Narrative:

We departed oma. On climb out between lmn and irk the controller told us to slow as much as possible, because we had extensive delays in stl. 'We took a 44 min ground delay in oma for ATC.' we figured we had at least 25 mins holding fuel. This was the maximum fuel we could takeoff with due to the landing weight in stl west/O leaving revenue at the gate. When I saw that we would be pushing fuel a little, I told the controller. He indicated that we were a little less than bright for not having more fuel than we had! I then called dispatch so we could get a closer altitude, which we did spi, which saved us about 600 pounds. I changed controllers, and on contact she said, 'I understand you have a fuel emergency.' I said, 'negative, negative, no fuel emergency and no preferential treatment.' she said, 'disregard the hold turn right intercept the atlas arrival.' I again asked her if she understood that we did not have an emergency, she did not confirm, then told me contact approach control. I contacted stl approach and he asked me if we had a fuel emergency. Again I said, 'negative,' the same with stl tower. At the gate I was told to call ATC. I called and supervisor told me he thought that this 'fuel emergency' was initiated by central flow in dc. Well, I don't know who it was, but it sure was not me. I think that anytime an emergency is going to be called it should be from the captain. It sure gave me a heartburn that I don't need. I really believe that someone was trying to help, but there was a communication breakdown and I was caught in the middle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF ACR MLG MENTIONED FUEL SITUATION TO ARTCC RADAR CTLR HOPING FOR PREFERRED HANDLING WITHOUT ACTUALLY DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. ARTCC TOOK THE BALL AND RAN WITH IT. HE WAS QUESTIONED AT EACH FREQ CHANGE UNTIL LNDG AND THEN HAD TO CALL TWR SUPVR TO EXPLAIN.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED OMA. ON CLBOUT BTWN LMN AND IRK THE CTLR TOLD US TO SLOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE WE HAD EXTENSIVE DELAYS IN STL. 'WE TOOK A 44 MIN GND DELAY IN OMA FOR ATC.' WE FIGURED WE HAD AT LEAST 25 MINS HOLDING FUEL. THIS WAS THE MAX FUEL WE COULD TKOF WITH DUE TO THE LNDG WT IN STL W/O LEAVING REVENUE AT THE GATE. WHEN I SAW THAT WE WOULD BE PUSHING FUEL A LITTLE, I TOLD THE CTLR. HE INDICATED THAT WE WERE A LITTLE LESS THAN BRIGHT FOR NOT HAVING MORE FUEL THAN WE HAD! I THEN CALLED DISPATCH SO WE COULD GET A CLOSER ALT, WHICH WE DID SPI, WHICH SAVED US ABOUT 600 LBS. I CHANGED CTLRS, AND ON CONTACT SHE SAID, 'I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE A FUEL EMER.' I SAID, 'NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE, NO FUEL EMER AND NO PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT.' SHE SAID, 'DISREGARD THE HOLD TURN RIGHT INTERCEPT THE ATLAS ARR.' I AGAIN ASKED HER IF SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AN EMER, SHE DID NOT CONFIRM, THEN TOLD ME CONTACT APCH CTL. I CONTACTED STL APCH AND HE ASKED ME IF WE HAD A FUEL EMER. AGAIN I SAID, 'NEGATIVE,' THE SAME WITH STL TWR. AT THE GATE I WAS TOLD TO CALL ATC. I CALLED AND SUPVR TOLD ME HE THOUGHT THAT THIS 'FUEL EMER' WAS INITIATED BY CENTRAL FLOW IN DC. WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHO IT WAS, BUT IT SURE WAS NOT ME. I THINK THAT ANYTIME AN EMER IS GOING TO BE CALLED IT SHOULD BE FROM THE CAPT. IT SURE GAVE ME A HEARTBURN THAT I DON'T NEED. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO HELP, BUT THERE WAS A COM BREAKDOWN AND I WAS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE.

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.