ATC Handling of Low-Fuel American Flight

Jim Macklin wrote:


We all do the best we can, that includes pilots and ATC.

Not all the time.

These words are absolutely clear and not subject to any interpretation
whatsoever:

"An aircraft in distress has the right-of-way over all other air traffic."


Are you aware that AAL management wrote a letter to the local FAA
expressing strong dissatisfaction with the handling of the flight?

The evening that Avianca crashed near JFK in 1996, AAL came very, very
close to loosing an MD-80 at JFK due to fuel exhaustion. That event
shook the flight ops culture at the company, as it well should have.

Any action taken by a pilot in command after declaration of an emergency
is not subject to modification or second guessing by ATC or anyone else
until after the flight is terminated. After that, the conduct of the
PIC is fairly open to critique and review and, in some cases, sanctions.

But, while the flight is still on-going the PIC is supposed to be given
the priority he requests. If that does not work then the PIC should, if
necessary, rephrase it as a demand.

There is no omnipotence involved. If there was, then the PIC would not
be subject to review and possible sanction after the fact.