Narrative:

Prior to departure from mco, we received a rerte from ATC. ZAU precipitated the rerte in order to bring us in over okk for the okk arrival. The rerte left us with only slightly less fuel than the original route, landing at ord with approximately 5.8. Given the fact there was no en route WX and the ord area was VFR, this was an acceptable and legal fuel load. Shortly after departure and during the climb, we were vectored off course, held low and slowed down for separation into ord. By the time we leveled off at our cruising altitude of FL410, the FMC now indicated landing at ord with 4.7. Once at FL410, the vectoring continued. We indicated to several controllers that continued vectoring was causing concern for us with regard to the fuel state. The first controller we informed indicated that only if we declared 'minimum fuel' would he be able to give us on course. (This of course was not correct. The fopm and the aim both indicate that priority handling would only occur if we had declared 'emergency fuel'). Later, with the FMC indicating 4.5 at ord and new instructions for vectors off course, I decided to declare minimum fuel and stated we were unable to accept any more vectors. Unfortunately, I am unable to be more specific. To the best of my recollection, we declared minimum fuel after approximately 1 hour into the flight with approximately 1 hour 15 mins to go before arrival into ord. The ATC controller we declared minimum fuel to was either atlanta or indianapolis. Our location was near the dividing line between the 2 ctrs in the vicinity of the holston mountain (mnv) VOR. After we declared minimum fuel, I think it was the next ATC controller that we talked with that declared our flight an emergency. I believe this was on indianapolis. Although initially surprised and annoyed by his declaration of an emergency, in retrospect, I now think I understand this controller's thinking because we had indicated to this controller we were unable to accept vectors off course he rightfully inferred this as a need for priority handling and declared our flight an emergency. Henceforth, we were given direct ord. I then contacted dfw dispatch via san francisco radio to inform them of our status and verbally reported over filmore (flm) at XA11Z with 7.9 total fuel on board. As a result of the direct routing and priority handling, we arrived in ord at the gate with 5.3 on the totalizer. Manual addition of the individual main fuel tanks indicated 5.1. If I had to do this all over again, I would go ahead and declare minimum fuel but then accept vectors until at some point and time continued vectoring depleted our fuel state to a quantity that necessitated declaring emergency fuel. Also, I would check in with each subsequent controller stating minimum fuel. Apparently, it is also necessary to state everything is ok on the flight deck in order to preclude norad from launching on the flight. Lack of information available to the cockpit made this exercise more difficult than it needed to be. I was unable to determine from ATC or dfw dispatch the reason chicago was rerouting us over okk. I felt like I was being kept in the dark and fed mushrooms. Information is necessary for making reasonable decisions with regard to fuel states and formulating backup plans for arrival at the destination airport. Consequently, I assumed the worst and was more conservative than maybe I needed to be given the circumstances.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 PIC IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE EXTENDED ENRTE VECTORING AND HIS DEST FUEL RESERVES. WHEN HE FINALLY DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL,' THE FLT IS ASSIGNED AN EMER STATUS BY THE CTLR AT ZID, IN.