B737 CREW LNDG LGA IN A LOW FUEL STATE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO ASK THE APCH CTLR ABOUT LENGTH OF VECTOR TO THE ARPT. CREW FINALLY DECLARED FUEL EMER AND WERE GIVEN VECTORS TO LGA ARPT.

Date: 2004-11 · Aircraft: B737-300 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

B737 CREW LNDG LGA IN A LOW FUEL STATE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO ASK THE APCH CTLR ABOUT LENGTH OF VECTOR TO THE ARPT. CREW FINALLY DECLARED FUEL EMER AND WERE GIVEN VECTORS TO LGA ARPT.

Narrative

I WAS VECTORED OFF THE MILTON STAR INTO LGA. RECEIVED NUMEROUS VECTORS AMID A VERY HVY STREAM OF TFC AND WAS SLOWED TO 170 KIAS; WHICH REQUIRES FLAPS 10 DEGS. I HAD TO ASK/REMIND THE CTLR FOR A DSCNT FROM 7000 FT TO 4000 FT; BEYOND THE POINT WHERE THIS DSCNT IS NORMALLY GIVEN. THE CTLR USED SOME VALUABLE AIR TIME BERATING ME; THEN VECTORED A FLT IN FRONT OF ME. 3 XMISSIONS REGARDING MY LOW FUEL STATE WENT UNANSWERED. HE THEN BEGAN VECTORING ME W AND DID NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION REGARDING HIS PLAN OR THE DURATION OF THE VECTOR. HE THEN TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO RESEQUENCE ME. I TOLD HIM I WAS LOW ON FUEL AND COULD NOT ACCEPT A LONG RESEQUENCE; BUT HE DID NOT REPLY. I DECLARED A FUEL EMER AND LANDED AT LGA. CTLR WAS BUSY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 636058: THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER FOR FUEL AND WAS VECTORED TO DIALS FOR THE VISUAL RWY 31 INTO LGA. CONCERN FOR TFC SATURATION AND UNKNOWN LENGTH OF DELAY WERE THE CONCERN FOR DECLARING AN EMER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 636058 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THEY WERE ON A SHORT FLT TO LGA. AFTER TKOF AND CONTACTING ZNY ARTCC; THEY ADVISED THE CTLR THEY WOULD BE A LITTLE TIGHT ON FUEL IF THEY RECEIVED A LENGTHY DELAY. WHILE ON THE MILTON ARR INTO LGA AND IN CONTACT WITH NEW YORK TRACON; THEY WERE PUT ON RADAR VECTORS FOR SEQUENCING. THEY ADVISED THE CTLR SEVERAL TIMES THAT THEY HAD A FUEL STATE AND HOW MUCH VECTORING TO EXPECT. THE CREW DECLARED A FUEL EMER AND WERE GIVEN A VISUAL APCH DIRECT TO THE ARPT. HE SAID THE CAPT HAD A LONG DISCUSSION WITH THE TRACON SUPVR WHO SAID HE WOULD INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR SAID AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT; BOTH PLTS WERE PULLED OFF THEIR ROTATION FOR ABOUT 1 WK AND GIVEN CHK RIDES. HE SAID AN ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN DESCRIBING THIS INCIDENT AND STATING AIRLINE COMPANIES ARE LOADING ACFT WITH LESS FUEL CAUSING ALREADY OVERWORKED CTLRS MORE WORK HANDLING FUEL EMERS.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.