AN ACR MLG CAUSED TRACON TO DECLARE A FUEL EMER REQUIRING PRIORITY HANDLING.

Narrative

SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING DTW; OUR SPD WAS REDUCED AND WE WERE GIVEN DELAY VECTORS. AS WE APCHED EWR; WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT PENNS INTXN (BWZ 302/14); WITH AN EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC OF PM10; WHICH WAS APPROX 25 MINS OF HOLDING. THE FUEL ON BOARD AT THIS POINT WAS APPROX 7800 POUNDS. WE TOLD ZNY THAT FOR PLANNING PURPOSES WE COULD NOT HOLD AFTER PM10Z (WE WOULD BE EATING INTO OUR RESERVE FUEL OF 5100 POUNDS ON THE MLG AFTER THIS). AT APPROX PM50Z (20 MINS PRIOR TO EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC) WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC OUT OF HOLDING AND PAST PENNS INTXN. WE SWITCHED TO APCH AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF CONGESTION DUE TO THE FACT THAT EWR WAS DOWN TO 1 RWY. APCH CTL ASKED 'WHAT IS YOUR FUEL IN MINS?' I TOLD THE FO THAT WE NEEDED TO BE LNDG IN 25 MINS BEFORE WE WERE EATING INTO OUR RESERVE OF 5100 POUNDS. HE TOLD APCH CTL 25 MINS PER MY INSTRUCTIONS. WE PROCEEDED AND; IN A FEW MINS THE CTLR STATED 'I AM DECLARING YOU A FUEL EMER.' AS WE WERE CLOSE TO THE EWR ARPT AND THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CONGESTION ON THE RADIO; WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE CTLR. WE WERE CLRED VISUAL APCH AND CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 4R. UPON LNDG; THE EMER EQUIP WAS STANDING BY AT MIDFIELD AND WE WERE ASKED IF WE NEEDED FURTHER ASSISTANCE. WE TAXIED OUR ACFT TO THE GATE AND PARKED WITH 6600 POUNDS OF FUEL. CLRLY; A COM PROBLEM EXISTED BTWN OUR ACFT AND ATC. WE DID NOT HAVE; NOR DID WE DECLARE; A FUEL EMER. WE PARKED WITH 1500 POUNDS ABOVE OUR FAA RESERVE FUEL OF 5100 POUNDS. CLRLY THE CTLR WAS ASKING FOR OUR FUEL REMAINING UNTIL EXHAUSTION; THE FUEL REMAINING THAT WE XMITTED TO HIM WAS THE FUEL REMAINING UNTIL WE WOULD BE BURNING INTO OUR 45 MIN RESERVE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DESCRIPTIVE ABOUT OUR ACTUAL FUEL STATUS; AND WILL BE IN THE FUTURE.