Narrative:

IFR inbound to cys. ATIS reported WX to be below mins. We checked den ATIS (our alternate) and found it to still be good. We had put on an extra 20 min of fuel so we elected to hold for 20 min if needed. We were third in line for landing at cys. When we were #1 for the approach cys WX went below min. We diverted towards our alternate (den) and was advised by cys approach that den was not accepting arrs due to traffic. At this point den WX went below mins and we declared an emergency based on low fuel. We asked for other area airport WX conditions and decided on fnl as our best alternative. However, this was an airport that was not listed in our charters approachs. We asked for specific data including runway length, runway load bearing capacity, and ILS approach plate information. At this point, both the controller and we, the crew, were very busy. We were given a descent to 8000 and subsequently given a maintain 11000 clearance, both of which were read back, however in the midst of an abnormal flow in the cockpit, the altitude alerter was not reset to read 11000. The information we had requested concerning the airport was not readily available to the controller and was read to us in a hap-hazard manner which required a concentrated effort to extract the needed inflow from the unneeded. We descended to 8000 ft and was asked if we were exercising our emergency authority. We asked the controller to repeat and he explained that we had been cleared to maintain 11000, but in turn he immediately cleared us to 7000. With the deteriorating WX, a very short leg, and a very low state of fuel our cockpit conditions were very busy. Also, ATC had cleared another aircraft departure off of fnl towards our airspace and near our altitude, knowing we had previously declared an emergency for low fuel. In summary, if ATC had quicker (or immediate) access to airport data and if we would have taken a few mins to ensure we did not have interrupted checklists, and if ILS approach plate information was presented in a standard format we could have avoided some confusion. Supplemental information from acn 216074. In retrospect, in spite of our low fuel state, a couple turns in holding, or delay vectors would have enhanced cockpit situational awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FREIGHTER EXPERIENCES AN ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT WHEN ALT CLRNC AMENDED.

Narrative: IFR INBOUND TO CYS. ATIS RPTED WX TO BE BELOW MINS. WE CHKED DEN ATIS (OUR ALTERNATE) AND FOUND IT TO STILL BE GOOD. WE HAD PUT ON AN EXTRA 20 MIN OF FUEL SO WE ELECTED TO HOLD FOR 20 MIN IF NEEDED. WE WERE THIRD IN LINE FOR LNDG AT CYS. WHEN WE WERE #1 FOR THE APCH CYS WX WENT BELOW MIN. WE DIVERTED TOWARDS OUR ALTERNATE (DEN) AND WAS ADVISED BY CYS APCH THAT DEN WAS NOT ACCEPTING ARRS DUE TO TFC. AT THIS POINT DEN WX WENT BELOW MINS AND WE DECLARED AN EMER BASED ON LOW FUEL. WE ASKED FOR OTHER AREA ARPT WX CONDITIONS AND DECIDED ON FNL AS OUR BEST ALTERNATIVE. HOWEVER, THIS WAS AN ARPT THAT WAS NOT LISTED IN OUR CHARTERS APCHS. WE ASKED FOR SPECIFIC DATA INCLUDING RWY LENGTH, RWY LOAD BEARING CAPACITY, AND ILS APCH PLATE INFO. AT THIS POINT, BOTH THE CTLR AND WE, THE CREW, WERE VERY BUSY. WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 8000 AND SUBSEQUENTLY GIVEN A MAINTAIN 11000 CLRNC, BOTH OF WHICH WERE READ BACK, HOWEVER IN THE MIDST OF AN ABNORMAL FLOW IN THE COCKPIT, THE ALT ALERTER WAS NOT RESET TO READ 11000. THE INFO WE HAD REQUESTED CONCERNING THE ARPT WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE TO THE CTLR AND WAS READ TO US IN A HAP-HAZARD MANNER WHICH REQUIRED A CONCENTRATED EFFORT TO EXTRACT THE NEEDED INFLOW FROM THE UNNEEDED. WE DSNDED TO 8000 FT AND WAS ASKED IF WE WERE EXERCISING OUR EMER AUTHORITY. WE ASKED THE CTLR TO REPEAT AND HE EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO MAINTAIN 11000, BUT IN TURN HE IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO 7000. WITH THE DETERIORATING WX, A VERY SHORT LEG, AND A VERY LOW STATE OF FUEL OUR COCKPIT CONDITIONS WERE VERY BUSY. ALSO, ATC HAD CLRED ANOTHER ACFT DEP OFF OF FNL TOWARDS OUR AIRSPACE AND NEAR OUR ALT, KNOWING WE HAD PREVIOUSLY DECLARED AN EMER FOR LOW FUEL. IN SUMMARY, IF ATC HAD QUICKER (OR IMMEDIATE) ACCESS TO ARPT DATA AND IF WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN A FEW MINS TO ENSURE WE DID NOT HAVE INTERRUPTED CHKLISTS, AND IF ILS APCH PLATE INFO WAS PRESENTED IN A STANDARD FORMAT WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED SOME CONFUSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 216074. IN RETROSPECT, IN SPITE OF OUR LOW FUEL STATE, A COUPLE TURNS IN HOLDING, OR DELAY VECTORS WOULD HAVE ENHANCED COCKPIT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

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.