Narrative:

Having been briefed by lansing FSS as to the WX en route, I expected to encounter rain and low ceilings, but still be able to maintain a VFR flight to at least a first fuel stop, at which time I planned to check with FSS again and decide upon my next leg. Having 4 hours of fuel on board, my plan was to stop after 3 hours for this WX update and fuel stop. At nearly 2 hours and 45 mins, my in-flight visibility began to decrease rapidly. I attempted to execute a 180 degree turn in order to exit the worsening visibility but this proved fruitless and after the 180 degree turn I found myself needing to descend below acceptable altitudes, and the visibility still worsening. At this point I called the closest airport with a hard surface runway which was cynthia, ky. The gentleman monitoring unicom stated that the WX had recently worsened there, and in his estimation, it was 'a couple hundred ft above the trees and a mi or so visibility.' this sounded dangerous to me, so I called lexington approach, stated my approximately position and stated that my intention was to land at lexington (blue grass airport). Approach gave me a transponder code, confirmed radar identify and an altitude of 4000 ft. I quickly climbed to 4000, and for a moment felt relieved that someone was there to help save me from this terrible predicament that I had put myself into. Then as I was approaching lexington, they gave me the current WX of 200 ft and 1 mi visibility with gusting winds. Concurrently I began to encounter moderate to severe turbulence and my charts were scattering about the cockpit. The intensity of the precipitation had also increased and I was becoming soaked from a new leak from the windshield/door overhead. I was cleared for the ILS approach, and as I accepted the approach I realized, 'I don't have an ILS capable system here!' all I had was a VOR receiver with digital readout, and a very functional LORAN, which indicated that I was indeed inbound to lexington on the proper course for the final approach. I notified approach that I was in moderate to severe turbulence and that I had a possible low fuel condition. I had noticed that sometime after encountering the turbulence, my fuel gauge had pegged on below empty. This was after only about 3 hours flight duration, but was additionally un-nerving on top of what was already taking place. Approach immediately cleared me for a non-gyro radar approach, and asked me if I knew how much fuel I had and if the aircraft and myself were instrument capable. I responded that I did not know how much fuel I had aboard but I calculated nearly an hours worth. Then I stated that my fuel gauge had pegged on empty, so I thought I would tell them that I may have low state. Approach then asked me if the aircraft (an amphibian) and I were both instrument capable. I responded, 'yes.' after a very bouncy, hectic, and consequently somewhat sloppy radar approach, I broke out about a mi from the threshold of the runway, executed a normal landing, and taxied in to the closest FBO, where I was greeted by an airport police officer, who asked me to get in his car and answer some questions. The officer was concerned that I had declared some type of emergency and this was a required report that he needed to fill out, so I explained to him that my fuel gauge suddenly indicated empty, although I should have had nearly an hours worth of fuel remaining, and I therefore reported the situation, at which time I was given a radar approach, and that was all. I did not tell the officer anything about WX instruments etc... I had also received a message on ground control, to call the tower chief, so I figured I would have ample time explaining these items to him. After completing the report with the airport police officer, I proceeded cold, wet and shivering, in to the FBO. I proceeded immediately to the telephone and called the tower chief. After telling him the story in brief, he told me that he was going to have an individual from flight standards call me and to remain at the FBO until I had spoken with him. I agreed. Flight standards called and I explained the fuel thing to him. At first I was extremely nervous as a result of the last 30 mins and nowbeing interrogated by the FAA FSDO. Mr X asked me a lot of questions, the answers to which were very potentially incriminating towards my violation of the FARS. I tried to answer all of his questions, but I was somewhat vague so as not to get myself into even more trouble that I might already be in. Eventually, mr X admonished me for declaring a possible fuel state after only 3 hours of flight on 4 hours of fuel, and reminded me that an experienced pilot relies on flight time and not upon fuel gauges to determine fuel consumed/remaining. I agreed with him, and he told me whether or not I would need to receive further consultation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW FUEL STATUS DECLARED DURING FLT ASSIST AFTER VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: HAVING BEEN BRIEFED BY LANSING FSS AS