Narrative:

On tue morning I visited with the alexandria, mn, FSS and received a WX briefing for a flight from chandler field to richards gebaur, kc, mo. The briefer showed me a colored radar screen both for the alexandria area and a system that was moving east of our intended flight path through iowa, and told me the WX along my flight path calling up many reporting points via the computer screen. I requested a printout of the briefing, but received a reply, 'do you really want all of that?' I should have insisted on a printout of the information, and studied it closer. I copied the winds aloft for 3 different sectors and left the FSS, believing I would be flying west of a system that was in the des moines area, with a low pressure system moving in from the west and conditions favorable although windy for a landing in kansas city. Nothing was mentioned about IFR during the briefing, and if I flew west toward omaha, I shouldn't have any problems at all. The flight was going great at 7500', visibility was good on my flight path south of spencer, ia. Then I saw what started as a broken cloud layer below me. I thought it would only be a short distance and remain broken, and then I would see ground again. Unfortunately, the cloud layer became thicker, and my fuel supply was diminishing fast due to extremely strong headwinds. Approximately 50 NM north of the st joseph VOR I contacted kansas city approach and told them of my position and emergency situation. I was becoming very concerned about our status, and I wanted to get down as soon as possible west/O alarming my wife to the dangers involved. I would like to thank the controllers on duty that helped with the emergency I faced. The flight ended at the council bluffs municipal airport where I added 43.9 gals of fuel, rented a car, and drove to our final destination in kansas city. I did not even check the WX after we landed. A better understanding of the WX, and the conditions along the flight path would have been helpful. I should have paid closer attention to the preflight planning, and highlighted radio frequencys for WX information during the flight while airborne. If I would have checked conditions ahead as I approached the broken cloud layer, instead of assuming everything was ok ahead in kansas city. The situation would have been different. WX constantly changes. I must become smarter and more alert to the changes as they occur. File a flight plan, and I do hope to earn my instrument rating someday.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA DECLARES AN EMERGENCY AND REQUESTS A FLT ASSIST DUE LOW FUEL AND DETERIORATING WX.

Narrative: ON TUE MORNING I VISITED WITH THE ALEXANDRIA, MN, FSS AND RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FOR A FLT FROM CHANDLER FIELD TO RICHARDS GEBAUR, KC, MO. THE BRIEFER SHOWED ME A COLORED RADAR SCREEN BOTH FOR THE ALEXANDRIA AREA AND A SYS THAT WAS MOVING E OF OUR INTENDED FLT PATH THROUGH IOWA, AND TOLD ME THE WX ALONG MY FLT PATH CALLING UP MANY RPTING POINTS VIA THE COMPUTER SCREEN. I REQUESTED A PRINTOUT OF THE BRIEFING, BUT RECEIVED A REPLY, 'DO YOU REALLY WANT ALL OF THAT?' I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON A PRINTOUT OF THE INFO, AND STUDIED IT CLOSER. I COPIED THE WINDS ALOFT FOR 3 DIFFERENT SECTORS AND LEFT THE FSS, BELIEVING I WOULD BE FLYING W OF A SYS THAT WAS IN THE DES MOINES AREA, WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYS MOVING IN FROM THE W AND CONDITIONS FAVORABLE ALTHOUGH WINDY FOR A LNDG IN KANSAS CITY. NOTHING WAS MENTIONED ABOUT IFR DURING THE BRIEFING, AND IF I FLEW W TOWARD OMAHA, I SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBS AT ALL. THE FLT WAS GOING GREAT AT 7500', VISIBILITY WAS GOOD ON MY FLT PATH S OF SPENCER, IA. THEN I SAW WHAT STARTED AS A BROKEN CLOUD LAYER BELOW ME. I THOUGHT IT WOULD ONLY BE A SHORT DISTANCE AND REMAIN BROKEN, AND THEN I WOULD SEE GND AGAIN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CLOUD LAYER BECAME THICKER, AND MY FUEL SUPPLY WAS DIMINISHING FAST DUE TO EXTREMELY STRONG HEADWINDS. APPROX 50 NM N OF THE ST JOSEPH VOR I CONTACTED KANSAS CITY APCH AND TOLD THEM OF MY POS AND EMER SITUATION. I WAS BECOMING VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR STATUS, AND I WANTED TO GET DOWN ASAP W/O ALARMING MY WIFE TO THE DANGERS INVOLVED. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CTLRS ON DUTY THAT HELPED WITH THE EMER I FACED. THE FLT ENDED AT THE COUNCIL BLUFFS MUNICIPAL ARPT WHERE I ADDED 43.9 GALS OF FUEL, RENTED A CAR, AND DROVE TO OUR FINAL DEST IN KANSAS CITY. I DID NOT EVEN CHK THE WX AFTER WE LANDED. A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE WX, AND THE CONDITIONS ALONG THE FLT PATH WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. I SHOULD HAVE PAID CLOSER ATTN TO THE PREFLT PLANNING, AND HIGHLIGHTED RADIO FREQS FOR WX INFO DURING THE FLT WHILE AIRBORNE. IF I WOULD HAVE CHKED CONDITIONS AHEAD AS I APCHED THE BROKEN CLOUD LAYER, INSTEAD OF ASSUMING EVERYTHING WAS OK AHEAD IN KANSAS CITY. THE SITUATION WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. WX CONSTANTLY CHANGES. I MUST BECOME SMARTER AND MORE ALERT TO THE CHANGES AS THEY OCCUR. FILE A FLT PLAN, AND I DO HOPE TO EARN MY INSTRUMENT RATING SOMEDAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.