Narrative:

Release 2 showed landing with 5.6. I bumped it .4 to land with 6.0. Received release 3 that showed arriving with 6.1 and felt good with that figure; as our destination was VMC. At enroute VOR we received a holding clearance. After figuring our alternates and destination fuel we told ATC we could only take a couple laps in holding. They indicated that this was all right. We were released after one lap in holding and given some vectors. Fuel was getting tight landing with 4.4; then after vectors 3.9. We declared minimum fuel. We kept the speed slow and descended at the most efficient way we could. Dispatch gave us two alternate destination fuel burns but we felt good landing at our destination with 3.9. Near ZZZ1 VOR we were told ATC needed four minutes and we gave it to them. We were making a little fuel in the descent. We got multiple vectors and finally told them we needed direct. By this time we were committed. We started getting vectors. Abeam runway xxr at our destination our fuel was 3.8 and we ask how long the downwind leg was. We were told 20 miles. This would have us landing under my minimum of 3.0 and we declared an emergency. We landed with 3.6. Landing and taxi in were uneventful. Weather was no factor. One runway was shutdown. I felt mishandled by ATC. The trucks were rolled by the tower which I feel just scares people for no reason.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An air carrier aircraft was given holding instructions on arrival. No preflight additional fuel was added because the airport had no expected delays; a fuel emergency was eventually declared.

Narrative: Release 2 showed landing with 5.6. I bumped it .4 to land with 6.0. Received Release 3 that showed arriving with 6.1 and felt good with that figure; as our destination was VMC. At enroute VOR we received a holding clearance. After figuring our alternates and destination fuel we told ATC we could only take a couple laps in holding. They indicated that this was all right. We were released after one lap in holding and given some vectors. Fuel was getting tight landing with 4.4; then after vectors 3.9. We declared minimum fuel. We kept the speed slow and descended at the most efficient way we could. Dispatch gave us two alternate destination fuel burns but we felt good landing at our destination with 3.9. Near ZZZ1 VOR we were told ATC needed four minutes and we gave it to them. We were making a little fuel in the descent. We got multiple vectors and finally told them we needed direct. By this time we were committed. We started getting vectors. Abeam Runway XXR at our destination our fuel was 3.8 and we ask how long the downwind leg was. We were told 20 miles. This would have us landing under my minimum of 3.0 and we declared an emergency. We landed with 3.6. Landing and taxi in were uneventful. Weather was no factor. One runway was shutdown. I felt mishandled by ATC. The trucks were rolled by the Tower which I feel just scares people for no reason.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.