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP FROM MCO, WE RECEIVED A RERTE FROM ATC. ZAU PRECIPITATED THE RERTE IN ORDER TO BRING US IN OVER OKK FOR THE OKK ARR. THE RERTE LEFT US WITH ONLY SLIGHTLY LESS FUEL THAN THE ORIGINAL RTE, LNDG AT ORD WITH APPROX 5.8. GIVEN THE FACT THERE WAS NO ENRTE WX AND THE ORD AREA WAS VFR, THIS WAS AN ACCEPTABLE AND LEGAL FUEL LOAD. SHORTLY AFTER DEP AND DURING THE CLB, WE WERE VECTORED OFF COURSE, HELD LOW AND SLOWED DOWN FOR SEPARATION INTO ORD. BY THE TIME WE LEVELED OFF AT OUR CRUISING ALT OF FL410, THE FMC NOW INDICATED LNDG AT ORD WITH 4.7. ONCE AT FL410, THE VECTORING CONTINUED. WE INDICATED TO SEVERAL CTLRS THAT CONTINUED VECTORING WAS CAUSING CONCERN FOR US WITH REGARD TO THE FUEL STATE. THE FIRST CTLR WE INFORMED INDICATED THAT ONLY IF WE DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL' WOULD HE BE ABLE TO GIVE US ON COURSE. (THIS OF COURSE WAS NOT CORRECT. THE FOPM AND THE AIM BOTH INDICATE THAT PRIORITY HANDLING WOULD ONLY OCCUR IF WE HAD DECLARED 'EMER FUEL'). LATER, WITH THE FMC INDICATING 4.5 AT ORD AND NEW INSTRUCTIONS FOR VECTORS OFF COURSE, I DECIDED TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL AND STATED WE WERE UNABLE TO ACCEPT ANY MORE VECTORS. UNFORTUNATELY, I AM UNABLE TO BE MORE SPECIFIC. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AFTER APPROX 1 HR INTO THE FLT WITH APPROX 1 HR 15 MINS TO GO BEFORE ARR INTO ORD. THE ATC CTLR WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL TO WAS EITHER ATLANTA OR INDIANAPOLIS. OUR LOCATION WAS NEAR THE DIVIDING LINE BTWN THE 2 CTRS IN THE VICINITY OF THE HOLSTON MOUNTAIN (MNV) VOR. AFTER WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL, I THINK IT WAS THE NEXT ATC CTLR THAT WE TALKED WITH THAT DECLARED OUR FLT AN EMER. I BELIEVE THIS WAS ON INDIANAPOLIS. ALTHOUGH INITIALLY SURPRISED AND ANNOYED BY HIS DECLARATION OF AN EMER, IN RETROSPECT, I NOW THINK I UNDERSTAND THIS CTLR'S THINKING BECAUSE WE HAD INDICATED TO THIS CTLR WE WERE UNABLE TO ACCEPT VECTORS OFF COURSE HE RIGHTFULLY INFERRED THIS AS A NEED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING AND DECLARED OUR FLT AN EMER. HENCEFORTH, WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT ORD. I THEN CONTACTED DFW DISPATCH VIA SAN FRANCISCO RADIO TO INFORM THEM OF OUR STATUS AND VERBALLY RPTED OVER FILMORE (FLM) AT XA11Z WITH 7.9 TOTAL FUEL ON BOARD. AS A RESULT OF THE DIRECT ROUTING AND PRIORITY HANDLING, WE ARRIVED IN ORD AT THE GATE WITH 5.3 ON THE TOTALIZER. MANUAL ADDITION OF THE INDIVIDUAL MAIN FUEL TANKS INDICATED 5.1. IF I HAD TO DO THIS ALL OVER AGAIN, I WOULD GO AHEAD AND DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL BUT THEN ACCEPT VECTORS UNTIL AT SOME POINT AND TIME CONTINUED VECTORING DEPLETED OUR FUEL STATE TO A QUANTITY THAT NECESSITATED DECLARING EMER FUEL. ALSO, I WOULD CHK IN WITH EACH SUBSEQUENT CTLR STATING MINIMUM FUEL. APPARENTLY, IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO STATE EVERYTHING IS OK ON THE FLT DECK IN ORDER TO PRECLUDE NORAD FROM LAUNCHING ON THE FLT. LACK OF INFO AVAILABLE TO THE COCKPIT MADE THIS EXERCISE MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT NEEDED TO BE. I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE FROM ATC OR DFW DISPATCH THE REASON CHICAGO WAS REROUTING US OVER OKK. I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING KEPT IN THE DARK AND FED MUSHROOMS. INFO IS NECESSARY FOR MAKING REASONABLE DECISIONS WITH REGARD TO FUEL STATES AND FORMULATING BACKUP PLANS FOR ARR AT THE DEST ARPT. CONSEQUENTLY, I ASSUMED THE WORST AND WAS MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN MAYBE I NEEDED TO BE GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.