B737-800 diverts to a distant alternate only to discover their fuel situation was critical. Failure to declare an emergency results in less ATC priority than they anticipated.

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Attributes
ACN	697165
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rsw.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rsw.tower tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : rsw.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	697165
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quant guates other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : diverted to another airport
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Company Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We held over dvall intersection for a thunderstorm to clear mia. It never did. We decided to divert to our primary alternate but were told that they were not accepting any more diversions because they had too many aircraft there already. We started flying to our secondary alternate; mco. En route we realized that we would be too low on fuel for a go around if we continued on to mco. We declared low fuel and asked for vectors into rsw with priority handling. At about 10 mi final to runway 24 we were given landing clearance but then the tower cleared 2 other aircraft for departure. We asked them not to do that and told them again that we were low on fuel. An uneventful landing took place and we blocked in with a total of 3000 pounds of fuel. If one of the aircraft had aborted we would have been in an extreme emergency. I don't think the tower realized how critical our fuel was; even though we went out of our way to emphasize the point.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 DIVERTS TO A DISTANT ALTERNATE ONLY TO DISCOVER THEIR FUEL SITUATION WAS CRITICAL. FAILURE TO DECLARE AN EMER RESULTS IN LESS ATC PRIORITY THAN THEY ANTICIPATED.

Narrative: WE HELD OVER DVALL INTXN FOR A TSTM TO CLR MIA. IT NEVER DID. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO OUR PRIMARY ALTERNATE BUT WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTING ANY MORE DIVERSIONS BECAUSE THEY HAD TOO MANY ACFT THERE ALREADY. WE STARTED FLYING TO OUR SECONDARY ALTERNATE; MCO. ENRTE WE REALIZED THAT WE WOULD BE TOO LOW ON FUEL FOR A GAR IF WE CONTINUED ON TO MCO. WE DECLARED LOW FUEL AND ASKED FOR VECTORS INTO RSW WITH PRIORITY HANDLING. AT ABOUT 10 MI FINAL TO RWY 24 WE WERE GIVEN LNDG CLRNC BUT THEN THE TWR CLRED 2 OTHER ACFT FOR DEP. WE ASKED THEM NOT TO DO THAT AND TOLD THEM AGAIN THAT WE WERE LOW ON FUEL. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG TOOK PLACE AND WE BLOCKED IN WITH A TOTAL OF 3000 LBS OF FUEL. IF ONE OF THE ACFT HAD ABORTED WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN EXTREME EMER. I DON'T THINK THE TWR REALIZED HOW CRITICAL OUR FUEL WAS; EVEN THOUGH WE WENT OUT OF OUR WAY TO EMPHASIZE THE POINT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.