<< >> NASA ASRS Report 521840, August 2001

A PA28 pilot, fuel critical, unable to locate destination airport. Declaring an emergency recruited ATC's help with vectors to destination runway.

Attributes
ACN	521840
Time
Date	200108
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ztl.artcc
State Reference	GA
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 1067 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	521840
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We took off from pgv at XA30 for an IFR flight to 24A, tachson county airport. The flight was planned at 2 1/2 hours en route and it was believed the aircraft had 4 hours fuel on board. The WX was typical summer WX for north carolina -- scattered thunderstorms, cumulus clouds and moderate haze. We had planned to leave greenville at XA30 instead of XB30 so we would arrive at tachson county during daylight hours. We ended up flying around some thunderstorms and stronger headwinds, which added to the flight time. We arrived at jackson county in 3 hours at dusk with minimal fuel. We were in and out of IMC searching for the field. Our inability to find the field and the minimal fuel state prompted me to declare an emergency. The controller with ZTL gave me a vector back to 24A. We then found the runway and descended in for a landing.

Related reports:

• A B757 rapidly lost engine oil. The crew diverted short of t...
• A B747-400 dispatcher reported declaring a fuel emergency be...
• Air carrier flight crew reported declaring minimum fuel with...
• A C550 flight crew suffered a right engine failure shortly a...
• A DHC8-400's air conditioning packs tripped because of a duc...
• E175 captain reported declaring minimum fuel to expedite ATC...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT, FUEL CRITICAL, UNABLE TO LOCATE DEST ARPT. DECLARING AN EMER RECRUITED ATC'S HELP WITH VECTORS TO DEST RWY.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF FROM PGV AT XA30 FOR AN IFR FLT TO 24A, TACHSON COUNTY ARPT. THE FLT WAS PLANNED AT 2 1/2 HRS ENRTE AND IT WAS BELIEVED THE ACFT HAD 4 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. THE WX WAS TYPICAL SUMMER WX FOR NORTH CAROLINA -- SCATTERED TSTMS, CUMULUS CLOUDS AND MODERATE HAZE. WE HAD PLANNED TO LEAVE GREENVILLE AT XA30 INSTEAD OF XB30 SO WE WOULD ARRIVE AT TACHSON COUNTY DURING DAYLIGHT HRS. WE ENDED UP FLYING AROUND SOME TSTMS AND STRONGER HEADWINDS, WHICH ADDED TO THE FLT TIME. WE ARRIVED AT JACKSON COUNTY IN 3 HRS AT DUSK WITH MINIMAL FUEL. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF IMC SEARCHING FOR THE FIELD. OUR INABILITY TO FIND THE FIELD AND THE MINIMAL FUEL STATE PROMPTED ME TO DECLARE AN EMER. THE CTLR WITH ZTL GAVE ME A VECTOR BACK TO 24A. WE THEN FOUND THE RWY AND DSNDED IN FOR A LNDG.

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.