GIVE PRIORITY TO YOU UNLESS YOU DECLARE AN EMER. HOWEVER; THE WHOLE NAME OF THE GAME IS TO PREVENT AN EMER SITUATION FROM DEVELOPING IN THE FIRST PLACE. THEREFORE; IF GIVING AN ACFT WITH MINIMUM FUEL STATUS A DIRECT CLRNC DOESN'T INTERRUPT THEIR TFC FLOW; I DON'T SEE WHY THEY CAN'T DO THAT. THE FIRST ZFW CTLR ONLY PUT US BACK ON THE ARR BECAUSE OF HIS PROCS; NOT BECAUSE OF TFC. 2 MINS AFTER HE GAVE US THAT CLRNC THE OTHER CTLR GAVE US DIRECT BYP BACK SO OBVIOUSLY THERE WASN'T ANY CONFLICT. WE ENDED UP GETTING A SHORT APCH TO RWY 31R AND LANDED WITH 40 MINS FUEL REMAINING. MY MISTAKE WAS HAVING FAITH IN OUR WINDS FORECAST. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.