Narrative:

At dusk, I landed at hsp (ingalls field, hot springs, va). It is a public-use airport. The FBO listed their hours as open until XA30 pm through oct. However, the field was completely deserted. I estimated that we had just under 1 hour of fuel on board, and as it was getting dark, and I was completely unfamiliar with the area's mountainous terrain, decided not to fly on for fuel elsewhere. The only telephone available, was an unlabeled direct line. It connected us to the lodge, which apparently also operates the FBO. We told the desk clerk that we had landed at the airport, and he offered to send a car to pick us up. We said that we didn't need assistance, as we could simply camp overnight and buy fuel in the morning. The desk clerk said ok and wished us a good night. So we parked on the corner of the ramp, pitched the tent under the wing, and went to sleep. Shortly after midnight, we were awakened by an armed man in a 'bath county special police' uniform, who declared 'this is the police! Either leave the premises immediately, or I will place you under arrest for trespassing, and you will spend the night in the county jail'. Although we told him everything you've read above, he was adamant: leave immediately, or spend the night in jail. So, I dipped the tanks, estimated that I had enough fuel to make it, although certainly not enough for a legal night VFR flight. Faced with the alternative of having my passenger and myself thrown in jail for the night, I decided to depart. It was a pitch black, moonless night. Although clear, the visibility was about 10 mi in haze. The area is not populated, so there were no lights visible, and there was no discernable horizon. I am not an instrument-rated pilot, but found myself in, effectively, instrument conditions, in that there was no external horizon or reference with which to orient myself, except for a few stars directly overhead. I climbed above the MOCA, flew on instruments for about 20 NM, direct to the nearest airport (lwb, greenbrier valley airport, lewisburg, wv), and landed. The FBO there pumped 21.6 gals of fuel into my tanks, which have 22.5 gals usable. It was then that I realized that when I landed, I had 8 mins of usable fuel remaining. My estimate, when I took off, was that I would have 20 mins or 2 gals left on arrival. That estimate was wrong. Had it been off by another gal, I would not be writing this report. My mistake was in allowing myself to be forced, even by an armed guard, into making a flight which was against my best judgement, probably beyond my capabilities, unsafe, and illegal. It was only luck that it turned out alright. Two days later, I was able to reach the manager of the FBO at this airport by phone. He said that the 'special police' were a security firm hired by the FBO's owner, had no authority to order a pilot to take off from the airport, and that he would make certain that they knew this in the future and would never do this to another pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPECIAL SECURITY GUARD DEMANDED THAT PLT LEAVE PUBLIC USE ARPT AT NIGHT.

Narrative: AT DUSK, I LANDED AT HSP (INGALLS FIELD, HOT SPRINGS, VA). IT IS A PUBLIC-USE ARPT. THE FBO LISTED THEIR HRS AS OPEN UNTIL XA30 PM THROUGH OCT. HOWEVER, THE FIELD WAS COMPLETELY DESERTED. I ESTIMATED THAT WE HAD JUST UNDER 1 HR OF FUEL ON BOARD, AND AS IT WAS GETTING DARK, AND I WAS COMPLETELY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA'S MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, DECIDED NOT TO FLY ON FOR FUEL ELSEWHERE. THE ONLY TELEPHONE AVAILABLE, WAS AN UNLABELED DIRECT LINE. IT CONNECTED US TO THE LODGE, WHICH APPARENTLY ALSO OPERATES THE FBO. WE TOLD THE DESK CLERK THAT WE HAD LANDED AT THE ARPT, AND HE OFFERED TO SEND A CAR TO PICK US UP. WE SAID THAT WE DIDN'T NEED ASSISTANCE, AS WE COULD SIMPLY CAMP OVERNIGHT AND BUY FUEL IN THE MORNING. THE DESK CLERK SAID OK AND WISHED US A GOOD NIGHT. SO WE PARKED ON THE CORNER OF THE RAMP, PITCHED THE TENT UNDER THE WING, AND WENT TO SLEEP. SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT, WE WERE AWAKENED BY AN ARMED MAN IN A 'BATH COUNTY SPECIAL POLICE' UNIFORM, WHO DECLARED 'THIS IS THE POLICE! EITHER LEAVE THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY, OR I WILL PLACE YOU UNDER ARREST FOR TRESPASSING, AND YOU WILL SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE COUNTY JAIL'. ALTHOUGH WE TOLD HIM EVERYTHING YOU'VE READ ABOVE, HE WAS ADAMANT: LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, OR SPEND THE NIGHT IN JAIL. SO, I DIPPED THE TANKS, ESTIMATED THAT I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT, ALTHOUGH CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH FOR A LEGAL NIGHT VFR FLT. FACED WITH THE ALTERNATIVE OF HAVING MY PAX AND MYSELF THROWN IN JAIL FOR THE NIGHT, I DECIDED TO DEPART. IT WAS A PITCH BLACK, MOONLESS NIGHT. ALTHOUGH CLEAR, THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 10 MI IN HAZE. THE AREA IS NOT POPULATED, SO THERE WERE NO LIGHTS VISIBLE, AND THERE WAS NO DISCERNABLE HORIZON. I AM NOT AN INSTRUMENT-RATED PLT, BUT FOUND MYSELF IN, EFFECTIVELY, INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS, IN THAT THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL HORIZON OR REFERENCE WITH WHICH TO ORIENT MYSELF, EXCEPT FOR A FEW STARS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. I CLIMBED ABOVE THE MOCA, FLEW ON INSTRUMENTS FOR ABOUT 20 NM, DIRECT TO THE NEAREST ARPT (LWB, GREENBRIER VALLEY ARPT, LEWISBURG, WV), AND LANDED. THE FBO THERE PUMPED 21.6 GALS OF FUEL INTO MY TANKS, WHICH HAVE 22.5 GALS USABLE. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT WHEN I LANDED, I HAD 8 MINS OF USABLE FUEL REMAINING. MY ESTIMATE, WHEN I TOOK OFF, WAS THAT I WOULD HAVE 20 MINS OR 2 GALS LEFT ON ARR. THAT ESTIMATE WAS WRONG. HAD IT BEEN OFF BY ANOTHER GAL, I WOULD NOT BE WRITING THIS REPORT. MY MISTAKE WAS IN ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE FORCED, EVEN BY AN ARMED GUARD, INTO MAKING A FLT WHICH WAS AGAINST MY BEST JUDGEMENT, PROBABLY BEYOND MY CAPABILITIES, UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL. IT WAS ONLY LUCK THAT IT TURNED OUT ALRIGHT. TWO DAYS LATER, I WAS ABLE TO REACH THE MGR OF THE FBO AT THIS ARPT BY PHONE. HE SAID THAT THE 'SPECIAL POLICE' WERE A SECURITY FIRM HIRED BY THE FBO'S OWNER, HAD NO AUTHORITY TO ORDER A PLT TO TAKE OFF FROM THE ARPT, AND THAT HE WOULD MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY KNEW THIS IN THE FUTURE AND WOULD NEVER DO THIS TO ANOTHER PLT.

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.