Narrative:

I am writing this report to bring attention to an increasing problem at fort smith airport. The air national guard expects priority handling from air traffic, and they do not take on enough fuel to allow for any delays upon their return to fort smith. When the fgt's return from the MOA's or R2402, and we cannot allow them to proceed directly to the field, many times they will declare minimum fuel or at times emergency fuel. They also routinely schedule several flts to return at the same time, creating problems for everyone concerned. When we asked them to look into the problem they advised us they do not have to comply with FARS for minimum fuel requirements. We have had 2 occurrences of this within the past few weeks. The last occurrence was on dec/mon/92 when 3 separate flts of fgt's, totaling 7 aircraft, returned at the same time requesting to be split up for individual approachs. At the time we were vectoring for ILS approachs with moderate to heavy civil traffic. With the cca MOA's and R2402 being active we had to put most of the traffic in the northwest quadrant, which created a very tense situation. With fgt pilots declaring minimum fuel we had to change the sequence and excessively vector other aircraft. They should adjust their scheduling and be required to carry more fuel. In the past I have also seen an fgt come off of R2402 declaring an emergency due to a lack of fuel. The pilot said he was proceeding directly to the runway regardless of traffic and he didn't know if he could make the runway. This whole situation is creating a hazard to aviation safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT MIL FGT'S RETURNING FROM MOA'S AND RESTRICTED AREAS DECLARING MINIMUM FUEL FORCING THE CTLR TO PROVIDE PRIORITY HANDLING AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER CIVIL ACFT.

Narrative: I AM WRITING THIS RPT TO BRING ATTN TO AN INCREASING PROB AT FORT SMITH ARPT. THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD EXPECTS PRIORITY HANDLING FROM AIR TFC, AND THEY DO NOT TAKE ON ENOUGH FUEL TO ALLOW FOR ANY DELAYS UPON THEIR RETURN TO FORT SMITH. WHEN THE FGT'S RETURN FROM THE MOA'S OR R2402, AND WE CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THE FIELD, MANY TIMES THEY WILL DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL OR AT TIMES EMER FUEL. THEY ALSO ROUTINELY SCHEDULE SEVERAL FLTS TO RETURN AT THE SAME TIME, CREATING PROBS FOR EVERYONE CONCERNED. WHEN WE ASKED THEM TO LOOK INTO THE PROB THEY ADVISED US THEY DO NOT HAVE TO COMPLY WITH FARS FOR MINIMUM FUEL REQUIREMENTS. WE HAVE HAD 2 OCCURRENCES OF THIS WITHIN THE PAST FEW WKS. THE LAST OCCURRENCE WAS ON DEC/MON/92 WHEN 3 SEPARATE FLTS OF FGT'S, TOTALING 7 ACFT, RETURNED AT THE SAME TIME REQUESTING TO BE SPLIT UP FOR INDIVIDUAL APCHS. AT THE TIME WE WERE VECTORING FOR ILS APCHS WITH MODERATE TO HVY CIVIL TFC. WITH THE CCA MOA'S AND R2402 BEING ACTIVE WE HAD TO PUT MOST OF THE TFC IN THE NW QUADRANT, WHICH CREATED A VERY TENSE SIT. WITH FGT PLTS DECLARING MINIMUM FUEL WE HAD TO CHANGE THE SEQUENCE AND EXCESSIVELY VECTOR OTHER ACFT. THEY SHOULD ADJUST THEIR SCHEDULING AND BE REQUIRED TO CARRY MORE FUEL. IN THE PAST I HAVE ALSO SEEN AN FGT COME OFF OF R2402 DECLARING AN EMER DUE TO A LACK OF FUEL. THE PLT SAID HE WAS PROCEEDING DIRECTLY TO THE RWY REGARDLESS OF TFC AND HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE COULD MAKE THE RWY. THIS WHOLE SIT IS CREATING A HAZARD TO AVIATION SAFETY.

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.