Narrative:

Mci center put us in holding at rackk triangle XA21, efc XA45 due to WX stl. We called dispatch and advised our fuel at 5.6 (approximately). Dispatch spoke to stl, got us #1 release from holding with 4.9 fuel. This release put us at landing with 4.1 fuel, alternate now is blv. Stl approach vectored us toward airport 8000 ft. I asked runway and sequence advising approximately 4-5 mins from minimum fuel advisory. We were told to expect runway 6 ILS. Another aircraft was also landing on runway 12L/right. We got final controller and were turned for left downwind, fly 160 KIAS. We declined 160 KT speed and declared minimum fuel. At 180 KIAS, stl final took us on a 30 mi downwind sequence behind several air carrier aircraft 27+ mi final at 160 KIAS. ILS approach was normal. Field in sight at 900 ft AGL. Our sequence was traffic landing on runway 12R. After previous landing clearance, stl tower instructed us to go around at approximately 500 ft AGL due to landing traffic on runway 12R which may not clear runway intersection. From our vantage point, the landing aircraft was clearing and we asked for confirmation of go around due to our fuel status at almost emergency fuel. The captain simultaneously had leveled off the aircraft ready to go around. Stl tower then cleared us to land runway 6. We arrived at the gate with fuel approximately 3.1. Contributing factors: WX forecast, lack of alternate. Dispatch did a nice job getting release from hold, but stl approach and stl final approach gave away our fuel with no assistance towards time or fuel savings. This put us at minimum fuel without question. I also feel each sector did not communicate our fuel status to each other and stl tower. 3 or 4 other aircraft could have been resequenced to avoid any of the above problems. From the time we entered holding at XA21 (WX was 13000 ft, visibility 9 mi) and shot the ILS the WX dropped to 900 ft overcast, visibility 6 mi. There was a declining trend we were aware of. Supplemental information from acn 568646: they called stl approach and got us released #1 after 2 turns in holding. But the controller on approach (final) put us in line behind many other aircraft after we declared minimum fuel at 4000 pounds. We went 25+ mi downwind at 8000 ft. In my opinion, the controllers should have not given such positive communication that we were #1. With the WX deteriorating as fast as it was and fuel pressure lights flickering, I didn't want to go around unless I had to.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 FLC RPTED THAT THEY DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL, BUT THE STL TRACON DID NOT SEEM TO PASS THIS INFO ON TO FINAL OR TWR.

Narrative: MCI CTR PUT US IN HOLDING AT RACKK TRIANGLE XA21, EFC XA45 DUE TO WX STL. WE CALLED DISPATCH AND ADVISED OUR FUEL AT 5.6 (APPROX). DISPATCH SPOKE TO STL, GOT US #1 RELEASE FROM HOLDING WITH 4.9 FUEL. THIS RELEASE PUT US AT LNDG WITH 4.1 FUEL, ALTERNATE NOW IS BLV. STL APCH VECTORED US TOWARD ARPT 8000 FT. I ASKED RWY AND SEQUENCE ADVISING APPROX 4-5 MINS FROM MINIMUM FUEL ADVISORY. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 6 ILS. ANOTHER ACFT WAS ALSO LNDG ON RWY 12L/R. WE GOT FINAL CTLR AND WERE TURNED FOR L DOWNWIND, FLY 160 KIAS. WE DECLINED 160 KT SPD AND DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL. AT 180 KIAS, STL FINAL TOOK US ON A 30 MI DOWNWIND SEQUENCE BEHIND SEVERAL ACR ACFT 27+ MI FINAL AT 160 KIAS. ILS APCH WAS NORMAL. FIELD IN SIGHT AT 900 FT AGL. OUR SEQUENCE WAS TFC LNDG ON RWY 12R. AFTER PREVIOUS LNDG CLRNC, STL TWR INSTRUCTED US TO GO AROUND AT APPROX 500 FT AGL DUE TO LNDG TFC ON RWY 12R WHICH MAY NOT CLR RWY INTXN. FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT, THE LNDG ACFT WAS CLRING AND WE ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF GAR DUE TO OUR FUEL STATUS AT ALMOST EMER FUEL. THE CAPT SIMULTANEOUSLY HAD LEVELED OFF THE ACFT READY TO GO AROUND. STL TWR THEN CLRED US TO LAND RWY 6. WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE WITH FUEL APPROX 3.1. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WX FORECAST, LACK OF ALTERNATE. DISPATCH DID A NICE JOB GETTING RELEASE FROM HOLD, BUT STL APCH AND STL FINAL APCH GAVE AWAY OUR FUEL WITH NO ASSISTANCE TOWARDS TIME OR FUEL SAVINGS. THIS PUT US AT MINIMUM FUEL WITHOUT QUESTION. I ALSO FEEL EACH SECTOR DID NOT COMMUNICATE OUR FUEL STATUS TO EACH OTHER AND STL TWR. 3 OR 4 OTHER ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN RESEQUENCED TO AVOID ANY OF THE ABOVE PROBS. FROM THE TIME WE ENTERED HOLDING AT XA21 (WX WAS 13000 FT, VISIBILITY 9 MI) AND SHOT THE ILS THE WX DROPPED TO 900 FT OVCST, VISIBILITY 6 MI. THERE WAS A DECLINING TREND WE WERE AWARE OF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 568646: THEY CALLED STL APCH AND GOT US RELEASED #1 AFTER 2 TURNS IN HOLDING. BUT THE CTLR ON APCH (FINAL) PUT US IN LINE BEHIND MANY OTHER ACFT AFTER WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AT 4000 LBS. WE WENT 25+ MI DOWNWIND AT 8000 FT. IN MY OPINION, THE CTLRS SHOULD HAVE NOT GIVEN SUCH POSITIVE COM THAT WE WERE #1. WITH THE WX DETERIORATING AS FAST AS IT WAS AND FUEL PRESSURE LIGHTS FLICKERING, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO AROUND UNLESS I HAD TO.

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.