Narrative:

Small aircraft X was outside the allentown arsa and intended to land at abe airport for fuel. In the past the abe arsa has advised reporter to stay out of arsa for periods up to 45 mins. Reporter on this date attempted to get permission to enter arsa and land at abe. When reporter finally got approval 30 mins had elapsed, so reporter requested priority landing. This was granted but tower called fire trucks and they were waiting for aircraft when it landed. Reporter had sufficient fuel to land, plus legal reserves, but due to common practice of allentown approach in refusing to respond to aircraft requests to enter arsa or to hold them outside arsa for periods up to 45 mins, they create a condition whereby the aircraft will run low on fuel unless priority landing is requested. It seems a common practice by some abe approach controllers to fail to requests to enter abe arsa until multiple calls are made when they respond they advise to squawk VFR until very close to arsa and then state, 'there will be a delay--stay clear of arsa.' they do not advise length of delay. They will say, 'you are #6,' or #7, but they do not advise length of delay. Accordingly, if you get low on fuel, they will expedite your arrival and have the fire trucks awaiting your arrival when you land. After landing, if you refuse to discuss the matter, the abe authority will refuse to refuel your aircraft and will call customs to search your aircraft for possible illegal activity. In this case customs was called and when the situation was explained to him (customs) he refused to search the aircraft. The abe authority who threatened to arrest this reporter after about 1 hour permitted the aircraft to be refueled. Before departing the abe arsa this reporter was advised by an abe controller, 'have a very nice day,' albeit he was well aware it was not a nice day at allentown. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated informed approach he had been waiting 30 mins and requested priority handling due to fuel. Reporter said he did not declare an emergency. When on tower frequency they informed him emergency equipment would be standing by. Reporter said tower declared emergency and would the reporter call the tower when on the ground. Fire truck driver informed reporter the tower wanted him to call. Reporter told fire truck driver that he was a lawyer and wasn't going to call the tower. Fire truck driver called airport police, who asked pilot for identify. Confrontation between police and pilot ensued. There has been no follow-up action by FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X PLT REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING AND ARSA ENTRY DUE TO FUEL.

Narrative: SMA X WAS OUTSIDE THE ALLENTOWN ARSA AND INTENDED TO LAND AT ABE ARPT FOR FUEL. IN THE PAST THE ABE ARSA HAS ADVISED RPTR TO STAY OUT OF ARSA FOR PERIODS UP TO 45 MINS. RPTR ON THIS DATE ATTEMPTED TO GET PERMISSION TO ENTER ARSA AND LAND AT ABE. WHEN RPTR FINALLY GOT APPROVAL 30 MINS HAD ELAPSED, SO RPTR REQUESTED PRIORITY LNDG. THIS WAS GRANTED BUT TWR CALLED FIRE TRUCKS AND THEY WERE WAITING FOR ACFT WHEN IT LANDED. RPTR HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO LAND, PLUS LEGAL RESERVES, BUT DUE TO COMMON PRACTICE OF ALLENTOWN APCH IN REFUSING TO RESPOND TO ACFT REQUESTS TO ENTER ARSA OR TO HOLD THEM OUTSIDE ARSA FOR PERIODS UP TO 45 MINS, THEY CREATE A CONDITION WHEREBY THE ACFT WILL RUN LOW ON FUEL UNLESS PRIORITY LNDG IS REQUESTED. IT SEEMS A COMMON PRACTICE BY SOME ABE APCH CTLRS TO FAIL TO REQUESTS TO ENTER ABE ARSA UNTIL MULTIPLE CALLS ARE MADE WHEN THEY RESPOND THEY ADVISE TO SQUAWK VFR UNTIL VERY CLOSE TO ARSA AND THEN STATE, 'THERE WILL BE A DELAY--STAY CLR OF ARSA.' THEY DO NOT ADVISE LENGTH OF DELAY. THEY WILL SAY, 'YOU ARE #6,' OR #7, BUT THEY DO NOT ADVISE LENGTH OF DELAY. ACCORDINGLY, IF YOU GET LOW ON FUEL, THEY WILL EXPEDITE YOUR ARR AND HAVE THE FIRE TRUCKS AWAITING YOUR ARR WHEN YOU LAND. AFTER LNDG, IF YOU REFUSE TO DISCUSS THE MATTER, THE ABE AUTHORITY WILL REFUSE TO REFUEL YOUR ACFT AND WILL CALL CUSTOMS TO SEARCH YOUR ACFT FOR POSSIBLE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY. IN THIS CASE CUSTOMS WAS CALLED AND WHEN THE SITUATION WAS EXPLAINED TO HIM (CUSTOMS) HE REFUSED TO SEARCH THE ACFT. THE ABE AUTHORITY WHO THREATENED TO ARREST THIS RPTR AFTER ABOUT 1 HR PERMITTED THE ACFT TO BE REFUELED. BEFORE DEPARTING THE ABE ARSA THIS RPTR WAS ADVISED BY AN ABE CTLR, 'HAVE A VERY NICE DAY,' ALBEIT HE WAS WELL AWARE IT WAS NOT A NICE DAY AT ALLENTOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED INFORMED APCH HE HAD BEEN WAITING 30 MINS AND REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING DUE TO FUEL. RPTR SAID HE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. WHEN ON TWR FREQ THEY INFORMED HIM EMER EQUIP WOULD BE STANDING BY. RPTR SAID TWR DECLARED EMER AND WOULD THE RPTR CALL THE TWR WHEN ON THE GND. FIRE TRUCK DRIVER INFORMED RPTR THE TWR WANTED HIM TO CALL. RPTR TOLD FIRE TRUCK DRIVER THAT HE WAS A LAWYER AND WASN'T GOING TO CALL THE TWR. FIRE TRUCK DRIVER CALLED ARPT POLICE, WHO ASKED PLT FOR IDENT. CONFRONTATION BTWN POLICE AND PLT ENSUED. THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW-UP ACTION BY FAA.

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.