Narrative:

We estimated 2:45 it took 3:05. The winds were 50 KTS stronger than forecast. As we got near crw the center changed our routing to a point south of lou, resulting in an extra 80 mi at low altitude. We decided this change in routing along with stronger winds we would not land with our target reserve of 1000 pounds. We asked center for direct lou, they said no. We told him if we couldn't get direct we would have to stop at lex for fuel. He asked if we wanted to declare min fuel, we said yes. He then gave us direct lou. We landed in clear VFR WX with 700 pounds of fuel which is 45 min reserve. The FAA contacted us and we filled out a report. This was not an emergency situation. Even though the FAA showed up acting like it was. If we would have had more accurate winds we would have had the extra fuel for the change in routing. If ATC would have given me the routing after crw at the beginning of the trip I could have adjusted for it by either flying a little higher or planning a fuel stop. ATC should give more consideration to the pilot when they change routing, especially when it adds distance and increases fuel requirements for a trip. We can't flight plan for unknown delays by ATC. When they do this they should not be surprised to get this type of situation. The FAA had no business coming over to the FBO to interrogate us. This was not an incident or an accident. It makes me not want to ever declare a min fuel situation again. This could be worse. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had no new information to give. Prime reason for callback was to enlighten and encourage reporter reference the merits of the system and the reason for his being contacted by the FAA for information reference his priority handling. It was explained that a facility director has the option to request this information within 48 hours of the incident and is a standard operating procedure. Reporter was encouraged to keep these facts in mind. No further action from FAA on this. Reporter stated that had the WX not been VMC/VFR he would have landed for fuel short of destination airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR JET REQUESTS DIRECT TO DEST ARPT AFTER FUEL REMAINING REACHES CAUTION LEVEL. PLT REQUEST DENIED UNTIL PIC DECLARES MIN FUEL SITUATION FOR PRIORITY HANDLING. THRUST OF RPT IS TO OBJECT TO FAA ATC PROC IN ALLEGED HARASSMENT.

Narrative: WE ESTIMATED 2:45 IT TOOK 3:05. THE WINDS WERE 50 KTS STRONGER THAN FORECAST. AS WE GOT NEAR CRW THE CTR CHANGED OUR ROUTING TO A POINT S OF LOU, RESULTING IN AN EXTRA 80 MI AT LOW ALT. WE DECIDED THIS CHANGE IN ROUTING ALONG WITH STRONGER WINDS WE WOULD NOT LAND WITH OUR TARGET RESERVE OF 1000 POUNDS. WE ASKED CTR FOR DIRECT LOU, THEY SAID NO. WE TOLD HIM IF WE COULDN'T GET DIRECT WE WOULD HAVE TO STOP AT LEX FOR FUEL. HE ASKED IF WE WANTED TO DECLARE MIN FUEL, WE SAID YES. HE THEN GAVE US DIRECT LOU. WE LANDED IN CLR VFR WX WITH 700 POUNDS OF FUEL WHICH IS 45 MIN RESERVE. THE FAA CONTACTED US AND WE FILLED OUT A RPT. THIS WAS NOT AN EMER SITUATION. EVEN THOUGH THE FAA SHOWED UP ACTING LIKE IT WAS. IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE ACCURATE WINDS WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE EXTRA FUEL FOR THE CHANGE IN ROUTING. IF ATC WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME THE ROUTING AFTER CRW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP I COULD HAVE ADJUSTED FOR IT BY EITHER FLYING A LITTLE HIGHER OR PLANNING A FUEL STOP. ATC SHOULD GIVE MORE CONSIDERATION TO THE PLT WHEN THEY CHANGE ROUTING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT ADDS DISTANCE AND INCREASES FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR A TRIP. WE CAN'T FLT PLAN FOR UNKNOWN DELAYS BY ATC. WHEN THEY DO THIS THEY SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO GET THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. THE FAA HAD NO BUSINESS COMING OVER TO THE FBO TO INTERROGATE US. THIS WAS NOT AN INCIDENT OR AN ACCIDENT. IT MAKES ME NOT WANT TO EVER DECLARE A MIN FUEL SITUATION AGAIN. THIS COULD BE WORSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD NO NEW INFO TO GIVE. PRIME REASON FOR CALLBACK WAS TO ENLIGHTEN AND ENCOURAGE RPTR REF THE MERITS OF THE SYS AND THE REASON FOR HIS BEING CONTACTED BY THE FAA FOR INFO REF HIS PRIORITY HANDLING. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT A FACILITY DIRECTOR HAS THE OPTION TO REQUEST THIS INFO WITHIN 48 HRS OF THE INCIDENT AND IS A STANDARD OPERATING PROC. RPTR WAS ENCOURAGED TO KEEP THESE FACTS IN MIND. NO FURTHER ACTION FROM FAA ON THIS. RPTR STATED THAT HAD THE WX NOT BEEN VMC/VFR HE WOULD HAVE LANDED FOR FUEL SHORT OF DEST ARPT.

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.