"Danny Deger" wrote in message
...

"Mike Young" wrote in message
. ..
snip

You are right. It was controller to controller and not a tape of a
supervisor.

It's not the last time that low fuel situations, as distinct from
emergencies, will arise.

Why bring up all this with low fuel situations "as distinct from
emergency". This was clearly and emergency fuel situation and was
apparently not caused by attempting to keep the load light to save on
opperating expenses.

There are two points being made here.

A 757 can cross a continent *and* an ocean without refueling. How bad was
that suspected fuel leak if he left Tulsa with, not just sufficient, but
maximum fuel? If he didn't leave with full tanks (full as in complying with
take off and landing maxima), how much did he carry, and why? Having left
with less than adequate fuel, at what point did it become an emergency? How
was it "apparently not caused by attempting to keep the load light to save
on opperating expenses"?

I draw the distinction between the chronic, verging on empty, self-inflicted
low fuel situations, and real honest by gosh emergencies. It is chronic and
intentional to arrive at the destination with minimum fuel. The forseeable
consequence of operating with narrow margins is that you'll sometimes exceed
those margins. The press paints a picture of an uncooperative ATC. They
present very few facts and, indeed, just stood there thumping on the "bible"
of FARs. We shouldn't expect the general public to know any better. But the
folks in aviation? All I've heard so far, in the news vid and here, is just
so much more harping on a pilot's right to the runway he requested in that
"emergency". It's a fine line. I submit that there is no such right, as
such, except as an extension of his responsibility for flight safety. Did
he, and his airline, act responsibly? Where's the outcry for their part and
their corrective actions? How is it that you can speak of pic rights,
without mentioning pic responsibilities?

Here's my guess at "unable". The pilot's request for 17C jeopardized the
safety of all those in the air above DFW. They likely also are running
minimum fuel loads. We don't know how many. All? None? Just one? Was the
controller unable to scatter the entire pattern, and then get them back and
all on the ground safely? Or was he just unwilling? The fact is, we don't
know. I have my opinion, and I've already heard yours. There seems little
point rehashing it without more facts.