AN L39 PLT DECLARED 'FUEL CRITICAL' MEANING 'MINIMUM FUEL' TO GET PRIORITY IN LNDG BECAUSE OF A LOW FUEL SIT. TWR DISPATCHES CFR.

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ARRIVED AT BTR AFTER LARGE TSTM PASSED THROUGH. I HAD FAA MINIMUM FUEL (45 MINS) ON BOARD. ATC INSTRUCTED A SPD REDUCTION TO FOLLOW C150 FOR LNDG. ARPT LIGHTS ON MAIN RWY 13/31 WERE INOP AT TIME OF ARR. ATC INSTRUCTED TO LAND ON RWY 4R. AS I WAS ABEAM OF ARPT; LIGHTS ON RWY 13/31 CAME ON. I REQUESTED TO LAND RWY 31 AND WAS GIVEN PERMISSION BUT INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW C150. IN LNDG CONFIGN; L39 FUEL BURN GOES DRASTICALLY UP. SINCE TSTMS WERE IN AREA AND FUEL BURN WAS HIGH AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO PASS ARPT ON EXTENDED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31; I BECAME CONCERNED THAT IF I WERE OUT ON A LONG FINAL AND AN OBSTRUCTION; TSTMS; CAME BTWN ARPT AND ME; I WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER ARPT. ALSO; IF LIGHTS ON RWY 31 FAILED AGAIN THEN TO CIRCLE ARPT BACK TO RWY 4R WOULD HAVE PUT ACFT IN 'FUEL EMER' SIT. I THEREFORE DECIDED TO TELL ATC I WAS 'FUEL CRITICAL.' I WAS PUT FIRST IN LINE TO LAND. POLICE AND FIRE WERE DISPATCHED UNBEKNOWNST TO ME. AFTER READING REG; I REALIZED I SHOULD HAVE SAID 'MINIMUM FUEL;' BUT AT NO TIME HAD I THOUGHT I DECLARED AN EMER.