Air carrier medium large transport requested fuel priority handling enroute pit-sea.

Attributes
ACN	100778
Time
Date	198812
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eph
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse tower : pne
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j70
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 7000
ASRS Report	100778
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

During flight from pittsburgh to seattle, we checked in with ZSE and were informed that we would have to hold over ephrata VOR for 25 mins due to delays into sea. This posed a problem for us since we had only enough fuel to hold for about 15 mins. We communicated this to the controller and were informed that there was nothing he could do to shorten the time and asked us if we wanted traffic priority. The captain, who was talking with the controller during this episode answered in the affirmative. I had told the captain I believed we should wait until we actually entered holding (hoping for an improvement in the 25 minute hold) which was still about 15 mins away. The captain however became angered at the controller's non-helpful attitude and decided to take the priority handling at that time, and thus had to talk to the FAA upon landing, about our emergency fuel situation. We took all precautions prior to this situation, such as topping off all fuel tanks, requesting west coast priority on taxi out at pit, selecting the most favorable altitudes on flight out with regard to winds, and flying at most economical speeds according to our flight computer. The medium large transport long range is just not a good aircraft for this type of flight in the winter when the jet stream becomes a factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG REQUESTED FUEL PRIORITY HANDLING ENROUTE PIT-SEA.

Narrative: DURING FLT FROM PITTSBURGH TO SEATTLE, WE CHKED IN WITH ZSE AND WERE INFORMED THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD OVER EPHRATA VOR FOR 25 MINS DUE TO DELAYS INTO SEA. THIS POSED A PROB FOR US SINCE WE HAD ONLY ENOUGH FUEL TO HOLD FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. WE COMMUNICATED THIS TO THE CTLR AND WERE INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO TO SHORTEN THE TIME AND ASKED US IF WE WANTED TFC PRIORITY. THE CAPT, WHO WAS TALKING WITH THE CTLR DURING THIS EPISODE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I HAD TOLD THE CAPT I BELIEVED WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY ENTERED HOLDING (HOPING FOR AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE 25 MINUTE HOLD) WHICH WAS STILL ABOUT 15 MINS AWAY. THE CAPT HOWEVER BECAME ANGERED AT THE CTLR'S NON-HELPFUL ATTITUDE AND DECIDED TO TAKE THE PRIORITY HANDLING AT THAT TIME, AND THUS HAD TO TALK TO THE FAA UPON LNDG, ABOUT OUR EMER FUEL SITUATION. WE TOOK ALL PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO THIS SITUATION, SUCH AS TOPPING OFF ALL FUEL TANKS, REQUESTING W COAST PRIORITY ON TAXI OUT AT PIT, SELECTING THE MOST FAVORABLE ALTS ON FLT OUT WITH REGARD TO WINDS, AND FLYING AT MOST ECONOMICAL SPDS ACCORDING TO OUR FLT COMPUTER. THE MLG LONG RANGE IS JUST NOT A GOOD ACFT FOR THIS TYPE OF FLT IN THE WINTER WHEN THE JET STREAM BECOMES A FACTOR.

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.