Narrative:

The flight originated out of elp to tol, with a fuel stop in tul. The flight was operated as an on demand charter, part 135, carrying automatic parts. There was a courier occupying the third crew member seat (jump seat). Inbound to tul, the first officer contacted the FSS, filed an IFR flight plan to tol and received a WX update for tol. The WX reported current conditions as clear, with forecast to be clear at toledo. We departed tul very early morning with an ete of 1+40. No alternate was required or filed. As we began our descend into tol over ft wayne, the area was VFR. When center handed us off to tol, we were advised the field was IFR, obscured, fog visibility 1/8. Passing 15000', 45 mi out, we had a visibility of the runway. We advised tower we had the runway in sight, but had to make a right 360 degree turn because we weren't in a position to land. We then lined-up with the runway (ILS) and proceeded inbound. About 400' AGL runway contact was lost, and at DH a missed approach was executed. We asked for vectors to ft wayne, because 10 mins before they were VFR. About 30 mi from fwa, we were advised from approach the airport was IFR, ceiling obscured, visibility 1/8 mi in fog. At this point fuel was a concern, so we made a decision to shoot the ILS. Again, at DH with a reporting RVR of 800, a missed approach was executed. We received vectors to day and shortly thereafter declared a fuel emergency. Well, 83 mi later we landed safely in day with 17 mins of fuel on board. The WX in day was reporting 3 1/2 mi, 3500' overcast. The approach was made in VFR conditions. 20 mins after landing the field went IFR with ceiling obscured, visibility 1/8 in fog. I don't have many good suggestions as to how to prevent a recurrence. Maybe FSS or NWS needs to learn how to read ceiling requiring an alternate be filed, and therefore pilots can fuel the aircraft accordingly. The planned 1 hour, 40 min flight was actually 2 hours and 34 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX FRT ACFT FLT CREW EXPERIENCES FUEL EMERGENCY DUE UNANTICIPATED DIVERSIONS DUE TO WX BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative: THE FLT ORIGINATED OUT OF ELP TO TOL, WITH A FUEL STOP IN TUL. THE FLT WAS OPERATED AS AN ON DEMAND CHARTER, PART 135, CARRYING AUTO PARTS. THERE WAS A COURIER OCCUPYING THE THIRD CREW MEMBER SEAT (JUMP SEAT). INBND TO TUL, THE F/O CONTACTED THE FSS, FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO TOL AND RECEIVED A WX UPDATE FOR TOL. THE WX RPTED CURRENT CONDITIONS AS CLR, WITH FORECAST TO BE CLR AT TOLEDO. WE DEPARTED TUL VERY EARLY MORNING WITH AN ETE OF 1+40. NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED OR FILED. AS WE BEGAN OUR DSND INTO TOL OVER FT WAYNE, THE AREA WAS VFR. WHEN CENTER HANDED US OFF TO TOL, WE WERE ADVISED THE FIELD WAS IFR, OBSCURED, FOG VISIBILITY 1/8. PASSING 15000', 45 MI OUT, WE HAD A VIS OF THE RWY. WE ADVISED TWR WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT, BUT HAD TO MAKE A RIGHT 360 DEG TURN BECAUSE WE WEREN'T IN A POS TO LAND. WE THEN LINED-UP WITH THE RWY (ILS) AND PROCEEDED INBND. ABOUT 400' AGL RWY CONTACT WAS LOST, AND AT DH A MISSED APCH WAS EXECUTED. WE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO FT WAYNE, BECAUSE 10 MINS BEFORE THEY WERE VFR. ABOUT 30 MI FROM FWA, WE WERE ADVISED FROM APCH THE ARPT WAS IFR, CEILING OBSCURED, VISIBILITY 1/8 MI IN FOG. AT THIS POINT FUEL WAS A CONCERN, SO WE MADE A DECISION TO SHOOT THE ILS. AGAIN, AT DH WITH A RPTING RVR OF 800, A MISSED APCH WAS EXECUTED. WE RECEIVED VECTORS TO DAY AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER DECLARED A FUEL EMER. WELL, 83 MI LATER WE LANDED SAFELY IN DAY WITH 17 MINS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE WX IN DAY WAS RPTING 3 1/2 MI, 3500' OVCST. THE APCH WAS MADE IN VFR CONDITIONS. 20 MINS AFTER LNDG THE FIELD WENT IFR WITH CEILING OBSCURED, VISIBILITY 1/8 IN FOG. I DON'T HAVE MANY GOOD SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE. MAYBE FSS OR NWS NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO READ CEILING REQUIRING AN ALTERNATE BE FILED, AND THEREFORE PLTS CAN FUEL THE ACFT ACCORDINGLY. THE PLANNED 1 HR, 40 MIN FLT WAS ACTUALLY 2 HRS AND 34 MINS.

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.