The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking answers from Allegiant Air on why one of its planes carrying 144 passengers nearly ran out of fuel before an emergency landing in Fargo, ND.
Not only was the plane low on fuel, its pilots apparently didn’t know their destination, Fargo’s Hector International Airport, had been temporarily closed last Thursday to allow the Navy Blue Angels flying team to practice.
In an audio captured by LiveATC.net, an air traffic controller can be heard telling an Allegiant pilot that the cockpit crew should have known about the closure, which had been scheduled “for months.”
When the control tower suggested that the plane, which was arriving from Las Vegas, should land elsewhere, the pilot responded that in “three to four minutes” the plane would have “bingo” fuel, meaning it would be out of fuel.
“We don’t have enough fuel to go anywhere else.” the pilot said with panic in his voice.
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