GA SMA DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE BECAUSE OF LOW FUEL REMAINING. PLT ADVISED ATC HE HAD LOW FUEL AND IS NOW UPSET THAT THEY CALLED THE EMER GND EQUIP TO STAND BY.

Date: 1992-01 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

GA SMA DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE BECAUSE OF LOW FUEL REMAINING. PLT ADVISED ATC HE HAD LOW FUEL AND IS NOW UPSET THAT THEY CALLED THE EMER GND EQUIP TO STAND BY.

Narrative

I WAS ENRTE FROM PLN TO ARB WHEN I REALIZED I DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL RESERVES. I PANICKED AND CHANGED MY DEST WITH FNT APCH (CURRENT ATC FACILITY AT THE TIME) TO FNT -- ONLY 10-12 MI AWAY. I BELIEVED THAT I WAS LOW ON FUEL AND ADVISED ATC. AFTER LNDG; I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE CTL TWR. THE CTLR WAS QUITE ADAMANT ABOUT THE SITUATION AND WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT HE HAD THE CRASH CREWS STANDING BY. I TRIED TO TELL HIM THAT I WOULD HAVE ADVISED HIM IF EMER EQUIP WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY. HE ONLY BECAME MORE AGITATED. FINALLY; I THANKED HIM FOR THE UNSOLICITED PRIORITY HANDLING AND MENTIONED THAT I HAD JUST MADE A MISTAKE IN MY FLT PLANNING. AS IT TURNED OUT; I LANDED WITH APPROX 1 HOUR OF FUEL ONBOARD. THE EVENT OCCURRED FOR 2 REASONS: PLT --MISCALCULATED DUE TO UNUSUAL AND UNPLANNED MISSED APCH THE DAY BEFORE. LESS FUEL THAN EXPECTED. CTLR -- OVERZEALOUS; SEEMED RATHER ANXIOUS TO SCRAMBLE THE EMER CREWS. I HEARD THAT A SIMILAR SITUATION OCCURRED SHORTLY BEFORE WHICH ENDED IN A FUEL-STARVED; ON-ARPT LNDG. BOTH THE PLT AND CTLR WERE OBVIOUSLY DISTR/PREOCCUPIED DURING THE ONSET OF THIS EVENT. THE FNT ATC FACILITY IS NORMALLY QUITE GOOD.

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