Narrative:

On aug/xx/94, I was the flight lead for a local training flight consisting of 2 F-16C aircraft. The WX and runway condition deteriorated at tulsa and we deviated to ft smith, ar, due to fuel status and wingman's experience level WX category. We flew direct to fsm at FL230 and performed a maximum range idle descent to a visual straight-in to runway 07 for a full stop landing. There were no problems with ATC until we were on a 5 mi left base and we had advised the controller that we were minimum fuel. He asked if we were emergency fuel and I responded that with any deviations we would be emergency fuel. He immediately followed with '(military X) follow king air mid-field downwind runway 07. Cleared visual straight-in.' I stated 'negative, (military X) emergency fuel' and directed (military X2) to turn 4 NM final and I followed him to the full stop runway 07. The tower acknowledged the emergency call and broke out the king air to follow us to runway 07. There was not ever a mid-air potential but mostly a miscom between us and the tower. (Military X) were on UHF and the king air on VHF. I spoke with the N6 sof ord tower supervisor by telephone once on the ground at fsm. Note: minimum fuel is an advisory call to ATC but emergency fuel is more serious and allowed for traffic priority.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEAD PLT OF FLT OF 2 F16 MIL ACFT DECLARED EMER DUE TO LOW FUEL CAUSING ANOTHER ACFT TO BE DIVERTED IN THE TFC PATTERN TO FOLLOW FOR LNDG.

Narrative: ON AUG/XX/94, I WAS THE FLT LEAD FOR A LCL TRAINING FLT CONSISTING OF 2 F-16C ACFT. THE WX AND RWY CONDITION DETERIORATED AT TULSA AND WE DEVIATED TO FT SMITH, AR, DUE TO FUEL STATUS AND WINGMAN'S EXPERIENCE LEVEL WX CATEGORY. WE FLEW DIRECT TO FSM AT FL230 AND PERFORMED A MAX RANGE IDLE DSCNT TO A VISUAL STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 07 FOR A FULL STOP LNDG. THERE WERE NO PROBS WITH ATC UNTIL WE WERE ON A 5 MI L BASE AND WE HAD ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL. HE ASKED IF WE WERE EMER FUEL AND I RESPONDED THAT WITH ANY DEVIATIONS WE WOULD BE EMER FUEL. HE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED WITH '(MIL X) FOLLOW KING AIR MID-FIELD DOWNWIND RWY 07. CLRED VISUAL STRAIGHT-IN.' I STATED 'NEGATIVE, (MIL X) EMER FUEL' AND DIRECTED (MIL X2) TO TURN 4 NM FINAL AND I FOLLOWED HIM TO THE FULL STOP RWY 07. THE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED THE EMER CALL AND BROKE OUT THE KING AIR TO FOLLOW US TO RWY 07. THERE WAS NOT EVER A MID-AIR POTENTIAL BUT MOSTLY A MISCOM BTWN US AND THE TWR. (MIL X) WERE ON UHF AND THE KING AIR ON VHF. I SPOKE WITH THE N6 SOF ORD TWR SUPVR BY TELEPHONE ONCE ON THE GND AT FSM. NOTE: MINIMUM FUEL IS AN ADVISORY CALL TO ATC BUT EMER FUEL IS MORE SERIOUS AND ALLOWED FOR TFC PRIORITY.

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.