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Former world war ii pilot made an emergency landing at a us air force base due to low fuel.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 211890 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199206 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cef |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 35 |
| ASRS Report | 211890 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
To date 50 yrs ago, I did face machine guns...german machine guns, when my crippled fgt I brought to the runway of german occupied europe. Today, in my adopted country, I did face again machine guns, when in an emergency I brought my aircraft short of fuel to the runway 15 at air force base westover. Was it necessary that show of force in present times against unarmed federally registered aircraft unarmed pilot (with hands up). German machine guns did not scare me as much as those at westover. My story begins at airport (tanner-hiller) where I am waiting for 2 hour to get fuel. Nobody shows up by the pump. I know that on my route of flight I have airports, so disappointed at tanner, I am departing. Within 10-15 mins flight I am trying to call FBO unicom at turners falls -- no response. I am turning south. I am trying unicom at hatfield-pilgrim -- no answer. Further south, I am trying northampton field on 122.8 -- no answer. I am getting very low on fuel and my emotions and my altitude. Visibility is very poor on account of haze (near water and hot ground) but through that haze I would see runways, big runways and tower. I am setting 121.5 and I have no answer, I am trying 123.0, 122.8 I have no answers again. I am very, very, very low on fuel, altitude and my emotions. My strobe lights are on. I do decide to circle the tower. I do make 2 circles in front of tower expecting acknowledgement (lights). I have no response. I am deciding to land on runway 15 (there is no motion at the airport except far away on runway 23, ground crew working). Turning left base once more on 123.0 I am announcing 'aircraft number, I am an emergency, and I am turning left base to runway 15. Turning final to runway 15' and I am on the ground taxiing toward tower. Red light stops me 500 ft from tower, I am getting out from plane, and I hear shouts like 50 yrs ago, not in german, but my own english, I am facing 3 machine guns for 15 mins with my hands up, up and my blood in my feet, and I am trembling and again I see scenario from 50 yrs ago far away from adopted country. P.south. The same runways are used by FBO westover on frequency 123.0. I should mention -- my radios are presently on 'check out' with aircraft radio repair shop.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FORMER WORLD WAR II PLT MADE AN EMER LNDG AT A US AIR FORCE BASE DUE TO LOW FUEL.
Narrative: TO DATE 50 YRS AGO, I DID FACE MACHINE GUNS...GERMAN MACHINE GUNS, WHEN MY CRIPPLED FGT I BROUGHT TO THE RWY OF GERMAN OCCUPIED EUROPE. TODAY, IN MY ADOPTED COUNTRY, I DID FACE AGAIN MACHINE GUNS, WHEN IN AN EMER I BROUGHT MY ACFT SHORT OF FUEL TO THE RWY 15 AT AIR FORCE BASE WESTOVER. WAS IT NECESSARY THAT SHOW OF FORCE IN PRESENT TIMES AGAINST UNARMED FEDERALLY REGISTERED ACFT UNARMED PLT (WITH HANDS UP). GERMAN MACHINE GUNS DID NOT SCARE ME AS MUCH AS THOSE AT WESTOVER. MY STORY BEGINS AT ARPT (TANNER-HILLER) WHERE I AM WAITING FOR 2 HR TO GET FUEL. NOBODY SHOWS UP BY THE PUMP. I KNOW THAT ON MY RTE OF FLT I HAVE ARPTS, SO DISAPPOINTED AT TANNER, I AM DEPARTING. WITHIN 10-15 MINS FLT I AM TRYING TO CALL FBO UNICOM AT TURNERS FALLS -- NO RESPONSE. I AM TURNING S. I AM TRYING UNICOM AT HATFIELD-PILGRIM -- NO ANSWER. FURTHER S, I AM TRYING NORTHAMPTON FIELD ON 122.8 -- NO ANSWER. I AM GETTING VERY LOW ON FUEL AND MY EMOTIONS AND MY ALT. VISIBILITY IS VERY POOR ON ACCOUNT OF HAZE (NEAR WATER AND HOT GND) BUT THROUGH THAT HAZE I WOULD SEE RWYS, BIG RWYS AND TWR. I AM SETTING 121.5 AND I HAVE NO ANSWER, I AM TRYING 123.0, 122.8 I HAVE NO ANSWERS AGAIN. I AM VERY, VERY, VERY LOW ON FUEL, ALT AND MY EMOTIONS. MY STROBE LIGHTS ARE ON. I DO DECIDE TO CIRCLE THE TWR. I DO MAKE 2 CIRCLES IN FRONT OF TWR EXPECTING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (LIGHTS). I HAVE NO RESPONSE. I AM DECIDING TO LAND ON RWY 15 (THERE IS NO MOTION AT THE ARPT EXCEPT FAR AWAY ON RWY 23, GND CREW WORKING). TURNING L BASE ONCE MORE ON 123.0 I AM ANNOUNCING 'ACFT NUMBER, I AM AN EMER, AND I AM TURNING L BASE TO RWY 15. TURNING FINAL TO RWY 15' AND I AM ON THE GND TAXIING TOWARD TWR. RED LIGHT STOPS ME 500 FT FROM TWR, I AM GETTING OUT FROM PLANE, AND I HEAR SHOUTS LIKE 50 YRS AGO, NOT IN GERMAN, BUT MY OWN ENGLISH, I AM FACING 3 MACHINE GUNS FOR 15 MINS WITH MY HANDS UP, UP AND MY BLOOD IN MY FEET, AND I AM TREMBLING AND AGAIN I SEE SCENARIO FROM 50 YRS AGO FAR AWAY FROM ADOPTED COUNTRY. P.S. THE SAME RWYS ARE USED BY FBO WESTOVER ON FREQ 123.0. I SHOULD MENTION -- MY RADIOS ARE PRESENTLY ON 'CHK OUT' WITH ACFT RADIO REPAIR SHOP.
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.