Narrative:

The bonanza first contacted our approach control, having declared an en route emergency with the center, almost directly overhead sna airport at 10500 ft. He advised us that he was losing fuel from his left tank and wanted to land at toa airport, approximately 25 mi away. We suggested he land at sna as it was closer, and the WX was better, but the aircraft insisted he wanted to go to toa. When the aircraft checked in on my frequency, he was still just 5 mi west of sna and had begun a rapid descent through 5000 ft. (I found out later that he had told the previous controller he was going to descend through a hole in the clouds.) I was concerned about the aircraft's ability to make it to toa, and it was again suggested to the pilot that sna was just 5 mi away and it was still 20 mi to toa. Again the pilot insisted he would continue to toa. The bonanza continued a rapid descent, and when his altitude reached 800 ft in a 1500 ft MVA he was issued a low altitude alert. The pilot responded that he would climb. He was then issued a traffic alert with an aircraft in the traffic pattern at sli, a large military airport he was crossing. It was suggested to the pilot that he land there. He continued to toa. The bonanza was given suggested headings to toa, as the visibility was limited, and he could not see the airport from 10 mi away. It was suggested he land at lgb 5 mi off his right side, but he kept going to toa. The pilot was warned that he was entering an area of higher terrain, and that toa was 12 O'clock position and 5 mi. The pilot still could not see the airport. We gave him to the tower controller. Shortly thereafter, the tower advised us that the aircraft had run out of fuel on the runway. This pilot had 3 airports available to him, yet he chose to risk his life, his wife's life, and numerous others on the ground (he was over a very highly populated area) because he was determined to land at toa. As far as I know, FSDO was never notified, and once again a pilot walks away with no admonishment for his foolish actions. In my opinion, this pilot should have his license revoked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-36 PLT HAD A FUEL TANK LEAK. HE PASSED UP 3 ARPTS TO PROCEED TO HIS POINT OF LNDG. HE RAN OUT OF GAS WHILE ON THE RWY.

Narrative: THE BONANZA FIRST CONTACTED OUR APCH CTL, HAVING DECLARED AN ENRTE EMER WITH THE CTR, ALMOST DIRECTLY OVERHEAD SNA ARPT AT 10500 FT. HE ADVISED US THAT HE WAS LOSING FUEL FROM HIS L TANK AND WANTED TO LAND AT TOA ARPT, APPROX 25 MI AWAY. WE SUGGESTED HE LAND AT SNA AS IT WAS CLOSER, AND THE WX WAS BETTER, BUT THE ACFT INSISTED HE WANTED TO GO TO TOA. WHEN THE ACFT CHKED IN ON MY FREQ, HE WAS STILL JUST 5 MI W OF SNA AND HAD BEGUN A RAPID DSCNT THROUGH 5000 FT. (I FOUND OUT LATER THAT HE HAD TOLD THE PREVIOUS CTLR HE WAS GOING TO DSND THROUGH A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS.) I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACFT'S ABILITY TO MAKE IT TO TOA, AND IT WAS AGAIN SUGGESTED TO THE PLT THAT SNA WAS JUST 5 MI AWAY AND IT WAS STILL 20 MI TO TOA. AGAIN THE PLT INSISTED HE WOULD CONTINUE TO TOA. THE BONANZA CONTINUED A RAPID DSCNT, AND WHEN HIS ALT REACHED 800 FT IN A 1500 FT MVA HE WAS ISSUED A LOW ALT ALERT. THE PLT RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD CLB. HE WAS THEN ISSUED A TFC ALERT WITH AN ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN AT SLI, A LARGE MIL ARPT HE WAS XING. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO THE PLT THAT HE LAND THERE. HE CONTINUED TO TOA. THE BONANZA WAS GIVEN SUGGESTED HDGS TO TOA, AS THE VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED, AND HE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT FROM 10 MI AWAY. IT WAS SUGGESTED HE LAND AT LGB 5 MI OFF HIS R SIDE, BUT HE KEPT GOING TO TOA. THE PLT WAS WARNED THAT HE WAS ENTERING AN AREA OF HIGHER TERRAIN, AND THAT TOA WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 5 MI. THE PLT STILL COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. WE GAVE HIM TO THE TWR CTLR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE TWR ADVISED US THAT THE ACFT HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL ON THE RWY. THIS PLT HAD 3 ARPTS AVAILABLE TO HIM, YET HE CHOSE TO RISK HIS LIFE, HIS WIFE'S LIFE, AND NUMEROUS OTHERS ON THE GND (HE WAS OVER A VERY HIGHLY POPULATED AREA) BECAUSE HE WAS DETERMINED TO LAND AT TOA. AS FAR AS I KNOW, FSDO WAS NEVER NOTIFIED, AND ONCE AGAIN A PLT WALKS AWAY WITH NO ADMONISHMENT FOR HIS FOOLISH ACTIONS. IN MY OPINION, THIS PLT SHOULD HAVE HIS LICENSE REVOKED.

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.