Controller declared fuel emergency when flight crew advised low fuel.

Attributes
ACN	258976
Time
Date	199312
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 2000 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : jfk tower : sfo
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	controller military : 16 controller supervisory : 16 flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	258976
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Coming from russia, 27000 pounds fuel. Jfk discovers WX dropping below minimums with centerline lights out on runway 31, so now comes more holding, diversions while they change to a more legal runway 4R, approximately 27 KTS cross with slippery and low visibility conditions. Ok, except the pattern gets dragged out. Finally pull us in too close behind widebody transport inexperienced with jfk. Too long on runway, we have to go around. My fuel now to a point where I do not want to get myself into a bad situation. My fuel now down to approximately 12000 pounds, so I request expeditious handling. The controller at this point decides on his own to declare me an emergency critical fuel. I said no, 3 or 4 times that we were minimum fuel, not emergency -- to no avail. We still ended up #5, 10 mi outside behind foreign air carrier. Too close for conditions. Turning inside of marker, I adjusted to intercept 2 1/2 before marker. Foreign air carrier had a difficult time clearing runway and once again cleared to land at about 250-300 ft, landing sporting, due to crosswind blowing snow and icing conditions. Stopping difficult, so had to double reverse as plane would not slow enough for high speed. Reversed all the way at end for turnoff. Controllers just plain overreacted to situation and almost screwed it up second time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR DECLARED FUEL EMER WHEN FLC ADVISED LOW FUEL.

Narrative: COMING FROM RUSSIA, 27000 LBS FUEL. JFK DISCOVERS WX DROPPING BELOW MINIMUMS WITH CTRLINE LIGHTS OUT ON RWY 31, SO NOW COMES MORE HOLDING, DIVERSIONS WHILE THEY CHANGE TO A MORE LEGAL RWY 4R, APPROX 27 KTS CROSS WITH SLIPPERY AND LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. OK, EXCEPT THE PATTERN GETS DRAGGED OUT. FINALLY PULL US IN TOO CLOSE BEHIND WDB INEXPERIENCED WITH JFK. TOO LONG ON RWY, WE HAVE TO GAR. MY FUEL NOW TO A POINT WHERE I DO NOT WANT TO GET MYSELF INTO A BAD SIT. MY FUEL NOW DOWN TO APPROX 12000 LBS, SO I REQUEST EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING. THE CTLR AT THIS POINT DECIDES ON HIS OWN TO DECLARE ME AN EMER CRITICAL FUEL. I SAID NO, 3 OR 4 TIMES THAT WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL, NOT EMER -- TO NO AVAIL. WE STILL ENDED UP #5, 10 MI OUTSIDE BEHIND FOREIGN ACR. TOO CLOSE FOR CONDITIONS. TURNING INSIDE OF MARKER, I ADJUSTED TO INTERCEPT 2 1/2 BEFORE MARKER. FOREIGN ACR HAD A DIFFICULT TIME CLRING RWY AND ONCE AGAIN CLRED TO LAND AT ABOUT 250-300 FT, LNDG SPORTING, DUE TO XWIND BLOWING SNOW AND ICING CONDITIONS. STOPPING DIFFICULT, SO HAD TO DOUBLE REVERSE AS PLANE WOULD NOT SLOW ENOUGH FOR HIGH SPD. REVERSED ALL THE WAY AT END FOR TURNOFF. CTLRS JUST PLAIN OVERREACTED TO SIT AND ALMOST SCREWED IT UP SECOND TIME.

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.