Narrative:

Received in-flight speed reduction and holding delays for arrival into ZZZ. We received extensive vectoring after leaving holding during arrival for approach. During the initial hold we exhausted our excess fuel reserve above required fuel for approach; missed; and divert to alternate. During arrival; numerous delaying vectors received for sequencing due to traffic ahead. Numerous aircraft on TCAS and visually; but never informed by ATC of what our approach sequence was. Captain gave continuous commentary during entire arrival phase on how we were getting tight on gas. Radios very busy with approach control. Captain directed me to inform approach control we were minimum fuel in accordance with company directives. Upon this radio call; approach asked how much fuel remaining we had. Captain replied to me to respond 15 mins. I relayed and approach asked if that was our entire fuel on board to flameout. I said negative and standby for the number. Captain pulled up fuel page on FMC and we both looked at display. I noted the remaining time on board. I looked at current zulu time on aircraft clock and computed time. I confirmed with captain that the answer was 25 mins. He concurred. I relayed this to approach and they asked for confirmation. I confirmed. They declared emergency for us and vectored us inside an unknown amount of approach traffic to an ILS final. Uneventful approach and landing. Terminated assistance on the ground. Significant factors were unplanned extended holding on arrival; no information from approach on our sequence for landing; captain's continual verbal worrying about fuel state; captain's initial response on 15 mins fuel remaining; our mutual misinterp of FMC fuel number as time in hh:MM versus time-of-day; saturation of approach control frequency; and northeast arrival backlogs during clear air mass night arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD10-10 FLT CREW HAS A LOW FUEL STATE INBOUND TO ZZZ.

Narrative: RECEIVED INFLT SPD REDUCTION AND HOLDING DELAYS FOR ARR INTO ZZZ. WE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE VECTORING AFTER LEAVING HOLDING DURING ARR FOR APCH. DURING THE INITIAL HOLD WE EXHAUSTED OUR EXCESS FUEL RESERVE ABOVE REQUIRED FUEL FOR APCH; MISSED; AND DIVERT TO ALTERNATE. DURING ARR; NUMEROUS DELAYING VECTORS RECEIVED FOR SEQUENCING DUE TO TFC AHEAD. NUMEROUS ACFT ON TCAS AND VISUALLY; BUT NEVER INFORMED BY ATC OF WHAT OUR APCH SEQUENCE WAS. CAPT GAVE CONTINUOUS COMMENTARY DURING ENTIRE ARR PHASE ON HOW WE WERE GETTING TIGHT ON GAS. RADIOS VERY BUSY WITH APCH CTL. CAPT DIRECTED ME TO INFORM APCH CTL WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY DIRECTIVES. UPON THIS RADIO CALL; APCH ASKED HOW MUCH FUEL REMAINING WE HAD. CAPT REPLIED TO ME TO RESPOND 15 MINS. I RELAYED AND APCH ASKED IF THAT WAS OUR ENTIRE FUEL ON BOARD TO FLAMEOUT. I SAID NEGATIVE AND STANDBY FOR THE NUMBER. CAPT PULLED UP FUEL PAGE ON FMC AND WE BOTH LOOKED AT DISPLAY. I NOTED THE REMAINING TIME ON BOARD. I LOOKED AT CURRENT ZULU TIME ON ACFT CLOCK AND COMPUTED TIME. I CONFIRMED WITH CAPT THAT THE ANSWER WAS 25 MINS. HE CONCURRED. I RELAYED THIS TO APCH AND THEY ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION. I CONFIRMED. THEY DECLARED EMER FOR US AND VECTORED US INSIDE AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF APCH TFC TO AN ILS FINAL. UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. TERMINATED ASSISTANCE ON THE GND. SIGNIFICANT FACTORS WERE UNPLANNED EXTENDED HOLDING ON ARR; NO INFO FROM APCH ON OUR SEQUENCE FOR LNDG; CAPT'S CONTINUAL VERBAL WORRYING ABOUT FUEL STATE; CAPT'S INITIAL RESPONSE ON 15 MINS FUEL REMAINING; OUR MUTUAL MISINTERP OF FMC FUEL NUMBER AS TIME IN HH:MM VERSUS TIME-OF-DAY; SATURATION OF APCH CTL FREQ; AND NE ARR BACKLOGS DURING CLR AIR MASS NIGHT ARR.

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.