Narrative:

The flight was dispatched with 5500 pounds of fuel. Upon getting IFR clearance; there was no mention of any delays going into ewr. During taxi out to the runway; ground control advised of an edc time of 10 mins from the current time. 1 engine was left running during this wait. After the 10 mins; ground control instructed us to taxi to the runway. As tower was in the middle of instructing us to taxi into position and hold; he changed his mind and said there was a new edc of 10 mins from the current time. The #1 engine was shut down; while #2 was kept running. After the 10 mins; tower gave us a takeoff clearance. We took off with 5200 pounds (4900 pounds was the minimum allowable fuel amount to take off). During the climb; ATC issued a rerte; which took the route of flight much further north than planned. Immediately after accepting the rerte; the captain made several attempts to contact dispatch to see if we had the fuel to continue on the rerte. I used the dial access to try and reach the company; with no answer; and the captain made multiple attempts on 2 different radio frequencys to contact dispatch; also with no luck. The FMS told us that we would be landing with 1900 pounds (I am aware this is not to be used for planning purposes; although it is very accurate; and given the situation; it was the only data available to determine if we had enough fuel) so we continued on the rerte. Upon nearing the terminal area; center and approach were issuing radar vectors; most of which were not shortening our flight time. While on downwind; abeam the IAF for the ILS runway 4R; the captain asked ATC what our sequence was to land on runway 4R at ewr; and ATC advised that we were 12TH in line. At this time we had 1600 pounds of fuel on board (the fuel gauges turn amber at 800 pounds per engine; which does not give a pleasant feeling). This is when the captain advised ATC we were going to have to declare minimum fuel. At this time ATC said ok; and gave us an immediate left turn to intercept the localizer. From this point we landed and taxied to the gate without incident. We landed with 1500 pounds of fuel. The event occurred due to the flight being dispatched with 5500 pounds of fuel; receiving 2 unexpected delays on the ground; being rerted in the air to a course much further north and out of the way of the original; being vectored back and forth in the terminal area; and not being able to get hold of dispatch using multiple methods; and multiple frequencys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW REPORTS DELAYS AND REROUTES CAUSING A MIN FUEL DECLARATION DURING VECTORS AT EWR.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS DISPATCHED WITH 5500 LBS OF FUEL. UPON GETTING IFR CLRNC; THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY DELAYS GOING INTO EWR. DURING TAXI OUT TO THE RWY; GND CTL ADVISED OF AN EDC TIME OF 10 MINS FROM THE CURRENT TIME. 1 ENG WAS LEFT RUNNING DURING THIS WAIT. AFTER THE 10 MINS; GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO THE RWY. AS TWR WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF INSTRUCTING US TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD; HE CHANGED HIS MIND AND SAID THERE WAS A NEW EDC OF 10 MINS FROM THE CURRENT TIME. THE #1 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN; WHILE #2 WAS KEPT RUNNING. AFTER THE 10 MINS; TWR GAVE US A TKOF CLRNC. WE TOOK OFF WITH 5200 LBS (4900 LBS WAS THE MINIMUM ALLOWABLE FUEL AMOUNT TO TAKE OFF). DURING THE CLB; ATC ISSUED A RERTE; WHICH TOOK THE RTE OF FLT MUCH FURTHER N THAN PLANNED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ACCEPTING THE RERTE; THE CAPT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT DISPATCH TO SEE IF WE HAD THE FUEL TO CONTINUE ON THE RERTE. I USED THE DIAL ACCESS TO TRY AND REACH THE COMPANY; WITH NO ANSWER; AND THE CAPT MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS ON 2 DIFFERENT RADIO FREQS TO CONTACT DISPATCH; ALSO WITH NO LUCK. THE FMS TOLD US THAT WE WOULD BE LNDG WITH 1900 LBS (I AM AWARE THIS IS NOT TO BE USED FOR PLANNING PURPOSES; ALTHOUGH IT IS VERY ACCURATE; AND GIVEN THE SITUATION; IT WAS THE ONLY DATA AVAILABLE TO DETERMINE IF WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL) SO WE CONTINUED ON THE RERTE. UPON NEARING THE TERMINAL AREA; CTR AND APCH WERE ISSUING RADAR VECTORS; MOST OF WHICH WERE NOT SHORTENING OUR FLT TIME. WHILE ON DOWNWIND; ABEAM THE IAF FOR THE ILS RWY 4R; THE CAPT ASKED ATC WHAT OUR SEQUENCE WAS TO LAND ON RWY 4R AT EWR; AND ATC ADVISED THAT WE WERE 12TH IN LINE. AT THIS TIME WE HAD 1600 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD (THE FUEL GAUGES TURN AMBER AT 800 LBS PER ENG; WHICH DOES NOT GIVE A PLEASANT FEELING). THIS IS WHEN THE CAPT ADVISED ATC WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL. AT THIS TIME ATC SAID OK; AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. FROM THIS POINT WE LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE LANDED WITH 1500 LBS OF FUEL. THE EVENT OCCURRED DUE TO THE FLT BEING DISPATCHED WITH 5500 LBS OF FUEL; RECEIVING 2 UNEXPECTED DELAYS ON THE GND; BEING RERTED IN THE AIR TO A COURSE MUCH FURTHER N AND OUT OF THE WAY OF THE ORIGINAL; BEING VECTORED BACK AND FORTH IN THE TERMINAL AREA; AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET HOLD OF DISPATCH USING MULTIPLE METHODS; AND MULTIPLE FREQS.

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.