B737-800
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Weather
Got to Approach Control and we were told to hold at RADDY; thunderstorm over field. We held at RADDY with an estimated critical fuel that was right at our limits for whether we would divert or not. At the estimated critical fuel we were given heading in opposite direction and within 10 miles given heading to join arrival. Continued with arrival but had to deviate for weather. We still had plenty of fuel but not enough to shoot approach and land at our alternate with the fuel we wanted so we declared minimum fuel. On downwind for 16R we pulled up a new ATIS and had winds listed as calm. We had already checked landing data reference card and were good for a flaps 30 landing with over 3;000 FT excess runway available based on braking action wet/good. Continued approach and configured for landing. On final noticed that aircraft was having a hard time slowing and going down; first hint. We configured fine then I looked at wind arrow in airplane and it showed a tailwind in excess of ten knots. Asked student Captain to get a wind check and we were given [around] 360/15; gusting to 20. Don't remember exact winds. Thought about flaps 40 but we were below 1;000 FT so we did not reconfigure then thought of landing card check for a tailwind; didn't have time. Storm now seemed to be at end of runway with light rain so I decided to continue approach and landing. We could have made it to alternate with fuel that would have been below my personal minimum; but didn't feel comfortable with a missed with the storm in front and maybe extended vectors to alternate to deviate around weather. Winds may have died off but not sure. [We] touched down fine and aircraft stopped where we planned. We seemed to have thought of everything but we still found ourselves in a position we didn't like. We added more fuel prior to departure. Checked the landing data card; talked about fuel and set our bingo fuel while in holding. But it still got away as we took vectors from Approach. Fuel state was still alright but not what I would have liked. An earlier bingo to alternate would have eliminated any problem.
B737 Check Captain reports being assigned holding then having to declare minimum fuel during vectors for approach. On final below 1;000 FT; winds are noted at 15 KTS gusting to 20 on the tail. With ATIS winds of calm and a storm in the departure path the approach is continued to landing.