Narrative:

Flight originated in lgb with destination phx. Scheduled arrival time xxxxz with flight time of 1 hour. Actual fuel on board 11000 pounds. Dispatch release called for total of 10900 consisting of 5500 burn, 4000 reserve, 1200 extra, and 200 taxi. Phx sa 80 scattered 120 scattered 250 scattered 50 104/107/51/1103/990 circuit breaker descent northeast and southeast moving southwest. Phx flight 70 scattered 2610 gust 16 70 scattered 100 scattered 2610 gust 16 scgt check C70 broken a thunderstorm-bd gust 35. Previous leg had originated in phx. WX was clear. Departed for phx. Entered left downwind leg for runway 26L/right. Color radar painting 2 isolated thunderstorm cell approximately 45 mi northeast of airport (green with slight yellow centers). Visibility 50 wbound, 15-20 eastbound. Dust storm approaching from northeast prompted phx tower to issue runway change to 8, my aircraft ready to enter left base leg for 26. After numerous vectors from phx approach aircraft was established on a right downwind leg for runway 8. On right base leg, approach cleared us for a visual approach to 8R which we backed up with the ILS. Runway was in sight throughout approach although on approximately 2 mi final, second half of runway disappeared due to deteriorating visibility as dust storm had moved west and covered airport. At approximately 500 ft AGL, phx tower instructed our aircraft to go around due to loss of visual contact with preceeding aircraft on rollout while on runway 8R. Go around was initiated, fly runway heading maintain 3000 ft, contact departure. Established on a heading of approximately 125 degree departure asked for our intentions. We told departure to standby and attempted to contact dispatch. Frequency was congested and contact was not made. At this point, I declared an emergency due to the low amount of fuel remaining (approximately 30 mins if gauges were correct, 1 hour 25 mins of flight time expired) and requested radar vectors for an ILS approach to local air force base because of its close proximity and better visibility, than phx (company manual coverage includes approach plates to AFB's for emergency use). Visual contact was established 2 mi from runway threshold and landing was made without incident. Fob 2900 pounds. No alternate on release nor did I request one as forecast was for 50 mins after scheduled arrival time and the wording called for slight chance. Vectors for runway change and go around used lots of my 45 min reserve. Conclusion: plan for the unexpected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DECLARED A LOW FUEL EMER WHEN A DUST STORM PREVENTED A LNDG AT PLANNED ARPT.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED IN LGB WITH DEST PHX. SCHEDULED ARR TIME XXXXZ WITH FLT TIME OF 1 HR. ACTUAL FUEL ON BOARD 11000 POUNDS. DISPATCH RELEASE CALLED FOR TOTAL OF 10900 CONSISTING OF 5500 BURN, 4000 RESERVE, 1200 EXTRA, AND 200 TAXI. PHX SA 80 SCATTERED 120 SCATTERED 250 SCATTERED 50 104/107/51/1103/990 CB DSCNT NE AND SE MOVING SW. PHX FLT 70 SCATTERED 2610 GUST 16 70 SCATTERED 100 SCATTERED 2610 GUST 16 SCGT CHK C70 BROKEN A TSTM-BD GUST 35. PREVIOUS LEG HAD ORIGINATED IN PHX. WX WAS CLR. DEPARTED FOR PHX. ENTERED L DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 26L/R. COLOR RADAR PAINTING 2 ISOLATED TSTM CELL APPROX 45 MI NE OF ARPT (GREEN WITH SLIGHT YELLOW CENTERS). VISIBILITY 50 WBOUND, 15-20 EBOUND. DUST STORM APCHING FROM NE PROMPTED PHX TWR TO ISSUE RWY CHANGE TO 8, MY ACFT READY TO ENTER L BASE LEG FOR 26. AFTER NUMEROUS VECTORS FROM PHX APCH ACFT WAS ESTABLISHED ON A R DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 8. ON R BASE LEG, APCH CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO 8R WHICH WE BACKED UP WITH THE ILS. RWY WAS IN SIGHT THROUGHOUT APCH ALTHOUGH ON APPROX 2 MI FINAL, SECOND HALF OF RWY DISAPPEARED DUE TO DETERIORATING VISIBILITY AS DUST STORM HAD MOVED W AND COVERED ARPT. AT APPROX 500 FT AGL, PHX TWR INSTRUCTED OUR ACFT TO GAR DUE TO LOSS OF VISUAL CONTACT WITH PRECEEDING ACFT ON ROLLOUT WHILE ON RWY 8R. GAR WAS INITIATED, FLY RWY HDG MAINTAIN 3000 FT, CONTACT DEP. ESTABLISHED ON A HDG OF APPROX 125 DEG DEP ASKED FOR OUR INTENTIONS. WE TOLD DEP TO STANDBY AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DISPATCH. FREQ WAS CONGESTED AND CONTACT WAS NOT MADE. AT THIS POINT, I DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO THE LOW AMOUNT OF FUEL REMAINING (APPROX 30 MINS IF GAUGES WERE CORRECT, 1 HR 25 MINS OF FLT TIME EXPIRED) AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS FOR AN ILS APCH TO LCL AIR FORCE BASE BECAUSE OF ITS CLOSE PROX AND BETTER VISIBILITY, THAN PHX (COMPANY MANUAL COVERAGE INCLUDES APCH PLATES TO AFB'S FOR EMER USE). VISUAL CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED 2 MI FROM RWY THRESHOLD AND LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. FOB 2900 POUNDS. NO ALTERNATE ON RELEASE NOR DID I REQUEST ONE AS FORECAST WAS FOR 50 MINS AFTER SCHEDULED ARR TIME AND THE WORDING CALLED FOR SLIGHT CHANCE. VECTORS FOR RWY CHANGE AND GAR USED LOTS OF MY 45 MIN RESERVE. CONCLUSION: PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED.

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.