Narrative:

When en route; center issued a rerte to avoid a 20-25 min hold. The rerte increased the flight time by 45 mins and reducing our landing fuel to 1640 pounds. Reserve fuel for this flight was 2140 pounds. At this point I informed ATC that with the new rerte I had to declare minimum fuel. Upon handoff to center; I was instructed to inform them that I was minimum fuel; which I did upon checking in with them. I was given back our original routing. I was asked what was the nature of the minimum fuel status and I informed them about the length of the rerte. Then I was xferred to approach and informed them as well of the minimum fuel status. Their response was inquiry of the number of souls on board and how many mins of fuel on board. I told them 50 passenger and 50 mins of fuel on board at this time. Their response was that they were declaring us as a fuel emergency and gave us priority to the airport with emergency equipment standing by. Landed without incident and no further actions. Before center handed us off to approach; I was given a phone number of the head supervisor of center and was instructed to call him after landing. I called and explained the situation to him and answered his questions. He agreed with the minimum fuel call and was not going to take action. He didn't understand the previous center's reasoning for the rerte and was going to write a letter to that supervisor and get their explanation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 FLT GIVEN A REROUTE DECLARED MIN FUEL. ATC THEN DECLARED A FUEL EMER; RESTORED THE ORIGINAL ROUTING; AND ASK THE FLT CREW FOR WHY AN EMER.

Narrative: WHEN ENRTE; CTR ISSUED A RERTE TO AVOID A 20-25 MIN HOLD. THE RERTE INCREASED THE FLT TIME BY 45 MINS AND REDUCING OUR LNDG FUEL TO 1640 LBS. RESERVE FUEL FOR THIS FLT WAS 2140 LBS. AT THIS POINT I INFORMED ATC THAT WITH THE NEW RERTE I HAD TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL. UPON HDOF TO CTR; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO INFORM THEM THAT I WAS MINIMUM FUEL; WHICH I DID UPON CHKING IN WITH THEM. I WAS GIVEN BACK OUR ORIGINAL ROUTING. I WAS ASKED WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE MINIMUM FUEL STATUS AND I INFORMED THEM ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE RERTE. THEN I WAS XFERRED TO APCH AND INFORMED THEM AS WELL OF THE MINIMUM FUEL STATUS. THEIR RESPONSE WAS INQUIRY OF THE NUMBER OF SOULS ON BOARD AND HOW MANY MINS OF FUEL ON BOARD. I TOLD THEM 50 PAX AND 50 MINS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT THIS TIME. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE DECLARING US AS A FUEL EMER AND GAVE US PRIORITY TO THE ARPT WITH EMER EQUIP STANDING BY. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND NO FURTHER ACTIONS. BEFORE CTR HANDED US OFF TO APCH; I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER OF THE HEAD SUPVR OF CTR AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL HIM AFTER LNDG. I CALLED AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO HIM AND ANSWERED HIS QUESTIONS. HE AGREED WITH THE MINIMUM FUEL CALL AND WAS NOT GOING TO TAKE ACTION. HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PREVIOUS CTR'S REASONING FOR THE RERTE AND WAS GOING TO WRITE A LETTER TO THAT SUPVR AND GET THEIR EXPLANATION.

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.