Narrative:

The flight was to be from 1g3, kent state university to uni, ohio university with pkb, parkersburg as the alternate. Estimated time en route 1 hour 40 mins. 4 hours fuel on board. 2 small aircraft's were to fly to uni equipped with a VOR and localizer only ability. No ADF or marker beacons. The 2 planes departed approximately 20 mins apart. I was flying the following plane approximately 20 mins behind the lead plane. The WX was reported by FSS to be en route 4500 broken chance of 2200 overcast 5 mi visibility with haze. At zzv, zanesville: 6000 broken 9000 overcast 5 mi visibility with fog. The WX, however, was worse than reported. While the lead plane made its first approach to uni, they had problems making ZID understand that they were not ADF equipped and would need the NDB. The lead plane went missed approach and was vectored for another localizer 25 approach to uni. At this time, I was held over farlin intersection and then was allowed to establish on the localizer. The lead plane had to go missed approach for the second time. I was then asked if I wanted to proceed with the approach into uni. I decided not to proceed and to divert to pkb to save time and fuel. I was now the lead plane from uni to pkb. Once reaching pkb I was asked to enter the published hold for the VOR runway 21 approach and to climb from 3000 ft MSL to 5000 ft MSL. Just before reaching the hold I was given a new heading and told to descend to 3000 ft MSL for vectors around traffic. This was the start of all the problems. ATC kept vectoring me to the approach but then would break me off the approach, climb me back to 5000 ft MSL from 3000 ft MSL. This happened a number of times. Each time switching back and forth between ZID and pkb tower, creating a lot of confusion. I was finally placed in a position to inform pkb tower that I was now low on fuel and needed radar vectors to the final approach course. I was told to climb to 5000 ft MSL and contact ZID. ZID gave me the radar vector but the vector was to ILS runway 3 at pkb. After receiving clearance to this approach, I refused the clearance, reminded ZID of the fuel problem and requested radar vectors to the VOR runway 21 approach into pkb. I received the radar vectors and was able to make a successful, full VOR runway 21 approach into pkb. Another plane was broken off the approach to allow me to make the approach at that time. In all of this mess the other plane with me was able to make the approach first and landed safely. When I landed I only had enough fuel for 30 mins of flight before fuel starvation. I believe this situation was caused by poor communication between ZID, pkb tower, and myself. I cannot account as to why I was held for so long being vectored to and broken off the approach and climbing back to 5000 ft MSL so many times. If allowed to make the approach sooner, there would have been no problems at all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH PVT PLT TRAINING IS VECTORED TO AND FROM HOLDING TO APCH SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL MUST DECLARE PRIORITY HANDLING DUE LOW FUEL.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS TO BE FROM 1G3, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY TO UNI, OHIO UNIVERSITY WITH PKB, PARKERSBURG AS THE ALTERNATE. ESTIMATED TIME ENRTE 1 HR 40 MINS. 4 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. 2 SMA'S WERE TO FLY TO UNI EQUIPPED WITH A VOR AND LOC ONLY ABILITY. NO ADF OR MARKER BEACONS. THE 2 PLANES DEPARTED APPROX 20 MINS APART. I WAS FLYING THE FOLLOWING PLANE APPROX 20 MINS BEHIND THE LEAD PLANE. THE WX WAS RPTED BY FSS TO BE ENRTE 4500 BROKEN CHANCE OF 2200 OVCST 5 MI VISIBILITY WITH HAZE. AT ZZV, ZANESVILLE: 6000 BROKEN 9000 OVCST 5 MI VISIBILITY WITH FOG. THE WX, HOWEVER, WAS WORSE THAN RPTED. WHILE THE LEAD PLANE MADE ITS FIRST APCH TO UNI, THEY HAD PROBS MAKING ZID UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WERE NOT ADF EQUIPPED AND WOULD NEED THE NDB. THE LEAD PLANE WENT MISSED APCH AND WAS VECTORED FOR ANOTHER LOC 25 APCH TO UNI. AT THIS TIME, I WAS HELD OVER FARLIN INTXN AND THEN WAS ALLOWED TO ESTABLISH ON THE LOC. THE LEAD PLANE HAD TO GO MISSED APCH FOR THE SECOND TIME. I WAS THEN ASKED IF I WANTED TO PROCEED WITH THE APCH INTO UNI. I DECIDED NOT TO PROCEED AND TO DIVERT TO PKB TO SAVE TIME AND FUEL. I WAS NOW THE LEAD PLANE FROM UNI TO PKB. ONCE REACHING PKB I WAS ASKED TO ENTER THE PUBLISHED HOLD FOR THE VOR RWY 21 APCH AND TO CLB FROM 3000 FT MSL TO 5000 FT MSL. JUST BEFORE REACHING THE HOLD I WAS GIVEN A NEW HDG AND TOLD TO DSND TO 3000 FT MSL FOR VECTORS AROUND TFC. THIS WAS THE START OF ALL THE PROBS. ATC KEPT VECTORING ME TO THE APCH BUT THEN WOULD BREAK ME OFF THE APCH, CLB ME BACK TO 5000 FT MSL FROM 3000 FT MSL. THIS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES. EACH TIME SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH BTWN ZID AND PKB TWR, CREATING A LOT OF CONFUSION. I WAS FINALLY PLACED IN A POS TO INFORM PKB TWR THAT I WAS NOW LOW ON FUEL AND NEEDED RADAR VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. I WAS TOLD TO CLB TO 5000 FT MSL AND CONTACT ZID. ZID GAVE ME THE RADAR VECTOR BUT THE VECTOR WAS TO ILS RWY 3 AT PKB. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC TO THIS APCH, I REFUSED THE CLRNC, REMINDED ZID OF THE FUEL PROB AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE VOR RWY 21 APCH INTO PKB. I RECEIVED THE RADAR VECTORS AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL, FULL VOR RWY 21 APCH INTO PKB. ANOTHER PLANE WAS BROKEN OFF THE APCH TO ALLOW ME TO MAKE THE APCH AT THAT TIME. IN ALL OF THIS MESS THE OTHER PLANE WITH ME WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE APCH FIRST AND LANDED SAFELY. WHEN I LANDED I ONLY HAD ENOUGH FUEL FOR 30 MINS OF FLT BEFORE FUEL STARVATION. I BELIEVE THIS SIT WAS CAUSED BY POOR COM BTWN ZID, PKB TWR, AND MYSELF. I CANNOT ACCOUNT AS TO WHY I WAS HELD FOR SO LONG BEING VECTORED TO AND BROKEN OFF THE APCH AND CLBING BACK TO 5000 FT MSL SO MANY TIMES. IF ALLOWED TO MAKE THE APCH SOONER, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROBS AT ALL.

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.