Narrative:

While on a return flight from lake havasu to mesa, az, I noticed a problem with my fuel gauges. The left gauge was showing empty and the right gauge was showing full. Over buckeye VOR I contacted luke AFB approach and informed them that I was fuel critical and would like assistance to phx, sky harbor airport. Soon after contact with luke approach, they switched me over to phx approach where I was in contact with 3 different controllers at different times. They all knew that I was fuel critical and proceeded to direct me in for landing. The first controller aligned me up on the victor 16 airway, which runs directly over the airport. The second controller informed me that I would be entering a left downwind for runway 26L and to proceed accordingly. He also asked if why I didn't want to land at goodyear airport, instead of phx. At this time I felt phx was the best place to land. When the third controller took over I was at this time aligned up on left downwind approximately .5 mis off of runway 26L-8R. She then instructed me to turn 90 degrees to the left to enter a right base leg for runway 8L which is the other runway. After landing safely on runway 8L ATC asked me to contact them. Finally after shutdown I checked the fuel on board and found that I was within VFR minimums for night time flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF SMA ACFT DECLARED A FUEL CRITICAL STATUS TO ATC DUE TO A FUEL GAUGE SHOWING 'EMPTY'.

Narrative: WHILE ON A RETURN FLT FROM LAKE HAVASU TO MESA, AZ, I NOTICED A PROB WITH MY FUEL GAUGES. THE L GAUGE WAS SHOWING EMPTY AND THE R GAUGE WAS SHOWING FULL. OVER BUCKEYE VOR I CONTACTED LUKE AFB APCH AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS FUEL CRITICAL AND WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE TO PHX, SKY HARBOR ARPT. SOON AFTER CONTACT WITH LUKE APCH, THEY SWITCHED ME OVER TO PHX APCH WHERE I WAS IN CONTACT WITH 3 DIFFERENT CTLRS AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THEY ALL KNEW THAT I WAS FUEL CRITICAL AND PROCEEDED TO DIRECT ME IN FOR LNDG. THE FIRST CTLR ALIGNED ME UP ON THE VICTOR 16 AIRWAY, WHICH RUNS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT. THE SECOND CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD BE ENTERING A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26L AND TO PROCEED ACCORDINGLY. HE ALSO ASKED IF WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO LAND AT GOODYEAR ARPT, INSTEAD OF PHX. AT THIS TIME I FELT PHX WAS THE BEST PLACE TO LAND. WHEN THE THIRD CTLR TOOK OVER I WAS AT THIS TIME ALIGNED UP ON L DOWNWIND APPROX .5 MIS OFF OF RWY 26L-8R. SHE THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN 90 DEGS TO THE L TO ENTER A R BASE LEG FOR RWY 8L WHICH IS THE OTHER RWY. AFTER LNDG SAFELY ON RWY 8L ATC ASKED ME TO CONTACT THEM. FINALLY AFTER SHUTDOWN I CHKED THE FUEL ON BOARD AND FOUND THAT I WAS WITHIN VFR MINIMUMS FOR NIGHT TIME FLT.

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.