Narrative:

Airline flight arriving lga from mia, 7/88, a widebody transport. Landed with slightly under 4000# fuel, a less than adequate amount for this type aircraft. The problem arose with thunderstorms in the ny area causing air traffic delays. After a gate hold of nearly 1 hour on the ground in mia, we proceeded en route with 51300 pounds of fuel, a normal amount. But at tar river VOR we were cleared to hold for approximately 45 mins. Subsequently we were cleared on a circuitous routing over harrisburg, hancock, kingston and then lga. I told the captain that we did not have enough fuel to go that way, but he continued. He said that if the fuel level got down to 10000#, he would land somewhere. However, when we did get down to 10000# fuel, there was not a good alternate nearby and we were still about 100 mi from lga. We continued to receive delaying vectors and were given a long approach at low altitude. I believe we should have landed for fuel, probably in the washington area. I wish I had made this recommendation to the captain more forcefully and been more persuasive about this before our fuel reached a critical level. Supplemental information from acn 91402: passing around washington dc area, our fuel state became one of our concerns. I called dispatch for directions of alternate choices, which were lga, jfk, phl. Passing west of phl I picked up their WX. All were above minimums, but with thunderstorms in the area. When the fuel got to around 10000#, we were at a point equidistant from phl and lga. I stated the fuel load and asked if we were going to proceed direct to lga. ZNY said yes. Captain decided to proceed. No emergency was declared.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB LANDED AT LGA WITH 3600 POUNDS FUEL REMAINING.

Narrative: AIRLINE FLT ARRIVING LGA FROM MIA, 7/88, A WDB. LANDED WITH SLIGHTLY UNDER 4000# FUEL, A LESS THAN ADEQUATE AMOUNT FOR THIS TYPE ACFT. THE PROB AROSE WITH TSTMS IN THE NY AREA CAUSING AIR TFC DELAYS. AFTER A GATE HOLD OF NEARLY 1 HR ON THE GND IN MIA, WE PROCEEDED ENRTE WITH 51300 LBS OF FUEL, A NORMAL AMOUNT. BUT AT TAR RIVER VOR WE WERE CLRED TO HOLD FOR APPROX 45 MINS. SUBSEQUENTLY WE WERE CLRED ON A CIRCUITOUS ROUTING OVER HARRISBURG, HANCOCK, KINGSTON AND THEN LGA. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GO THAT WAY, BUT HE CONTINUED. HE SAID THAT IF THE FUEL LEVEL GOT DOWN TO 10000#, HE WOULD LAND SOMEWHERE. HOWEVER, WHEN WE DID GET DOWN TO 10000# FUEL, THERE WAS NOT A GOOD ALTERNATE NEARBY AND WE WERE STILL ABOUT 100 MI FROM LGA. WE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE DELAYING VECTORS AND WERE GIVEN A LONG APCH AT LOW ALT. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE LANDED FOR FUEL, PROBABLY IN THE WASHINGTON AREA. I WISH I HAD MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE CAPT MORE FORCEFULLY AND BEEN MORE PERSUASIVE ABOUT THIS BEFORE OUR FUEL REACHED A CRITICAL LEVEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 91402: PASSING AROUND WASHINGTON DC AREA, OUR FUEL STATE BECAME ONE OF OUR CONCERNS. I CALLED DISPATCH FOR DIRECTIONS OF ALTERNATE CHOICES, WHICH WERE LGA, JFK, PHL. PASSING W OF PHL I PICKED UP THEIR WX. ALL WERE ABOVE MINIMUMS, BUT WITH TSTMS IN THE AREA. WHEN THE FUEL GOT TO AROUND 10000#, WE WERE AT A POINT EQUIDISTANT FROM PHL AND LGA. I STATED THE FUEL LOAD AND ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO PROCEED DIRECT TO LGA. ZNY SAID YES. CAPT DECIDED TO PROCEED. NO EMER WAS DECLARED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.