Narrative:

I departed on an IFR flight plan in VFR conditions from lakewood, nj, to the fulton county airport in johnstown, ny. The entire flight was conducted as a lifeguard far part 91 operation. I departed with sufficient fuel to cover the 190 NM trip and deviation if necessary to my alternate and still have the required 45 min fuel reserve. As a result of the ATC routing I was prevented from climbing to an altitude which would provide an economical rate of fuel consumption until much later in the flight. Additionally this routing also prevented me from flying north on direct heading and took me far out to the west which resulted in having to fly in a north easterly direction. When I was finally cleared direct to my destination. The routing plus headwinds resulted in the flight taking 1 hour and 15 mins to complete what would normally have been a 45 min flight. At the point that I was cleared direct I became concerned that I was cutting into my fuel reserve and would only have enough fuel to fly one straight in approach and if I had to miss would have enough fuel to make it to the alternate airport and not have the required 45 min reserve fuel. When albany approach control cleared me to fly the NDB approach, I was already established inbound and on the final approach course to runway 28. My clearance was 'cross the beacon at 4000 ft cleared for the approach.' I requested but was denied clearance to fly a straight in approach but was able to obtain my distance from the beacon collocated at the airport from the controller. I could have at this point declared a fuel emergency but did not. WX is not available at the destination airport but 20 mi east it was reported as 1200 ft overcast 7 mi. While inbound to the beacon at 4000 ft, I was in VFR conditions over a broken cloud cover as I got closer I was able to see the airport and runway and immediately began my descent. Clear of clouds, I attempted to cancel my IFR clearance in order to proceed straight into the airport in VFR conditions but I was too low for radio transmissions to albany approach control. Because I did not cancel my IFR flight plan in a more timely manner I was contacted by the controller by telephone and asked to explain this 'pilot deviation' and failure to comply with an instrument approach procedure. This controller was satisfied by my explanation and considered the matter closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF EMS FLT ON APCH DSNDED BELOW APCH PATH AND PROCEEDED STRAIGHT IN TO CONSERVE REMAINING FUEL. UNABLE TO CANCEL IFR IN AIR. TALKED TO CTLR BY PHONE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS FROM LAKEWOOD, NJ, TO THE FULTON COUNTY ARPT IN JOHNSTOWN, NY. THE ENTIRE FLT WAS CONDUCTED AS A LIFEGUARD FAR PART 91 OP. I DEPARTED WITH SUFFICIENT FUEL TO COVER THE 190 NM TRIP AND DEV IF NECESSARY TO MY ALTERNATE AND STILL HAVE THE REQUIRED 45 MIN FUEL RESERVE. AS A RESULT OF THE ATC ROUTING I WAS PREVENTED FROM CLBING TO AN ALT WHICH WOULD PROVIDE AN ECONOMICAL RATE OF FUEL CONSUMPTION UNTIL MUCH LATER IN THE FLT. ADDITIONALLY THIS ROUTING ALSO PREVENTED ME FROM FLYING N ON DIRECT HDG AND TOOK ME FAR OUT TO THE W WHICH RESULTED IN HAVING TO FLY IN A N EASTERLY DIRECTION. WHEN I WAS FINALLY CLRED DIRECT TO MY DEST. THE ROUTING PLUS HEADWINDS RESULTED IN THE FLT TAKING 1 HR AND 15 MINS TO COMPLETE WHAT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN A 45 MIN FLT. AT THE POINT THAT I WAS CLRED DIRECT I BECAME CONCERNED THAT I WAS CUTTING INTO MY FUEL RESERVE AND WOULD ONLY HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO FLY ONE STRAIGHT IN APCH AND IF I HAD TO MISS WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO THE ALTERNATE ARPT AND NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED 45 MIN RESERVE FUEL. WHEN ALBANY APCH CTL CLRED ME TO FLY THE NDB APCH, I WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED INBOUND AND ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 28. MY CLRNC WAS 'CROSS THE BEACON AT 4000 FT CLRED FOR THE APCH.' I REQUESTED BUT WAS DENIED CLRNC TO FLY A STRAIGHT IN APCH BUT WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN MY DISTANCE FROM THE BEACON COLLOCATED AT THE ARPT FROM THE CTLR. I COULD HAVE AT THIS POINT DECLARED A FUEL EMER BUT DID NOT. WX IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE DEST ARPT BUT 20 MI E IT WAS RPTED AS 1200 FT OVCST 7 MI. WHILE INBOUND TO THE BEACON AT 4000 FT, I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS OVER A BROKEN CLOUD COVER AS I GOT CLOSER I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ARPT AND RWY AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN MY DSCNT. CLR OF CLOUDS, I ATTEMPTED TO CANCEL MY IFR CLRNC IN ORDER TO PROCEED STRAIGHT INTO THE ARPT IN VFR CONDITIONS BUT I WAS TOO LOW FOR RADIO TRANSMISSIONS TO ALBANY APCH CTL. BECAUSE I DID NOT CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER I WAS CONTACTED BY THE CTLR BY TELEPHONE AND ASKED TO EXPLAIN THIS 'PLT DEV' AND FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH AN INST APCH PROC. THIS CTLR WAS SATISFIED BY MY EXPLANATION AND CONSIDERED THE MATTER CLOSED.

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.