Narrative:

C-500 IFR ase to sfo at FL350. ATC requested FL310 and then FL280 for traffic. Cleared oal locke arrival to sfo. Over oal reclred direct bsr, eucen, hadly, sau, sfo. This route added 117 mi to our route. Original fuel over destination 1300 pounds. Depending on handling possible to arrive sfo with 600-800 pounds. Advised ATC that our fuel situation could be tight and would appreciate no further rertes and that a more direct route would help us. Their response, are you declaring a fuel emergency. Our response negative. We were asked repeatedly about our situation and our response negative. On arrival in sfo we were offered, and accepted, a visual approach, when an air carrier questioned our sequence sfo told him we had a fuel emergency. Turning final is not the appropriate place to get into a discussion about priorities and we landed. ATC telephoned to inquire about this situation. The other pilot who is our director of operations talked to ATC so I was not privy to this conversation. This is an example of poor management by ATC. We were the only aircraft rerted on the frequency, they were indifferent to our problem caused by them, and decided without our knowledge that we required special handling. The point is that we had topped off at ase, had adequate fuel to complete the flight, and because of ATC ineptitude we were confronted with the possibility of landing short of our destination or declare a fuel emergency. Although a C-500 is a slow aircraft we can maintain 250 KTS at the lower flight levels and in descent. I guess they are not aware of this. Fortunately, they did shorten our route and we landed in sfo with 1100 pounds remaining.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN SMT JET ADVISES ATC OF POSSIBLE LOW FUEL IF ADDITIONAL REROUTING IS MADE PRIOR TO DEST. SUBSEQUENTLY, ATC GAVE RPTR SPECIAL HANDLING AT DEST.

Narrative: C-500 IFR ASE TO SFO AT FL350. ATC REQUESTED FL310 AND THEN FL280 FOR TFC. CLRED OAL LOCKE ARR TO SFO. OVER OAL RECLRED DIRECT BSR, EUCEN, HADLY, SAU, SFO. THIS RTE ADDED 117 MI TO OUR RTE. ORIGINAL FUEL OVER DEST 1300 LBS. DEPENDING ON HANDLING POSSIBLE TO ARRIVE SFO WITH 600-800 LBS. ADVISED ATC THAT OUR FUEL SIT COULD BE TIGHT AND WOULD APPRECIATE NO FURTHER RERTES AND THAT A MORE DIRECT RTE WOULD HELP US. THEIR RESPONSE, ARE YOU DECLARING A FUEL EMER. OUR RESPONSE NEGATIVE. WE WERE ASKED REPEATEDLY ABOUT OUR SIT AND OUR RESPONSE NEGATIVE. ON ARR IN SFO WE WERE OFFERED, AND ACCEPTED, A VISUAL APCH, WHEN AN ACR QUESTIONED OUR SEQUENCE SFO TOLD HIM WE HAD A FUEL EMER. TURNING FINAL IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO GET INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT PRIORITIES AND WE LANDED. ATC TELEPHONED TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS SIT. THE OTHER PLT WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS TALKED TO ATC SO I WAS NOT PRIVY TO THIS CONVERSATION. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF POOR MGMNT BY ATC. WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT RERTED ON THE FREQ, THEY WERE INDIFFERENT TO OUR PROB CAUSED BY THEM, AND DECIDED WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE THAT WE REQUIRED SPECIAL HANDLING. THE POINT IS THAT WE HAD TOPPED OFF AT ASE, HAD ADEQUATE FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT, AND BECAUSE OF ATC INEPTITUDE WE WERE CONFRONTED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LNDG SHORT OF OUR DEST OR DECLARE A FUEL EMER. ALTHOUGH A C-500 IS A SLOW ACFT WE CAN MAINTAIN 250 KTS AT THE LOWER FLT LEVELS AND IN DSCNT. I GUESS THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS. FORTUNATELY, THEY DID SHORTEN OUR RTE AND WE LANDED IN SFO WITH 1100 LBS REMAINING.

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.