Narrative:

I had just departed 22W (transylvania county) and established contact with asheville approach. They gave me a squawk code; which I dialed in and pressed 'identify.' I then noticed that my fuel pressure gauge was showing zero fuel pressure (it had been normal at takeoff). I alerted asheville approach of my mechanical problem (I specified fuel pressure) and advised them that I needed to come in to land at asheville. To me this was a critical situation; but not yet an emergency. ATC told me to maintain an eastbound heading; which would have taken me away from the airport and towards the mountains; which I did not think was a smart thing to do if my single engine was about to quit. I replied that I was instead turning direct towards avl; and they did not reply. I turned towards avl and continued climbing to increase my glide range. In the meantime I was troubleshooting the situation in the cockpit (checking fuel pumps; fuel selector; etc). About 45 seconds later ATC gave me frantic instructions to turn; saying I was about to fly into another airplane. He was yelling; saying I was supposed to be on another heading. I followed his new instructions; and made visual contact with the traffic he was reporting. In the end; the fuel pressure returned to normal and was probably a result of a temporary vapor lock. I landed uneventfully. In retrospect; I don't know how I could have handled the situation better; except perhaps to have declared an emergency upon noting the problem. I feel that the controller; on hearing my situation; should have immediately cleared traffic out of my way. I think that if I had followed his instructions and headed away from the airport; it would have made the situation much more dangerous; as it would have taken me out of glide distance of avl and over mountainous terrain. Perhaps controllers should be given specific training in the nature of the types of sits faced by different types of aircraft and pilots. If I had been flying a learjet; this would not have been such a critical situation due to the second engine and good single-engine performance. But in a comanche (PA24-250); losing fuel pressure is a very serious problem. Maybe I should have made that more clear in my communications with him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 PLT APPEARS TO LOSE FUEL PRESSURE AND ADVISES APCH CTLR OF HIS DESIRE TO PROCEED TO NEARBY ARPT. WHEN GIVEN AN INITIAL HEADING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; ELECTS TO CONTINUE TOWARD ARPT AND CAUSES A SEPARATION PROBLEM FOR ATC.

Narrative: I HAD JUST DEPARTED 22W (TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY) AND ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ASHEVILLE APCH. THEY GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE; WHICH I DIALED IN AND PRESSED 'IDENT.' I THEN NOTICED THAT MY FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS SHOWING ZERO FUEL PRESSURE (IT HAD BEEN NORMAL AT TKOF). I ALERTED ASHEVILLE APCH OF MY MECHANICAL PROB (I SPECIFIED FUEL PRESSURE) AND ADVISED THEM THAT I NEEDED TO COME IN TO LAND AT ASHEVILLE. TO ME THIS WAS A CRITICAL SIT; BUT NOT YET AN EMER. ATC TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN AN EBOUND HDG; WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME AWAY FROM THE ARPT AND TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS; WHICH I DID NOT THINK WAS A SMART THING TO DO IF MY SINGLE ENG WAS ABOUT TO QUIT. I REPLIED THAT I WAS INSTEAD TURNING DIRECT TOWARDS AVL; AND THEY DID NOT REPLY. I TURNED TOWARDS AVL AND CONTINUED CLBING TO INCREASE MY GLIDE RANGE. IN THE MEANTIME I WAS TROUBLESHOOTING THE SIT IN THE COCKPIT (CHKING FUEL PUMPS; FUEL SELECTOR; ETC). ABOUT 45 SECONDS LATER ATC GAVE ME FRANTIC INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN; SAYING I WAS ABOUT TO FLY INTO ANOTHER AIRPLANE. HE WAS YELLING; SAYING I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON ANOTHER HDG. I FOLLOWED HIS NEW INSTRUCTIONS; AND MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC HE WAS RPTING. IN THE END; THE FUEL PRESSURE RETURNED TO NORMAL AND WAS PROBABLY A RESULT OF A TEMPORARY VAPOR LOCK. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. IN RETROSPECT; I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD HAVE HANDLED THE SIT BETTER; EXCEPT PERHAPS TO HAVE DECLARED AN EMER UPON NOTING THE PROB. I FEEL THAT THE CTLR; ON HEARING MY SIT; SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY CLRED TFC OUT OF MY WAY. I THINK THAT IF I HAD FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND HEADED AWAY FROM THE ARPT; IT WOULD HAVE MADE THE SIT MUCH MORE DANGEROUS; AS IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME OUT OF GLIDE DISTANCE OF AVL AND OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. PERHAPS CTLRS SHOULD BE GIVEN SPECIFIC TRAINING IN THE NATURE OF THE TYPES OF SITS FACED BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACFT AND PLTS. IF I HAD BEEN FLYING A LEARJET; THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SUCH A CRITICAL SIT DUE TO THE SECOND ENG AND GOOD SINGLE-ENG PERFORMANCE. BUT IN A COMANCHE (PA24-250); LOSING FUEL PRESSURE IS A VERY SERIOUS PROB. MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT MORE CLR IN MY COMS WITH HIM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.