Narrative:

Departed gate on time. Delayed on ground 25 mins prior to takeoff. Fuel required for flight 1450 pounds and 660 reserve, 370 pounds excess. Burned 50 pounds fuel over planned for taxi, awaiting for takeoff. After takeoff, departure control kept us down at 3000 ft MSL for an extended period of time, then stepped us up to 4000 ft MSL. We stayed at 4000 ft for another extended period of time then we were stepped up to 5000 ft MSL for another extended period of time. We were then stepped up to 6000 ft for awhile then to 8000 ft. We were then cleared to 12000 ft and told to contact center. Upon contacting center we were informed it would be awhile before we would be cleared for higher. I calculated our fuel consumption and required fuel for remainder of the flight and discovered that we were already using our reserve fuel. When center cleared us to FL210 I informed him we were 'min fuel.' upon reaching FL210 and recalculating our fuel and maximum range and using a min descent profile and noting that we had higher than forecast tailwinds, I estimated that we could possibly make up fuel consumed departing stl TCA. I never again notified any further center that I was in min fuel situation until I was switched over to cincinnati approach. The approach controller asked me if I was in min fuel situation. My response was to tell him that I was in a min fuel situation departing stl TCA, but was able to make up fuel, and was no longer in a min fuel situation. At that point I no longer received priority handling. The following day I was informed that the FAA was investigating the matter. Contributing factors: stl departure keeping us at low altitudes for longer periods of time so that jet traffic can depart above us even though our IAS was 250 KIAS. Corrective actions: departure controls should not keep traffic at low altitude for long periods of time, unless they coordinate with the aircraft concerned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BECAUSE OF EXTENDED STEP CLB COMMUTER FLC NOTIFIED ATC THEY HAD MIN FUEL. FAA IS INVESTIGATING.

Narrative: DEPARTED GATE ON TIME. DELAYED ON GND 25 MINS PRIOR TO TKOF. FUEL REQUIRED FOR FLT 1450 POUNDS AND 660 RESERVE, 370 POUNDS EXCESS. BURNED 50 POUNDS FUEL OVER PLANNED FOR TAXI, AWAITING FOR TKOF. AFTER TKOF, DEP CTL KEPT US DOWN AT 3000 FT MSL FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THEN STEPPED US UP TO 4000 FT MSL. WE STAYED AT 4000 FT FOR ANOTHER EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME THEN WE WERE STEPPED UP TO 5000 FT MSL FOR ANOTHER EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. WE WERE THEN STEPPED UP TO 6000 FT FOR AWHILE THEN TO 8000 FT. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 12000 FT AND TOLD TO CONTACT CENTER. UPON CONTACTING CENTER WE WERE INFORMED IT WOULD BE AWHILE BEFORE WE WOULD BE CLRED FOR HIGHER. I CALCULATED OUR FUEL CONSUMPTION AND REQUIRED FUEL FOR REMAINDER OF THE FLT AND DISCOVERED THAT WE WERE ALREADY USING OUR RESERVE FUEL. WHEN CENTER CLRED US TO FL210 I INFORMED HIM WE WERE 'MIN FUEL.' UPON REACHING FL210 AND RECALCULATING OUR FUEL AND MAX RANGE AND USING A MIN DSCNT PROFILE AND NOTING THAT WE HAD HIGHER THAN FORECAST TAILWINDS, I ESTIMATED THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY MAKE UP FUEL CONSUMED DEPARTING STL TCA. I NEVER AGAIN NOTIFIED ANY FURTHER CENTER THAT I WAS IN MIN FUEL SITUATION UNTIL I WAS SWITCHED OVER TO CINCINNATI APCH. THE APCH CTLR ASKED ME IF I WAS IN MIN FUEL SITUATION. MY RESPONSE WAS TO TELL HIM THAT I WAS IN A MIN FUEL SITUATION DEPARTING STL TCA, BUT WAS ABLE TO MAKE UP FUEL, AND WAS NO LONGER IN A MIN FUEL SITUATION. AT THAT POINT I NO LONGER RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING. THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAA WAS INVESTIGATING THE MATTER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: STL DEP KEEPING US AT LOW ALTS FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME SO THAT JET TFC CAN DEPART ABOVE US EVEN THOUGH OUR IAS WAS 250 KIAS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: DEP CTLS SHOULD NOT KEEP TFC AT LOW ALT FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, UNLESS THEY COORDINATE WITH THE ACFT CONCERNED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.