Narrative:

In the vicinity of the hys VOR, ATC reclred flight to den via gck J110 ALS larks 2 arrival. I informed ZKC we would not be able to accept rerte due to increased fuel burn. ATC asked if I wanted to declare an emergency. I said no, and I was not authorizing them to declare. ATC responded that supervisor had declared our flight low fuel and an emergency. ATC made no effort to offer alternative solutions. This kind of pressure to accept any clearance from ATC or have them declare an emergency is a poor situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot reports that the new routing was in fact followed until handoff to the next ARTCC. After that was accomplished the new controller was confused about what the emergency was. A shorter routing within the requirements of the fuel available and the WX conditions that required the route change was given by receiving ARTCC. The pilot's call back to the ARTCC brought the comment from the supervisor that 'we can't have pilots just going anywhere they want.' comment: the pilot's feeling appeared to be that the emergency was declared by ARTCC to facilitate a handoff without the coordination required to meet the requirements of the receiving ARTCC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DECLINES NEW ROUTING BY ARTCC DUE TO LIMITED FUEL. ARTCC DECLARES EMER. PLTS SEE THIS AS PRESSURE TO ACCEPT NEW CLRNC.

Narrative: IN THE VICINITY OF THE HYS VOR, ATC RECLRED FLT TO DEN VIA GCK J110 ALS LARKS 2 ARR. I INFORMED ZKC WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT RERTE DUE TO INCREASED FUEL BURN. ATC ASKED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I SAID NO, AND I WAS NOT AUTHORIZING THEM TO DECLARE. ATC RESPONDED THAT SUPVR HAD DECLARED OUR FLT LOW FUEL AND AN EMER. ATC MADE NO EFFORT TO OFFER ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS. THIS KIND OF PRESSURE TO ACCEPT ANY CLRNC FROM ATC OR HAVE THEM DECLARE AN EMER IS A POOR SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT RPTS THAT THE NEW ROUTING WAS IN FACT FOLLOWED UNTIL HDOF TO THE NEXT ARTCC. AFTER THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED THE NEW CTLR WAS CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT THE EMER WAS. A SHORTER ROUTING WITHIN THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FUEL AVAILABLE AND THE WX CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRED THE RTE CHANGE WAS GIVEN BY RECEIVING ARTCC. THE PLT'S CALL BACK TO THE ARTCC BROUGHT THE COMMENT FROM THE SUPVR THAT 'WE CAN'T HAVE PLTS JUST GOING ANYWHERE THEY WANT.' COMMENT: THE PLT'S FEELING APPEARED TO BE THAT THE EMER WAS DECLARED BY ARTCC TO FACILITATE A HDOF WITHOUT THE COORD REQUIRED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE RECEIVING ARTCC.

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.