Narrative:

I went with a student on an instrument flight from frg to fok on long island in ny. I received a WX briefing from FSS before going and filed an IFR flight plan. FSS said isp was forecast to be above 800' and 2 mi and was listed as an alternate. We had no glide slope and needed a non precision approach. We filed 1 hour en route with 5 hours fuel on board. We did the localizer only part of the ILS 24 approach at fok and landed. We topped the tanks at fok and had 5 hours fuel on board. I checked the WX for the return to frg and was told isp was still forecast as our alternate. I filed an IFR flight plan to frg and because of strong headwinds allowed 1 hour and 30 mins en route. The alternate (isp) was less than 30 mins from frg. With 5 hours fuel it appeared we had enough for the flight plus a 45 min reserve and 2 hours extra. The flight from fok to frg went well. We shot the localizer only part of the ILS 14 approach at frg and had to go missed approach. We tried a second approach but did not see the runway or lights. We then asked to go to isp (our alternate) but were told isp was down to 100'. We asked about fok (where we just came from) and were told the ceiling was 2000'. This was ok for our minimums and we would have a tailwind to get there. When we were set up on the localizer inbound to the outer marker, the tower said ceiling was 400'. We shot the approach but had to execute a missed approach. At this point we were getting concerned about finding an airport with a suitable ceiling and about our low fuel. We asked new york approach to check WX at various airports. They reported low ceilings. We said that we were not declaring an emergency but might have to do so if we couldn't find an airport soon. We decided to try gon because the winds would get us there quickly and maybe ahead of the front. The tower was closed and current WX was not available. We were handed to ocean approach and they were told of our fuel situation (approximately 1 hour left). The controller said an small transport tried gon and missed. He suggested pvd (ceiling 1100') and we started toward pvd. We told him that because this was a local flight, we didn't have an approach plate for pvd (only had plates for ny, ct, and nj airports). He gave the frequency and MDA for pvd ILS 23. He said that he had 2 aircraft ahead of us and if we wanted that he would let us in first because of our low fuel. We said that we could make it and would follow the other aircraft in sequence. He offered any help we needed. We asked for distance to the runway callouts. When we saw the approach lights, he cleared us to land with the tower. We landed safely with strong winds down the runway. Summary: at fok we took 8.2 gals and when we landed at pvd we took 42 gals. (We had 6 usable gals left.) we computed enough fuel for the trip but due to WX changes (isp going down below our minimums), we barely had enough to just land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ON IFR TRAINING FLT CAUGHT IN RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX. LANDED WITH LOW FUEL.

Narrative: I WENT WITH A STUDENT ON AN INSTRUMENT FLT FROM FRG TO FOK ON LONG ISLAND IN NY. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FROM FSS BEFORE GOING AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. FSS SAID ISP WAS FORECAST TO BE ABOVE 800' AND 2 MI AND WAS LISTED AS AN ALTERNATE. WE HAD NO GLIDE SLOPE AND NEEDED A NON PRECISION APCH. WE FILED 1 HR ENRTE WITH 5 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. WE DID THE LOC ONLY PART OF THE ILS 24 APCH AT FOK AND LANDED. WE TOPPED THE TANKS AT FOK AND HAD 5 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. I CHECKED THE WX FOR THE RETURN TO FRG AND WAS TOLD ISP WAS STILL FORECAST AS OUR ALTERNATE. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO FRG AND BECAUSE OF STRONG HEADWINDS ALLOWED 1 HR AND 30 MINS ENRTE. THE ALTERNATE (ISP) WAS LESS THAN 30 MINS FROM FRG. WITH 5 HRS FUEL IT APPEARED WE HAD ENOUGH FOR THE FLT PLUS A 45 MIN RESERVE AND 2 HRS EXTRA. THE FLT FROM FOK TO FRG WENT WELL. WE SHOT THE LOC ONLY PART OF THE ILS 14 APCH AT FRG AND HAD TO GO MISSED APCH. WE TRIED A SECOND APCH BUT DID NOT SEE THE RWY OR LIGHTS. WE THEN ASKED TO GO TO ISP (OUR ALTERNATE) BUT WERE TOLD ISP WAS DOWN TO 100'. WE ASKED ABOUT FOK (WHERE WE JUST CAME FROM) AND WERE TOLD THE CEILING WAS 2000'. THIS WAS OK FOR OUR MINIMUMS AND WE WOULD HAVE A TAILWIND TO GET THERE. WHEN WE WERE SET UP ON THE LOC INBND TO THE OUTER MARKER, THE TWR SAID CEILING WAS 400'. WE SHOT THE APCH BUT HAD TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. AT THIS POINT WE WERE GETTING CONCERNED ABOUT FINDING AN ARPT WITH A SUITABLE CEILING AND ABOUT OUR LOW FUEL. WE ASKED NEW YORK APCH TO CHECK WX AT VARIOUS ARPTS. THEY REPORTED LOW CEILINGS. WE SAID THAT WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER BUT MIGHT HAVE TO DO SO IF WE COULDN'T FIND AN ARPT SOON. WE DECIDED TO TRY GON BECAUSE THE WINDS WOULD GET US THERE QUICKLY AND MAYBE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND CURRENT WX WAS NOT AVAILABLE. WE WERE HANDED TO OCEAN APCH AND THEY WERE TOLD OF OUR FUEL SITUATION (APPROX 1 HR LEFT). THE CTLR SAID AN SMT TRIED GON AND MISSED. HE SUGGESTED PVD (CEILING 1100') AND WE STARTED TOWARD PVD. WE TOLD HIM THAT BECAUSE THIS WAS A LCL FLT, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN APCH PLATE FOR PVD (ONLY HAD PLATES FOR NY, CT, AND NJ ARPTS). HE GAVE THE FREQ AND MDA FOR PVD ILS 23. HE SAID THAT HE HAD 2 ACFT AHEAD OF US AND IF WE WANTED THAT HE WOULD LET US IN FIRST BECAUSE OF OUR LOW FUEL. WE SAID THAT WE COULD MAKE IT AND WOULD FOLLOW THE OTHER ACFT IN SEQUENCE. HE OFFERED ANY HELP WE NEEDED. WE ASKED FOR DISTANCE TO THE RWY CALLOUTS. WHEN WE SAW THE APCH LIGHTS, HE CLRED US TO LAND WITH THE TWR. WE LANDED SAFELY WITH STRONG WINDS DOWN THE RWY. SUMMARY: AT FOK WE TOOK 8.2 GALS AND WHEN WE LANDED AT PVD WE TOOK 42 GALS. (WE HAD 6 USABLE GALS LEFT.) WE COMPUTED ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE TRIP BUT DUE TO WX CHANGES (ISP GOING DOWN BELOW OUR MINIMUMS), WE BARELY HAD ENOUGH TO JUST LAND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.