Narrative:

The aircraft was dispatched from ZZZZ1 with the maximum fuel load possible 76900 pounds (11478 gals). An alternate was not required due to a good WX forecast on arrival in ZZZ1. Planned flight time was xa 33 due to headwinds; with a planned arrival fuel of 7400 pounds in ZZZ1; which is the lowest I have ever planned on arriving with in ZZZ1 on a B757. This is below the air carrier's new recommended fuel conservation planning guide of 8000 pounds on arrival. Coincidentally; I then told the dispatcher we should look into removing the pats auxiliary fuel tanks from our B737 fleet and put them in the etop B757's. We had a normal taxi out and takeoff from ZZZZ1 then we headed south over ZZZZ2 and coasted out over ZZZZ3 due to strong jetstream activity eastbound to the north. We accomplished our north atlantic crossing procedures and the international relief officer took off on the first break. Since the first officer was flying; I let him select which break he wanted. He wanted the second break; so I would take the 3RD. I did the position reports and noted we were now running about 400 pounds over the burn on the flight plan; which brought our arrival fuel down to 7000 pounds. WX checked out ok; so we continued. We made the crossing and were getting ready to coast in over ZZZZ4 when my break started. I went back to the crew rest seat in the first class section. The next thing I knew; the CSD in first class came back to wake me up. I noticed my time was not quite up yet; but I got up and returned to the cockpit. On the way there I noticed I was walking up a steep hill and thought we were in a climb. When I got back to the cockpit; the 2 first officer's were very agitated and said they had to call me back early; because we were slowed up in a holding pattern at 26000 ft over ZZZ2 instead of our planned 40000 ft cruise altitude on our flight plan. This caused us to burn much more fuel than we planned for; and ZZZ1 still had an indefinite hold on all arrs. I told them both that I would have never accepted any holding or lower altitudes from ATC due to our minimum fuel situation. I immediately sent an ACARS message to dispatcher to see what was causing the delay. About this time we were released from the hold and we accelerated to 300 KTS as requested from our holding speed. Dispatcher sent a message back saying there was 1 cell that popped up unexpectedly near ZZZ1 that shut down the airport. I sent a message to the dispatcher that we were now showing 5800 pounds on arrival to ZZZ1; should we divert to ZZZ3 or ZZZ4 for fuel? He said he preferred ZZZ4 and we were halfway; so we continued on. I then contacted ATC and declared minimum fuel; he asked if I was declaring an emergency; and I said not at this time. He then cleared us direct abc intersection on our flight plan to ZZZ1; which is next to ZZZ4. I then called the flight attendants to prepare for a normal landing in ZZZ4 for fuel. I then made a PA to the passenger and informed them that ZZZ1 had indefinite holds due to WX and that we needed to land for fuel. We then inserted the arrival to the long 10000 ft runway 13 with an ILS instrument approach in ZZZ4; but now the FMC predicted arrival fuel showed 3100 pounds; minus our 1000 pounds in the center tank because we do not have the FAA recommended nitrogen inerting system installed yet. This brought our arrival fuel down to 2100 pounds; I then called ATC; and said I am declaring an emergency at this time; he said cleared direct ZZZ4. I then changed the