Narrative:

Tracking outbnd on 100 degree right tys, given holding as depicted at shine at 19000'. Clearance was given 50 NM from shine for roughly 50 mins hold at shine. We entered holding at XA55 and remained there until XB15 local. At this time we requested clearance to gso, our alternate. Our preflted holding fuel was 20 mins and our efc was 30 mins longer. Our alternate gso was deteriorating, so we decided to go to our alternate before it got worse. The controller cleared us to gso and to climb from 15000 to 19000' flight level. We requested 15000'. She came back with a clearance to clt and a turnout of holding to FL270 for vectors. We asked if we were being cleared to clt for landing. She gave us another vector toward clt and the frequency change to approach control at clt. When we contacted clt approach control they asked if we were declaring an emergency for low fuel. We responded no. We did not ask for priority landing, only clearance to gso because we couldn't hold for 30 more mins. I asked if atl clearance had said we were low fuel state, and clt approach control answered that they had. We did not have a low fuel condition; we did not ask for priority landing. The controller for atl was inexperienced, it was obvious. She got behind when the aircraft starting stacking up. We could hear her supervisor giving her instructions. When we were passed over to clt approach control there were only 2 other aircraft on frequency, not the long line we anticipated. I think someone was doing some training at our expense.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG REQUESTED CLRNC TO ALTERNATE WHEN EXPECTED HOLD TIME EXCEEDED HOLDING FUEL. ARTCC HANDED ACFT OVER TO APCH INDICATING TO APCH THAT THE ACFT HAD DECLARED LOW FUEL AND EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING.

Narrative: TRACKING OUTBND ON 100 DEG R TYS, GIVEN HOLDING AS DEPICTED AT SHINE AT 19000'. CLRNC WAS GIVEN 50 NM FROM SHINE FOR ROUGHLY 50 MINS HOLD AT SHINE. WE ENTERED HOLDING AT XA55 AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL XB15 LCL. AT THIS TIME WE REQUESTED CLRNC TO GSO, OUR ALTERNATE. OUR PREFLTED HOLDING FUEL WAS 20 MINS AND OUR EFC WAS 30 MINS LONGER. OUR ALTERNATE GSO WAS DETERIORATING, SO WE DECIDED TO GO TO OUR ALTERNATE BEFORE IT GOT WORSE. THE CTLR CLRED US TO GSO AND TO CLB FROM 15000 TO 19000' FLT LEVEL. WE REQUESTED 15000'. SHE CAME BACK WITH A CLRNC TO CLT AND A TURNOUT OF HOLDING TO FL270 FOR VECTORS. WE ASKED IF WE WERE BEING CLRED TO CLT FOR LNDG. SHE GAVE US ANOTHER VECTOR TOWARD CLT AND THE FREQ CHANGE TO APCH CTL AT CLT. WHEN WE CONTACTED CLT APCH CTL THEY ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER FOR LOW FUEL. WE RESPONDED NO. WE DID NOT ASK FOR PRIORITY LNDG, ONLY CLRNC TO GSO BECAUSE WE COULDN'T HOLD FOR 30 MORE MINS. I ASKED IF ATL CLRNC HAD SAID WE WERE LOW FUEL STATE, AND CLT APCH CTL ANSWERED THAT THEY HAD. WE DID NOT HAVE A LOW FUEL CONDITION; WE DID NOT ASK FOR PRIORITY LNDG. THE CTLR FOR ATL WAS INEXPERIENCED, IT WAS OBVIOUS. SHE GOT BEHIND WHEN THE ACFT STARTING STACKING UP. WE COULD HEAR HER SUPVR GIVING HER INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN WE WERE PASSED OVER TO CLT APCH CTL THERE WERE ONLY 2 OTHER ACFT ON FREQ, NOT THE LONG LINE WE ANTICIPATED. I THINK SOMEONE WAS DOING SOME TRNING AT OUR EXPENSE.

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.