1999-09 · NASA ASRS report 451972
PIPER PLT EXTENDS FLT PLAN IN BETTER THAN PLANNED WINDS; LOSES WIND; ARRIVES WITH MINIMUM FUEL AFTER TWR CLOSURE IS LOST ON ARPT AND REAPS THE WRATH OF ARPT MGMNT WHEN HE PARKS AT THE TERMINAL.
ON SEP/WED/99; I WAS FLYING FROM IWS TO HGR; IFR IN A PA46-350/G. A FUEL/OVERNIGHT STOP WAS PLANNED FOR CRW. WE PICKED UP A 70 KT TAILWIND. AT THE 1/2 WAY POINT; FUEL MGMNT INDICATED 1 HR RESERVE IF WE PROCEEDED ALL THE WAY TO HGR. I CALLED FLT WATCH TWICE FOR WX. SIGNIFICANT WX HAD MOVED S. HGR RPTED 700 FT (BETTER THAN CRW). FLT GUIDE INDICATED THE HGR TWR WAS OPERATIONAL UNTIL XB30. WE CHANGED OUR DEST TO HGR; ETA AT XA30. WE LOST OUR TAILWIND AND HIT BAD WX. ZDC WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. HE RECLRED US ON A LONG APCH. I ADVISED HIM OF A FUEL ALERT. THE VISIBILITY DROPPED. I WAS UNABLE TO CAPTURE THE ILS; BUT CONTINUED FOLLOWING VECTORS. HGR TWR WAS CLOSED. IT WAS ABOUT XA30. PLT CTLED LIGHTING DIDN'T WORK. I CONFIRMED THE FREQS WITH ZDC. THEY STILL DIDN'T WORK. I FLEW OVER THE ARPT TWICE TRYING TO IDENT A RWY; THEN CIRCLED TWICE. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL AND STRONG WINDS WITH HVY RAIN WAS BEGINNING. I LANDED SAFELY; BUT VISIBILITY WAS DETERIORATING. FOR THE NEXT 45 MINS WE TAXIED AROUND THE ARPT; CALLING THE FLT SCHOOL AND FBO'S FOR ASSISTANCE. THE ONLY LIGHTS WE COULD SEE CAME FROM THE TERMINAL. WE FOUND A SPOT AWAY FROM TERMINAL ACTIVITY TO PARK. IT WAS THEN XE00 HRS WITH 60 KT WIND AND HARD RAIN. WE ENTERED THE TERMINAL. I TALKED TO THE ARPT SUPVR. HE SCREAMED AT ME FOR PARKING NEXT TO THE TERMINAL. MY WIFE AND SON WERE FRIGHTENED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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