Hah: Maui ATC Gives Pilots “Lumps Of Coal” For Christmas

If you listen real close, the pilot encountered "light rain and light turbulence". Declared an Emergency and turned back "direct Kahului Airport". Controller is required to ascertain "the nature of your Emergency" so that he can notify supervisor on duty, Maui Tower, Airport Fire Department/Crash Rescue and Coast Guard. Souls on board, Fuel remaining on board on arrival (if there is a crash-fire department wants to know how big of a fire). None of this critical information was furnished by the pilot. Instead, he said, "we can talk about this on the ground." ATC needs that information. If pilot was in IMC conditions, his weather conditions dramatically improved because it is 100% impossible to execute a Visual Approach under IMC conditions, 10 MILES from the airport at NIGHT!!! Simply put, he couldn't and would not see anything from 10 miles, in bad weather, at night. Conditions had to improve for him to request a Visual Approach. Controller already established there were no "mechanical problems" and if any turbulence was on going. This request for a Visual Approach would also indicate he was no longer in bad weather and therefore, possibly, no longer an Emergency. Lastly, a Visual Approach allows the pilot to navigate his own aircraft to the airport of intended landing. There is no vectors or altitude Assignment on a Visual Approach. Pilot simply flies his own airplane to the active runway. Pilot did not or was not able to understand simple basic ATC instructions. Controller tried to do his job, but because of the pilots' ineptitude or lack of experience, the situation deteriorated.

This is bs! As a commercial pilot and a former ZAU Center Controller I smell a rat. This is not real!

I agree with Simon that most pilots won't declare an emergency when perhaps they should. They don't want to bother anyone, they don't want to put up with the paperwork, they think they can handle it. We one time lost an engine over Columbia, MO after getting the engines overhauled in Kansas City, and I was flying right seat. After feathering the prop, I turned to the pilot and asked if we were going to put down in Columbia. He just said it wasn't the bother, turns the plane around, and flew back to KC so he could give a piece of his mind to the mechanic! No emergency or anything according to him; just another day at the office. Was this an emergency? Maybe. But not to the pilot in charge (I was 18 at the time).

I’m an instrument rated private pilot, and I’ve never heard of someone’s certificate being revoked for a questionable emergency declaration. More often, the issue is that pilots are too reluctant to declare an emergency. I was trained that anytime that the safety of the flight is not assured, that is an emergency.

Lucky, that controller was very helpful! As a former commercial pilot, the pilot in question was most likely in instrument conditions and was panicking because he was not an instrument pilot. I could tell this because he was asking for a visual approach. He would not fly through clouds, which indicates he was a private or student pilot. The plane in question was a Cessna 172 owned by a flight school in Honolulu. When a pilot declares an emergency, airspace clears so ATC can get the plane safely on the ground. This controller was acting very professional, IMHO. But you could tell the frustration in the controller's voice because the pilot was saying things like "the airport was in sight" when it kind of wasn't. ATC asking what kind of emergency is a valid question. ATC needs to know what kind of emergency it is to prepare the airport for any emergency services when the plane lands. The person in trouble would be the pilot. He flew into weather he was not trained for and declared an emergency when it probably wasn't. This according to the FAA may or may not be considered an emergency. A pilot could lose their license for an improper declaration. I'm sure in this case the worse that happened was a stern talking to and a boatload of paperwork (always paperwork with the FAA).