Narrative:

The flight from from keene, nh to clt was planned to take 4:20. I was carrying 6 hours first officer fuel. The planned fuel consumption was 15 gph. This left me with a 1:40 reserve. I departed keene. 45 mins later, over norwich, ct I had vacuum failure. I planned an arrival. The repairs took longer than expected. Repeat check showed no significant change with the WX forecast. I planned 3 H:20 flight to clt. I departed east hampton with 5 hours of fuel. The flight was as planned, except ground speed was less than anticipated due to unforecast winds. WX en route was as forecast until reaching clt. At approximately 80 mi northeast I switched to the fullest (right) tank, received clt ATIS and was expecting a visibility approach. I was told to expect the localizer 18L approach. As I proceed inbound I was told visibility had dropped to 1/2 mi and to expect the ILS 36R approach. As the approach continued, I was told visibility was 1/4 mi and was switched to the ILS 36L and given a vector to intercept the localizer. I entered a shallow right bank, turning to the intercept vector and the engine failed. I switched to the left tank and turned the fuel pump on. The engine started, but this made me aware of having less fuel than anticipated, and I notified ATC of the situation. I was given vectors and told to expect the ASR approach. I was given more vectors to intercept final and asked which approach I wanted. Not having time to become familiar with the approachs, my response was, 'the one that will get me down the lowest.' I had the ILS 36L plate in front of me and continued the approach down to those minimums at which time the approach lights were visible. Although visibility was less than minimum, I continued the approach to the runway with the knowledge that fuel was inadequate for a missed approach. An uneventful landing was made and veh guidance was provided to the ramp. Hindsight makes me aware that the unexpected stop to repair a vacuum pump, stronger than forecast winds, higher than expected fuel consumption, rapidly deteriorating WX at destination and fatigue all should have led to a conclusion for an unplanned fuel stop or a delay of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DECLARES A LOW FUEL STATE EMERGENCY AND LANDS AT DESTINATION AT BELOW WX LIMITS.

Narrative: THE FLT FROM FROM KEENE, NH TO CLT WAS PLANNED TO TAKE 4:20. I WAS CARRYING 6 HRS FO FUEL. THE PLANNED FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS 15 GPH. THIS LEFT ME WITH A 1:40 RESERVE. I DEPARTED KEENE. 45 MINS LATER, OVER NORWICH, CT I HAD VACUUM FAILURE. I PLANNED AN ARR. THE REPAIRS TOOK LONGER THAN EXPECTED. REPEAT CHK SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WITH THE WX FORECAST. I PLANNED 3 H:20 FLT TO CLT. I DEPARTED E HAMPTON WITH 5 HRS OF FUEL. THE FLT WAS AS PLANNED, EXCEPT GND SPD WAS LESS THAN ANTICIPATED DUE TO UNFORECAST WINDS. WX ENRTE WAS AS FORECAST UNTIL REACHING CLT. AT APPROX 80 MI NE I SWITCHED TO THE FULLEST (RIGHT) TANK, RECEIVED CLT ATIS AND WAS EXPECTING A VIS APCH. I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT THE LOC 18L APCH. AS I PROCEED INBND I WAS TOLD VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED TO 1/2 MI AND TO EXPECT THE ILS 36R APCH. AS THE APCH CONTINUED, I WAS TOLD VISIBILITY WAS 1/4 MI AND WAS SWITCHED TO THE ILS 36L AND GIVEN A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I ENTERED A SHALLOW RIGHT BANK, TURNING TO THE INTERCEPT VECTOR AND THE ENG FAILED. I SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK AND TURNED THE FUEL PUMP ON. THE ENG STARTED, BUT THIS MADE ME AWARE OF HAVING LESS FUEL THAN ANTICIPATED, AND I NOTIFIED ATC OF THE SITUATION. I WAS GIVEN VECTORS AND TOLD TO EXPECT THE ASR APCH. I WAS GIVEN MORE VECTORS TO INTERCEPT FINAL AND ASKED WHICH APCH I WANTED. NOT HAVING TIME TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE APCHS, MY RESPONSE WAS, 'THE ONE THAT WILL GET ME DOWN THE LOWEST.' I HAD THE ILS 36L PLATE IN FRONT OF ME AND CONTINUED THE APCH DOWN TO THOSE MINIMUMS AT WHICH TIME THE APCH LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE. ALTHOUGH VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN MINIMUM, I CONTINUED THE APCH TO THE RWY WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT FUEL WAS INADEQUATE FOR A MISSED APCH. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE AND VEH GUIDANCE WAS PROVIDED TO THE RAMP. HINDSIGHT MAKES ME AWARE THAT THE UNEXPECTED STOP TO REPAIR A VACUUM PUMP, STRONGER THAN FORECAST WINDS, HIGHER THAN EXPECTED FUEL CONSUMPTION, RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX AT DEST AND FATIGUE ALL SHOULD HAVE LED TO A CONCLUSION FOR AN UNPLANNED FUEL STOP OR A DELAY OF FLT.

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.