Narrative:

Spc X filed IFR out of men to spi 2 hours, 20 mins fuel on board, 2 passenger. After 1 hour, 20 mins flying we were west of spi at 6000'. A line of trws was northeast of spi and moving southwest. ILS 4 was active and the tower was closed. Approximately 10-15 mi west of spi ZKC gave us a choice of holding at cap VOR or the OM for ILS 4 at 4000'. We chose OM. ZKC advised he had a commuter flight light transport Y about to begin the ILS and he could not clear us until he cancelled his IFR. The last I heard from light transport Y, he was OM inbound. ZKC advised to hold or proceed south until light transport Y cancelled. I elected to proceed south and get radar vectors back to the ILS because of level 3 trws. After 20-30 mins, flight light transport Y never cancelled. Center asked us to try and contact light transport Y and relay his IFR cancellation. We tried on 118.6, 126.15, 118.3, 121.9 and the flitephone by calling their operations. We could not locate them. Center advised us he could not clear us in for 30 mins, and with more trws moving in and our fuel approaching reserves we elected to divert to dec. Center gave us direct, but we were unable because of more trws. I declared a critical fuel state and was handed off to chicago center. As we finally started to start the ILS 6 at dec, my copilot advised me that he thought I had declared an emergency when I thought I had said 'critical fuel.' I then clarified this with chicago. He said I declared an emergency; I advised center. My mistake was that I let this incident of not cancelling get me angry, and ended up saying one thing and meaning another. I can't let other pilots, whose decisions affect me, get to me. Also my copilot should have questioned my statement earlier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER IN IMC FLT IS PREVENTED FROM CONDUCTING AN APCH BECAUSE PREVIOUS ACFT NEGLECTS TO CANCEL HIS IFR UPON ARR AFTER TWR HOURS. HELICOPTER EXPERIENCES CRITICAL FUEL CONDITION AND IS FORCED TO DIVERT. CAPT DECLARES AN EMERGENCY IN ANGER AND FRUSTRATION, WHEN HE ONLY MEANT TO DECLARE A CRITICAL FUEL SITUATION.

Narrative: SPC X FILED IFR OUT OF MEN TO SPI 2 HRS, 20 MINS FUEL ON BOARD, 2 PAX. AFTER 1 HR, 20 MINS FLYING WE WERE W OF SPI AT 6000'. A LINE OF TRWS WAS NE OF SPI AND MOVING SW. ILS 4 WAS ACTIVE AND THE TWR WAS CLOSED. APPROX 10-15 MI W OF SPI ZKC GAVE US A CHOICE OF HOLDING AT CAP VOR OR THE OM FOR ILS 4 AT 4000'. WE CHOSE OM. ZKC ADVISED HE HAD A COMMUTER FLT LTT Y ABOUT TO BEGIN THE ILS AND HE COULD NOT CLR US UNTIL HE CANCELLED HIS IFR. THE LAST I HEARD FROM LTT Y, HE WAS OM INBND. ZKC ADVISED TO HOLD OR PROCEED S UNTIL LTT Y CANCELLED. I ELECTED TO PROCEED S AND GET RADAR VECTORS BACK TO THE ILS BECAUSE OF LEVEL 3 TRWS. AFTER 20-30 MINS, FLT LTT Y NEVER CANCELLED. CENTER ASKED US TO TRY AND CONTACT LTT Y AND RELAY HIS IFR CANCELLATION. WE TRIED ON 118.6, 126.15, 118.3, 121.9 AND THE FLITEPHONE BY CALLING THEIR OPS. WE COULD NOT LOCATE THEM. CENTER ADVISED US HE COULD NOT CLR US IN FOR 30 MINS, AND WITH MORE TRWS MOVING IN AND OUR FUEL APCHING RESERVES WE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO DEC. CENTER GAVE US DIRECT, BUT WE WERE UNABLE BECAUSE OF MORE TRWS. I DECLARED A CRITICAL FUEL STATE AND WAS HANDED OFF TO CHICAGO CENTER. AS WE FINALLY STARTED TO START THE ILS 6 AT DEC, MY COPLT ADVISED ME THAT HE THOUGHT I HAD DECLARED AN EMER WHEN I THOUGHT I HAD SAID 'CRITICAL FUEL.' I THEN CLARIFIED THIS WITH CHICAGO. HE SAID I DECLARED AN EMER; I ADVISED CENTER. MY MISTAKE WAS THAT I LET THIS INCIDENT OF NOT CANCELLING GET ME ANGRY, AND ENDED UP SAYING ONE THING AND MEANING ANOTHER. I CAN'T LET OTHER PLTS, WHOSE DECISIONS AFFECT ME, GET TO ME. ALSO MY COPLT SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED MY STATEMENT EARLIER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.