Narrative:

ATC issued reroute in clearance; captain asked dispatch for a new release to reflect new fuel burn. Second release came back with an incorrect route of flight. Captain called the dispatch office to get another release with the correct route of flight. Third release came back correct. Climb out. Normal operation. Cruise. Assigned cruising altitude was FL340. Descended to FL320 mid-flight due to continuous moderate turbulence and the reported smooth ride at FL320. Descended early on the arrival into ZZZ due to a pilot report from an aircraft ahead that passed through our route of flight that encountered moderate to severe turbulence while climbing out through 16000 ft. Cleared to and deviated around thunderstorms on the way into ZZZ on the arrival. As we approached the airport; ATC notified us that we should expect to hold ahead. The controller was informed by the captain that we would be unable to hold. The controller came back and informed us that we would have to proceed to our planned alternate and that the only way an aircraft could get into ZZZ was if it had a fuel emergency. Due to the fact that we did not have a fuel emergency at that time we diverted to our flight planned alternate; ZZZ1. Due to traffic separation; we were instructed to climb to FL190. Cruise ZZZ-ZZZ1. En route to ZZZ1; an ACARS came in asking how about ZZZ2? Due to the weather that we passed through; it was decided that proceeding back into the weather would not be the best decision. Cleared onto an arrival for ZZZ1. Cleared to deviate from arrival slightly to get around weather. After deviation; assigned direct abc; direct ZZZ1. After clearing another area of precipitation; I asked captain to request direct ZZZ1. The controller came back and cleared us onto a different arrival. The captain and I discussed that we didn't want to go further away from the airport and he told the controller that if we couldn't get direct the field; we were going to have to go ahead and declare a fuel emergency. After the captain informed the controller of this; he cleared us direct to the field. Descent and landing ZZZ1. In order to save fuel; we maintained FL190 as long as possible before descending lower into ZZZ1. We were cleared for the ILS and made a safe landing. We landed with approximately 2400 pounds of fuel aboard versus normal reserve. Recommend improved; more timely communications/coordination between ATC; crew and flight dispatch to better address estimated hold times and missions flown during periods of significant/intense weather activity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERJ DIVERTS TO ALTERNATE DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO HOLD AT DESTINATION.

Narrative: ATC ISSUED REROUTE IN CLEARANCE; CAPTAIN ASKED DISPATCH FOR A NEW RELEASE TO REFLECT NEW FUEL BURN. SECOND RELEASE CAME BACK WITH AN INCORRECT ROUTE OF FLIGHT. CAPTAIN CALLED THE DISPATCH OFFICE TO GET ANOTHER RELEASE WITH THE CORRECT ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THIRD RELEASE CAME BACK CORRECT. CLIMB OUT. NORMAL OPERATION. CRUISE. ASSIGNED CRUISING ALTITUDE WAS FL340. DESCENDED TO FL320 MID-FLIGHT DUE TO CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURBULENCE AND THE REPORTED SMOOTH RIDE AT FL320. DESCENDED EARLY ON THE ARRIVAL INTO ZZZ DUE TO A PILOT REPORT FROM AN AIRCRAFT AHEAD THAT PASSED THROUGH OUR ROUTE OF FLIGHT THAT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE WHILE CLIMBING OUT THROUGH 16000 FT. CLEARED TO AND DEVIATED AROUND THUNDERSTORMS ON THE WAY INTO ZZZ ON THE ARRIVAL. AS WE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT; ATC NOTIFIED US THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO HOLD AHEAD. THE CONTROLLER WAS INFORMED BY THE CAPTAIN THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO HOLD. THE CONTROLLER CAME BACK AND INFORMED US THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PROCEED TO OUR PLANNED ALTERNATE AND THAT THE ONLY WAY AN AIRCRAFT COULD GET INTO ZZZ WAS IF IT HAD A FUEL EMERGENCY. DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A FUEL EMERGENCY AT THAT TIME WE DIVERTED TO OUR FLIGHT PLANNED ALTERNATE; ZZZ1. DUE TO TRAFFIC SEPARATION; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLIMB TO FL190. CRUISE ZZZ-ZZZ1. ENRTE TO ZZZ1; AN ACARS CAME IN ASKING HOW ABOUT ZZZ2? DUE TO THE WEATHER THAT WE PASSED THROUGH; IT WAS DECIDED THAT PROCEEDING BACK INTO THE WEATHER WOULD NOT BE THE BEST DECISION. CLEARED ONTO AN ARRIVAL FOR ZZZ1. CLEARED TO DEVIATE FROM ARRIVAL SLIGHTLY TO GET AROUND WEATHER. AFTER DEVIATION; ASSIGNED DIRECT ABC; DIRECT ZZZ1. AFTER CLEARING ANOTHER AREA OF PRECIPITATION; I ASKED CAPTAIN TO REQUEST DIRECT ZZZ1. THE CONTROLLER CAME BACK AND CLEARED US ONTO A DIFFERENT ARRIVAL. THE CAPTAIN AND I DISCUSSED THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO FURTHER AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT AND HE TOLD THE CONTROLLER THAT IF WE COULDN'T GET DIRECT THE FIELD; WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND DECLARE A FUEL EMERGENCY. AFTER THE CAPTAIN INFORMED THE CONTROLLER OF THIS; HE CLEARED US DIRECT TO THE FIELD. DESCENT AND LANDING ZZZ1. IN ORDER TO SAVE FUEL; WE MAINTAINED FL190 AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE DESCENDING LOWER INTO ZZZ1. WE WERE CLEARED FOR THE ILS AND MADE A SAFE LANDING. WE LANDED WITH APPROXIMATELY 2400 LBS OF FUEL ABOARD VERSUS NORMAL RESERVE. RECOMMEND IMPROVED; MORE TIMELY COMMUNICATIONS/COORDINATION BETWEEN ATC; CREW AND FLIGHT DISPATCH TO BETTER ADDRESS ESTIMATED HOLD TIMES AND MISSIONS FLOWN DURING PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANT/INTENSE WEATHER ACTIVITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.