TO THE WX ENRTE, I EXPECTED TO ENCOUNTER RAIN AND LOW CEILINGS, BUT STILL BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A VFR FLT TO AT LEAST A FIRST FUEL STOP, AT WHICH TIME I PLANNED TO CHK WITH FSS AGAIN AND DECIDE UPON MY NEXT LEG. HAVING 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD, MY PLAN WAS TO STOP AFTER 3 HRS FOR THIS WX UPDATE AND FUEL STOP. AT NEARLY 2 HRS AND 45 MINS, MY INFLT VISIBILITY BEGAN TO DECREASE RAPIDLY. I ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE A 180 DEG TURN IN ORDER TO EXIT THE WORSENING VISIBILITY BUT THIS PROVED FRUITLESS AND AFTER THE 180 DEG TURN I FOUND MYSELF NEEDING TO DSND BELOW ACCEPTABLE ALTS, AND THE VISIBILITY STILL WORSENING. AT THIS POINT I CALLED THE CLOSEST ARPT WITH A HARD SURFACE RWY WHICH WAS CYNTHIA, KY. THE GENTLEMAN MONITORING UNICOM STATED THAT THE WX HAD RECENTLY WORSENED THERE, AND IN HIS ESTIMATION, IT WAS 'A COUPLE HUNDRED FT ABOVE THE TREES AND A MI OR SO VISIBILITY.' THIS SOUNDED DANGEROUS TO ME, SO I CALLED LEXINGTON APCH, STATED MY APPROX POS AND STATED THAT MY INTENTION WAS TO LAND AT LEXINGTON (BLUE GRASS ARPT). APCH GAVE ME A TRANSPONDER CODE, CONFIRMED RADAR IDENT AND AN ALT OF 4000 FT. I QUICKLY CLBED TO 4000, AND FOR A MOMENT FELT RELIEVED THAT SOMEONE WAS THERE TO HELP SAVE ME FROM THIS TERRIBLE PREDICAMENT THAT I HAD PUT MYSELF INTO. THEN AS I WAS APCHING LEXINGTON, THEY GAVE ME THE CURRENT WX OF 200 FT AND 1 MI VISIBILITY WITH GUSTING WINDS. CONCURRENTLY I BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB AND MY CHARTS WERE SCATTERING ABOUT THE COCKPIT. THE INTENSITY OF THE PRECIP HAD ALSO INCREASED AND I WAS BECOMING SOAKED FROM A NEW LEAK FROM THE WINDSHIELD/DOOR OVERHEAD. I WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS APCH, AND AS I ACCEPTED THE APCH I REALIZED, 'I DON'T HAVE AN ILS CAPABLE SYS HERE!' ALL I HAD WAS A VOR RECEIVER WITH DIGITAL READOUT, AND A VERY FUNCTIONAL LORAN, WHICH INDICATED THAT I WAS INDEED INBOUND TO LEXINGTON ON THE PROPER COURSE FOR THE FINAL APCH. I NOTIFIED APCH THAT I WAS IN MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB AND THAT I HAD A POSSIBLE LOW FUEL CONDITION. I HAD NOTICED THAT SOMETIME AFTER ENCOUNTERING THE TURB, MY FUEL GAUGE HAD PEGGED ON BELOW EMPTY. THIS WAS AFTER ONLY ABOUT 3 HRS FLT DURATION, BUT WAS ADDITIONALLY UN-NERVING ON TOP OF WHAT WAS ALREADY TAKING PLACE. APCH IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME FOR A NON-GYRO RADAR APCH, AND ASKED ME IF I KNEW HOW MUCH FUEL I HAD AND IF THE ACFT AND MYSELF WERE INST CAPABLE. I RESPONDED THAT I DID NOT KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL I HAD ABOARD BUT I CALCULATED NEARLY AN HRS WORTH. THEN I STATED THAT MY FUEL GAUGE HAD PEGGED ON EMPTY, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD TELL THEM THAT I MAY HAVE LOW STATE. APCH THEN ASKED ME IF THE ACFT (AN AMPHIBIAN) AND I WERE BOTH INST CAPABLE. I RESPONDED, 'YES.' AFTER A VERY BOUNCY, HECTIC, AND CONSEQUENTLY SOMEWHAT SLOPPY RADAR APCH, I BROKE OUT ABOUT A MI FROM THE THRESHOLD OF THE RWY, EXECUTED A NORMAL LNDG, AND TAXIED IN TO THE CLOSEST FBO, WHERE I WAS GREETED BY AN ARPT POLICE OFFICER, WHO ASKED ME TO GET IN HIS CAR AND ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS. THE OFFICER WAS CONCERNED THAT I HAD DECLARED SOME TYPE OF EMER AND THIS WAS A REQUIRED RPT THAT HE NEEDED TO FILL OUT, SO I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT MY FUEL GAUGE SUDDENLY INDICATED EMPTY, ALTHOUGH I SHOULD HAVE HAD NEARLY AN HOURS WORTH OF FUEL REMAINING, AND I THEREFORE RPTED THE SITUATION, AT WHICH TIME I WAS GIVEN A RADAR APCH, AND THAT WAS ALL. I DID NOT TELL THE OFFICER ANYTHING ABOUT WX INSTS ETC... I HAD ALSO RECEIVED A MESSAGE ON GND CTL, TO CALL THE TWR CHIEF, SO I FIGURED I WOULD HAVE AMPLE TIME EXPLAINING THESE ITEMS TO HIM. AFTER COMPLETING THE RPT WITH THE ARPT POLICE OFFICER, I PROCEEDED COLD, WET AND SHIVERING, IN TO THE FBO. I PROCEEDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE TELEPHONE AND CALLED THE TWR CHIEF. AFTER TELLING HIM THE STORY IN BRIEF, HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL FROM FLT STANDARDS CALL ME AND TO REMAIN AT THE FBO UNTIL I HAD SPOKEN WITH HIM. I AGREED. FLT STANDARDS CALLED AND I EXPLAINED THE FUEL THING TO HIM. AT FIRST I WAS EXTREMELY NERVOUS AS A RESULT OF THE LAST 30 MINS AND NOWBEING INTERROGATED BY THE FAA FSDO. MR X ASKED ME A LOT OF QUESTIONS, THE ANSWERS TO WHICH WERE VERY POTENTIALLY INCRIMINATING TOWARDS MY VIOLATION OF THE FARS. I TRIED TO ANSWER ALL OF HIS QUESTIONS, BUT I WAS SOMEWHAT VAGUE SO AS NOT TO GET MYSELF INTO EVEN MORE TROUBLE THAT I MIGHT ALREADY BE IN. EVENTUALLY, MR X ADMONISHED ME FOR DECLARING A POSSIBLE FUEL STATE AFTER ONLY 3 HRS OF FLT ON 4 HRS OF FUEL, AND REMINDED ME THAT AN EXPERIENCED PLT RELIES ON FLT TIME AND NOT UPON FUEL GAUGES TO DETERMINE FUEL CONSUMED/REMAINING. I AGREED WITH HIM, AND HE TOLD ME WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD NEED TO RECEIVE FURTHER CONSULTATION.

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.