An Allegiant Air pilot was forced to plead with air traffic control to reopen a runway at a closed airport due to running dangerously low on fuel.
The airport in Fargo, North Dakota had closed so US Navy jets could practice for an upcoming air show when Allegiant Flight 426 requested to land.
The plane’s scheduled time of arrival was prior to the airport closure but its departure was delayed by more than one hour at Las Vegas.
ATC recordings revealed frantic conversations between controller and pilot, who said the plane had remaining fuel only for about ‘three to four minutes’ more.
After a landing at an alternative airport or circling for another 20 minutes were rebuffed by the pilot due to the dangerously low fuel, an emergency landing took place at Fargo.
"We’re ‘bingo fuel’ here in about probably three to four minutes and I got to come in and land," the pilot said.
"We don’t have … enough fuel to go anywhere else. Our guys are trying to get in touch with the tower manager right now to coordinate our landing or I’m going to have to declare an emergency and come in and land."
The closure of the airport for five hours was planned months ahead.
It is unclear why the flight continued on its original course after the pre-departure delay made it impossible to reach Fargo in time before the planned noon closure last Thursday.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident and why the plane ran so low on fuel.
"At this time, we are coordinating with the FAA and the airport to investigate all channels of communication regarding the flight and the circumstances leading to the declaration of emergency," the airline said in a statement.
