Narrative:

I was working approach/departure radar with light to moderate traffic when a weak radio call was received from a DV20. After establishing 2-WAY radio communication with the pilot he advised me that he was en route to schenectady airport but did not think he had enough fuel to reach that destination. The pilot seemed very agitated and advised me he was about 25 mi southwest of schenectady. I radar idented him and we agreed to try to get him to duanesburg airport, about 12 mi northeast of his position. He said he had about 10 mins of fuel. The pilot 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 airport. He could not get the airport in sight, and I wound up vectoring around and back toward the airport 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 northeast. 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 airport and then descended below my radar and radio coverage about 1.5 mi north of the airport. The state police located the aircraft on the airport, the pilot had landed safely. I would like to find out why the pilot reached such a fuel critical situation 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 situation, but I also wonder if he could have had navigation problems, either equipment or human, that might have landed him in the emergency situation and caused it to be as critical as it was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR'S RPT IN ASSISTING A VFR DV20 ACFT THAT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH ITS DEST.

Narrative: 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.

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.