Air carrier PIC fails to understand TRACON response to his request to have 'special' handling.

Attributes
ACN	356991
Time
Date	199606
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zhu
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	356991
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In spite of having the 'crisis coordinator' with us and in person trying to get our dispatchers to prepare a flight plan, over 1 1/2 hours elapsed between my in person WX briefing at the flight service station. We had planned a flight to hou with no alternate and by the time of our arrival an isolated airmass storm was moving toward hou. I asked ATC if we could 'cut the corner on the arrival and stay high.' normal route very circuitous and low 10000 ft. 60 mi from field ATC evidently decided without talking to me that we were declaring low fuel requesting priority handling. The ATC facility contacted dispatch regarding this sending airplanes over here without enough fuel. We made an uneventful landing with enough fuel to fly IFR to iah. I am still puzzled as to why ATC perceived a request for a short cut as a crisis.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC FAILS TO UNDERSTAND TRACON RESPONSE TO HIS REQUEST TO HAVE 'SPECIAL' HANDLING.

Narrative: IN SPITE OF HAVING THE 'CRISIS COORDINATOR' WITH US AND IN PERSON TRYING TO GET OUR DISPATCHERS TO PREPARE A FLT PLAN, OVER 1 1/2 HRS ELAPSED BTWN MY IN PERSON WX BRIEFING AT THE FLT SVC STATION. WE HAD PLANNED A FLT TO HOU WITH NO ALTERNATE AND BY THE TIME OF OUR ARR AN ISOLATED AIRMASS STORM WAS MOVING TOWARD HOU. I ASKED ATC IF WE COULD 'CUT THE CORNER ON THE ARR AND STAY HIGH.' NORMAL RTE VERY CIRCUITOUS AND LOW 10000 FT. 60 MI FROM FIELD ATC EVIDENTLY DECIDED WITHOUT TALKING TO ME THAT WE WERE DECLARING LOW FUEL REQUESTING PRIORITY HANDLING. THE ATC FACILITY CONTACTED DISPATCH REGARDING THIS SENDING AIRPLANES OVER HERE WITHOUT ENOUGH FUEL. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WITH ENOUGH FUEL TO FLY IFR TO IAH. I AM STILL PUZZLED AS TO WHY ATC PERCEIVED A REQUEST FOR A SHORT CUT AS A CRISIS.

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.