Narrative:

We had been monitoring our fuel state throughout the flight and had noticed that we were drifting slightly below our planned arrival fuel due to heavier than forecasted winds and being held down during our climb out of ZZZ due to other traffic. At oal we knew that if the flow to sfo went smoothly we would land comfortably above far fuel. However; with the ceiling at 1600 ft in sfo we knew that the chance of that happening was slim. We did not anticipate holding but we anticipated vectors to final. In fact; in remark to the copilot that if we hold we will divert. ZOA descended us a little earlier than normal but thinking that we might find less headwind at a lower altitude we accepted the early descent. Unfortunately; the winds were heavier at FL320 than FL380. This caused us to edge closer to landing at far fuel. We continued the arrival and subsequent and were eventually handed off to norcal approach. We were given the same vectoring that all traffic was receiving at time but we noticed that the vectors seemed slightly longer than in past encounters. At 9000 ft MSL on a vector to the ILS runway 28R in sfo we realized that we were going to land below far fuel. At that time we declared 'minimum fuel' to norcal. We were given vectors to final and landed without incident. At touchdown we had approximately 40 mins fuel remaining. Additionally; I had added fuel prior to our departure from ZZZ to account for ZZZ's notorious ground delays and departure/center usual altitude hold downs. However; I did not anticipate the heavier than forecasted winds. They were not more than 10-15 higher than forecast; 30 KTS and/or 30 degrees is the trigger to notify dispatch of a 'wind bust.' however; they were just enough for the entire flight to cause an over-burn. Dispatch did notify us that the sfo WX was significantly different from forecast and also let us know oak's WX was good if needed. Norcal did an excellent job of getting us to final and clearing us for the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ENCOUNTERED HIGHER THAN FORECAST WINDS AT CRUISE ALT. FLT CREW DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APCH.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN MONITORING OUR FUEL STATE THROUGHOUT THE FLT AND HAD NOTICED THAT WE WERE DRIFTING SLIGHTLY BELOW OUR PLANNED ARR FUEL DUE TO HEAVIER THAN FORECASTED WINDS AND BEING HELD DOWN DURING OUR CLBOUT OF ZZZ DUE TO OTHER TFC. AT OAL WE KNEW THAT IF THE FLOW TO SFO WENT SMOOTHLY WE WOULD LAND COMFORTABLY ABOVE FAR FUEL. HOWEVER; WITH THE CEILING AT 1600 FT IN SFO WE KNEW THAT THE CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING WAS SLIM. WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE HOLDING BUT WE ANTICIPATED VECTORS TO FINAL. IN FACT; IN REMARK TO THE COPLT THAT IF WE HOLD WE WILL DIVERT. ZOA DSNDED US A LITTLE EARLIER THAN NORMAL BUT THINKING THAT WE MIGHT FIND LESS HEADWIND AT A LOWER ALT WE ACCEPTED THE EARLY DSCNT. UNFORTUNATELY; THE WINDS WERE HEAVIER AT FL320 THAN FL380. THIS CAUSED US TO EDGE CLOSER TO LNDG AT FAR FUEL. WE CONTINUED THE ARR AND SUBSEQUENT AND WERE EVENTUALLY HANDED OFF TO NORCAL APCH. WE WERE GIVEN THE SAME VECTORING THAT ALL TFC WAS RECEIVING AT TIME BUT WE NOTICED THAT THE VECTORS SEEMED SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN IN PAST ENCOUNTERS. AT 9000 FT MSL ON A VECTOR TO THE ILS RWY 28R IN SFO WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE GOING TO LAND BELOW FAR FUEL. AT THAT TIME WE DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL' TO NORCAL. WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS TO FINAL AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT TOUCHDOWN WE HAD APPROX 40 MINS FUEL REMAINING. ADDITIONALLY; I HAD ADDED FUEL PRIOR TO OUR DEP FROM ZZZ TO ACCOUNT FOR ZZZ'S NOTORIOUS GND DELAYS AND DEP/CTR USUAL ALT HOLD DOWNS. HOWEVER; I DID NOT ANTICIPATE THE HEAVIER THAN FORECASTED WINDS. THEY WERE NOT MORE THAN 10-15 HIGHER THAN FORECAST; 30 KTS AND/OR 30 DEGS IS THE TRIGGER TO NOTIFY DISPATCH OF A 'WIND BUST.' HOWEVER; THEY WERE JUST ENOUGH FOR THE ENTIRE FLT TO CAUSE AN OVER-BURN. DISPATCH DID NOTIFY US THAT THE SFO WX WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM FORECAST AND ALSO LET US KNOW OAK'S WX WAS GOOD IF NEEDED. NORCAL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF GETTING US TO FINAL AND CLRING US FOR THE APCH.

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.