<< >> NASA ASRS Report 339180, June 1996

When diverting to alternate airport, reporter requested direct to alternate. TRACON apparently believed reporter aircraft was low fuel state and so notified the tower who had fire and rescue standing by. Flight crew had to fill out report for low fuel. Reporter claims no low fuel was declared.

Attributes
ACN	339180
Time
Date	199606
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : orh
State Reference	MA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 3100
ASRS Report	339180
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After diverting from phl due to low visibility we returned to orh. While en route we asked for direct orh to minimize the time the passenger had to be on the aircraft without a restroom. Fuel was not a major concern, but we did not want to be vectored around or have to fly the full route. When bradley approach gave us a heading for the airport, he also notified orh tower that we were fuel critical. As a result of this, fire and rescue were notified. While filling out the report for the fire and rescue, I explained I never requested or said that we were low on fuel. We landed the aircraft without incident with enough fuel to divert to pvd and perform an approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEN DIVERTING TO ALTERNATE ARPT, RPTR REQUESTED DIRECT TO ALTERNATE. TRACON APPARENTLY BELIEVED RPTR ACFT WAS LOW FUEL STATE AND SO NOTIFIED THE TWR WHO HAD FIRE AND RESCUE STANDING BY. FLC HAD TO FILL OUT RPT FOR LOW FUEL. RPTR CLAIMS NO LOW FUEL WAS DECLARED.

Narrative: AFTER DIVERTING FROM PHL DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY WE RETURNED TO ORH. WHILE ENRTE WE ASKED FOR DIRECT ORH TO MINIMIZE THE TIME THE PAX HAD TO BE ON THE ACFT WITHOUT A RESTROOM. FUEL WAS NOT A MAJOR CONCERN, BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO BE VECTORED AROUND OR HAVE TO FLY THE FULL RTE. WHEN BRADLEY APCH GAVE US A HDG FOR THE ARPT, HE ALSO NOTIFIED ORH TWR THAT WE WERE FUEL CRITICAL. AS A RESULT OF THIS, FIRE AND RESCUE WERE NOTIFIED. WHILE FILLING OUT THE RPT FOR THE FIRE AND RESCUE, I EXPLAINED I NEVER REQUESTED OR SAID THAT WE WERE LOW ON FUEL. WE LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT WITH ENOUGH FUEL TO DIVERT TO PVD AND PERFORM AN APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.