arrival to runway xx which is 6144 ft long with a long straight in VASI visual approach; but the fuel stayed the same. The international relief officer computed we needed 4300 ft minimum to land; so I set maximum autobrakes. Dispatcher sent an ACARS message saying the ATC coordinator could help us get into ZZZ1; I said it's too late. It would take more fuel; we are committed now and diverting to ZZZ4 at this time; to coordinate a quick turn for fuel. We set the bugs up; briefed the approach; and then completed the descent approach checklist. Passing through 10000 ft; I told the first officer that I would do the landing on the short runway; and I assumed flying the aircraft. I flew down to the FAF; and clicked off the autoplt; and hand flew the landing with the VASI system. We touched down and the aircraft deceleratedso fast; heavy reverse was not required. I turned off the runway about 5000 ft down the runway. I parked at the GA ramp with guidance from ramp personnel; I shut down; and they pulled upstairs for me to go to operations. We had 6200 pounds fuel on arrival; due to the 3000 pounds missed approach fuel prediction in the FMC. Recommendations: 1) remove the pats auxiliary fuel tanks from our B737 fleet and put them in the etop B757's. 2) install the FAA recommended nitrogen inerting system to gain another 1000 pounds fuel. 3) advise ATC of our fuel restrs on the ETOPS B757 fleet and coordinate better with them. 4) more planned fuel stops when margins are thin on fuel. 5) make it company policy; the captain gets the 2ND break; (from coast out to 30W; and 30W to coast in); when things are usually slow and relaxed in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 DIVERTED TO ITS ALT AFTER AN OCEANIC CROSSING WITH STRONG HEAD WINDS AND THEN A TSTM DELAYED DES ARRIVAL RESULTING IN LOW FUEL.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED FROM ZZZZ1 WITH THE MAX FUEL LOAD POSSIBLE 76900 LBS (11478 GALS). AN ALTERNATE WAS NOT REQUIRED DUE TO A GOOD WX FORECAST ON ARR IN ZZZ1. PLANNED FLT TIME WAS XA 33 DUE TO HEADWINDS; WITH A PLANNED ARR FUEL OF 7400 LBS IN ZZZ1; WHICH IS THE LOWEST I HAVE EVER PLANNED ON ARRIVING WITH IN ZZZ1 ON A B757. THIS IS BELOW THE ACR'S NEW RECOMMENDED FUEL CONSERVATION PLANNING GUIDE OF 8000 LBS ON ARR. COINCIDENTALLY; I THEN TOLD THE DISPATCHER WE SHOULD LOOK INTO REMOVING THE PATS AUX FUEL TANKS FROM OUR B737 FLEET AND PUT THEM IN THE ETOP B757'S. WE HAD A NORMAL TAXI OUT AND TKOF FROM ZZZZ1 THEN WE HEADED S OVER ZZZZ2 AND COASTED OUT OVER ZZZZ3 DUE TO STRONG JETSTREAM ACTIVITY EBOUND TO THE N. WE ACCOMPLISHED OUR N ATLANTIC XING PROCS AND THE IRO TOOK OFF ON THE FIRST BREAK. SINCE THE FO WAS FLYING; I LET HIM SELECT WHICH BREAK HE WANTED. HE WANTED THE SECOND BREAK; SO I WOULD TAKE THE 3RD. I DID THE POS RPTS AND NOTED WE WERE NOW RUNNING ABOUT 400 LBS OVER THE BURN ON THE FLT PLAN; WHICH BROUGHT OUR ARR FUEL DOWN TO 7000 LBS. WX CHKED OUT OK; SO WE CONTINUED. WE MADE THE XING AND WERE GETTING READY TO COAST IN OVER ZZZZ4 WHEN MY BREAK STARTED. I WENT BACK TO THE CREW REST SEAT IN THE FIRST CLASS SECTION. THE NEXT THING I KNEW; THE CSD IN FIRST CLASS CAME BACK TO WAKE ME UP. I NOTICED MY TIME WAS NOT QUITE UP YET; BUT I GOT UP AND RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. ON THE WAY THERE I NOTICED I WAS WALKING UP A STEEP HILL AND THOUGHT WE WERE IN A CLB. WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE COCKPIT; THE 2 FO'S WERE VERY AGITATED AND SAID THEY HAD TO CALL ME BACK EARLY; BECAUSE WE