1999-03 · NASA ASRS report 430946
RPTR'S RPT IN ASSISTING A VFR DV20 ACFT THAT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH ITS DEST.
I WAS WORKING APCH/DEP RADAR WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE TFC WHEN A WEAK RADIO CALL WAS RECEIVED FROM A DV20. AFTER ESTABLISHING 2-WAY RADIO COM WITH THE PLT HE ADVISED ME THAT HE WAS ENRTE TO SCHENECTADY ARPT BUT DID NOT THINK HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH THAT DEST. THE PLT SEEMED VERY AGITATED AND ADVISED ME HE WAS ABOUT 25 MI SW OF SCHENECTADY. I RADAR IDENTED HIM AND WE AGREED TO TRY TO GET HIM TO DUANESBURG ARPT; ABOUT 12 MI NE OF HIS POS. HE SAID HE HAD ABOUT 10 MINS OF FUEL. THE PLT BECAME INCREASINGLY UPSET AND WAS NOT FLYING ASSIGNED HEADINGS; SO THROUGH A COMBINATION OF NO GYROSCOPE VECTORS AND DEGREE SPECIFIC TURNS WE GOT HIM LINED UP WITH THE ARPT. HE COULD NOT GET THE ARPT IN SIGHT; AND I WOUND UP VECTORING AROUND AND BACK TOWARD THE ARPT 3 TIMES AND STILL HE COULD NOT FIND IT. I ASKED IF HE THOUGHT HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO CONTINUE ON UP TO SCHENECTADY; ABOUT 15 MI FURTHER NE. HE SAID HIS FUEL GAUGE WAS ON 'EMPTY.' I CIRCLED HIM BACK TOWARD DUANESBURG ONE MORE TIME; HE SAID HE STILL COULD NOT FIND THE ARPT AND THEN DSNDED BELOW MY RADAR AND RADIO COVERAGE ABOUT 1.5 MI N OF THE ARPT. THE STATE POLICE LOCATED THE ACFT ON THE ARPT; THE PLT HAD LANDED SAFELY. I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHY THE PLT REACHED SUCH A FUEL CRITICAL SIT BEFORE ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE. HE ALSO SEEMED TO HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FLYING THE CORRECT HEADINGS; WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE STRESS OF HIS SIT; BUT I ALSO WONDER IF HE COULD HAVE HAD NAV PROBS; EITHER EQUIP OR HUMAN; THAT MIGHT HAVE LANDED HIM IN THE EMER SIT AND CAUSED IT TO BE AS CRITICAL AS IT WAS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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