Narrative:

Held at hartford, ct, waiting for WX (fog) to improve to landing minimums. Dispatch and captain agreed on a bingo fuel amount at which time we would proceed to bos, our alternate. WX at bos was good with 7 mi visibility. After 45 mins hold we proceeded to our alternate. As we approached bos the WX there began to rapidly deteriorate. Fog rolled in dropping the visibility to 3/4 mi. Traffic began to back up as bos began to set aircraft up for the ILS to runway 22L. We took extensive vectors and when we finally passed to marker for runway 22L the WX had dropped to 1/4 mi. Since we had passed the OM we continued on the approach, but had to execute a missed approach. Fuel was now a very big issue. With all the vectors and delays we were now into our reserve fuel and most of the other airports along the coast including pvd and bdl were closed due to fog. Since we could accept no further delays we declared minimum fuel. Approach control gave us excellent expedited vectors around for the CAT ii approach to runway 4R. The RVR for runway 4R was now down to 4600 ft. We picked up the lights at decision ht and landed safely. The point of this report is that we followed all the rules and filled all the squares, however, we still found ourselves in a bad situation due to unforecast conditions. The new system of minimum fuel and emergency fuel declaration to ATC works. Since this procedure is clear and now in place we were not at all hesitant about using it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the 'new system' he speaks about is the quick response from ATC when minimum fuel or low fuel state is stated. In this case the flight was vectored around and put in place as #1 for approach. He states that many companies including his own have specific guidelines as to when one would state minimum or emergency fuel status. It is no longer guesswork or computing figures in one's head. In his company, fuel levels for minimum or emergency fuel are computed and printed directly on the flight plan with specific amounts given. Reporter finds this very helpful and reassuring in sits such as they found themselves with rapidly deteriorating WX. Aircraft was a DC9.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 MUST DIVERT DUE TO HOLD TIME AND FUEL STATUS. ARRIVING AT THE ALTERNATE, THEY FIND WX DETERIORATING RAPIDLY. AFTER MISSED APCH, THEY DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL AND ARE VECTORED TO LAND.

Narrative: HELD AT HARTFORD, CT, WAITING FOR WX (FOG) TO IMPROVE TO LNDG MINIMUMS. DISPATCH AND CAPT AGREED ON A BINGO FUEL AMOUNT AT WHICH TIME WE WOULD PROCEED TO BOS, OUR ALTERNATE. WX AT BOS WAS GOOD WITH 7 MI VISIBILITY. AFTER 45 MINS HOLD WE PROCEEDED TO OUR ALTERNATE. AS WE APCHED BOS THE WX THERE BEGAN TO RAPIDLY DETERIORATE. FOG ROLLED IN DROPPING THE VISIBILITY TO 3/4 MI. TFC BEGAN TO BACK UP AS BOS BEGAN TO SET ACFT UP FOR THE ILS TO RWY 22L. WE TOOK EXTENSIVE VECTORS AND WHEN WE FINALLY PASSED TO MARKER FOR RWY 22L THE WX HAD DROPPED TO 1/4 MI. SINCE WE HAD PASSED THE OM WE CONTINUED ON THE APCH, BUT HAD TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. FUEL WAS NOW A VERY BIG ISSUE. WITH ALL THE VECTORS AND DELAYS WE WERE NOW INTO OUR RESERVE FUEL AND MOST OF THE OTHER ARPTS ALONG THE COAST INCLUDING PVD AND BDL WERE CLOSED DUE TO FOG. SINCE WE COULD ACCEPT NO FURTHER DELAYS WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL. APCH CTL GAVE US EXCELLENT EXPEDITED VECTORS AROUND FOR THE CAT II APCH TO RWY 4R. THE RVR FOR RWY 4R WAS NOW DOWN TO 4600 FT. WE PICKED UP THE LIGHTS AT DECISION HT AND LANDED SAFELY. THE POINT OF THIS RPT IS THAT WE FOLLOWED ALL THE RULES AND FILLED ALL THE SQUARES, HOWEVER, WE STILL FOUND OURSELVES IN A BAD SIT DUE TO UNFORECAST CONDITIONS. THE NEW SYS OF MINIMUM FUEL AND EMER FUEL DECLARATION TO ATC WORKS. SINCE THIS PROC IS CLR AND NOW IN PLACE WE WERE NOT AT ALL HESITANT ABOUT USING IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE 'NEW SYS' HE SPEAKS ABOUT IS THE QUICK RESPONSE FROM ATC WHEN MINIMUM FUEL OR LOW FUEL STATE IS STATED. IN THIS CASE THE FLT WAS VECTORED AROUND AND PUT IN PLACE AS #1 FOR APCH. HE STATES THAT MANY COMPANIES INCLUDING HIS OWN HAVE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AS TO WHEN ONE WOULD STATE MINIMUM OR EMER FUEL STATUS. IT IS NO LONGER GUESSWORK OR COMPUTING FIGURES IN ONE'S HEAD. IN HIS COMPANY, FUEL LEVELS FOR MINIMUM OR EMER FUEL ARE COMPUTED AND PRINTED DIRECTLY ON THE FLT PLAN WITH SPECIFIC AMOUNTS GIVEN. RPTR FINDS THIS VERY HELPFUL AND REASSURING IN SITS SUCH AS THEY FOUND THEMSELVES WITH RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX. ACFT WAS A DC9.

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.