WERE SLOWED UP IN A HOLDING PATTERN AT 26000 FT OVER ZZZ2 INSTEAD OF OUR PLANNED 40000 FT CRUISE ALT ON OUR FLT PLAN. THIS CAUSED US TO BURN MUCH MORE FUEL THAN WE PLANNED FOR; AND ZZZ1 STILL HAD AN INDEFINITE HOLD ON ALL ARRS. I TOLD THEM BOTH THAT I WOULD HAVE NEVER ACCEPTED ANY HOLDING OR LOWER ALTS FROM ATC DUE TO OUR MINIMUM FUEL SIT. I IMMEDIATELY SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCHER TO SEE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE DELAY. ABOUT THIS TIME WE WERE RELEASED FROM THE HOLD AND WE ACCELERATED TO 300 KTS AS REQUESTED FROM OUR HOLDING SPD. DISPATCHER SENT A MESSAGE BACK SAYING THERE WAS 1 CELL THAT POPPED UP UNEXPECTEDLY NEAR ZZZ1 THAT SHUT DOWN THE ARPT. I SENT A MESSAGE TO THE DISPATCHER THAT WE WERE NOW SHOWING 5800 LBS ON ARR TO ZZZ1; SHOULD WE DIVERT TO ZZZ3 OR ZZZ4 FOR FUEL? HE SAID HE PREFERRED ZZZ4 AND WE WERE HALFWAY; SO WE CONTINUED ON. I THEN CONTACTED ATC AND DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL; HE ASKED IF I WAS DECLARING AN EMER; AND I SAID NOT AT THIS TIME. HE THEN CLRED US DIRECT ABC INTXN ON OUR FLT PLAN TO ZZZ1; WHICH IS NEXT TO ZZZ4. I THEN CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE FOR A NORMAL LNDG IN ZZZ4 FOR FUEL. I THEN MADE A PA TO THE PAX AND INFORMED THEM THAT ZZZ1 HAD INDEFINITE HOLDS DUE TO WX AND THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND FOR FUEL. WE THEN INSERTED THE ARR TO THE LONG 10000 FT RWY 13 WITH AN ILS INST APCH IN ZZZ4; BUT NOW THE FMC PREDICTED ARR FUEL SHOWED 3100 LBS; MINUS OUR 1000 LBS IN THE CTR TANK BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE FAA RECOMMENDED NITROGEN INERTING SYS INSTALLED YET. THIS BROUGHT OUR ARR FUEL DOWN TO 2100 LBS; I THEN CALLED ATC; AND SAID I AM DECLARING AN EMER AT THIS TIME; HE SAID CLRED DIRECT ZZZ4. I THEN CHANGED THE ARR TO RWY XX WHICH IS 6144 FT LONG WITH A LONG STRAIGHT IN VASI VISUAL APCH; BUT THE FUEL STAYED THE SAME. THE IRO COMPUTED WE NEEDED 4300 FT MINIMUM TO LAND; SO I SET MAX AUTOBRAKES. DISPATCHER SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE SAYING THE ATC COORDINATOR COULD HELP US GET INTO ZZZ1; I SAID IT'S TOO LATE. IT WOULD TAKE MORE FUEL; WE ARE COMMITTED NOW AND DIVERTING TO ZZZ4 AT THIS TIME; TO COORDINATE A QUICK TURN FOR FUEL. WE SET THE BUGS UP; BRIEFED THE APCH; AND THEN COMPLETED THE DSCNT APCH CHKLIST. PASSING THROUGH 10000 FT; I TOLD THE FO THAT I WOULD DO THE LNDG ON THE SHORT RWY; AND I ASSUMED FLYING THE ACFT. I FLEW DOWN TO THE FAF; AND CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT; AND HAND FLEW THE LNDG WITH THE VASI SYS. WE TOUCHED DOWN AND THE ACFT DECELERATEDSO FAST; HVY REVERSE WAS NOT REQUIRED. I TURNED OFF THE RWY ABOUT 5000 FT DOWN THE RWY. I PARKED AT THE GA RAMP WITH GUIDANCE FROM RAMP PERSONNEL; I SHUT DOWN; AND THEY PULLED UPSTAIRS FOR ME TO GO TO OPS. WE HAD 6200 LBS FUEL ON ARR; DUE TO THE 3000 LBS MISSED APCH FUEL PREDICTION IN THE FMC. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) REMOVE THE PATS AUX FUEL TANKS FROM OUR B737 FLEET AND PUT THEM IN THE ETOP B757'S. 2) INSTALL THE FAA RECOMMENDED NITROGEN INERTING SYS TO GAIN ANOTHER 1000 LBS FUEL. 3) ADVISE ATC OF OUR FUEL RESTRS ON THE ETOPS B757 FLEET AND COORDINATE BETTER WITH THEM. 4) MORE PLANNED FUEL STOPS WHEN MARGINS ARE THIN ON FUEL. 5) MAKE IT COMPANY POLICY; THE CAPT GETS THE 2ND BREAK; (FROM COAST OUT TO 30W; AND 30W TO COAST IN); WHEN THINGS ARE USUALLY SLOW AND RELAXED IN THE COCKPIT.

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.