Narrative:

Flight departed from mroc. We were cleared to kmia flight planned route and FL310 due to traffic. Throughout the flight we monitored volmet on HF frequency for WX of the miami area as well as SIGMET reports. Throughout the flight the volmet reports were fairly consistent with the forecast of rain showers, visibility 4 mi and a southerly wind of about 30 degrees. When we reached the southern shore of cuba at the NAVAID fix ucl, the convective activity had increased twofold. We were unable to fly through a line of thunderstorms and deviated about 30 mi to the east of our routing. Headwinds began to pick up rapidly reducing our ground speed. At our gcm fix we had an overburn of 1.0 and had 1.1 above flight plan remaining fuel. The squall line paralleled our track. ATC cleared flight to junur intersection on the clami arrival into kmia. We then were cleared to descend to 11000 ft. The squall line had some slight openings to be able to fly through and it appeared that the line was clearing the kmia airport area. When we initiated our descent, thunderstorms began to mature at an unbelievable rate forming a squall east of our position towards nassau. We requested WX for kfll and kpbi. Kfll had been closed due to a power outage and kpbi had severe WX in progress. We calculated that we would be unable to make nassau due to the intensity of the squall line and low amount of fuel we would have upon arrival into nassau. At approximately FL200 we were advised to hold southeast of junur as published at 11000 ft. Due to our fuel status we requested an efc time. We were advised of an efc of XY20Z. We had briefed for an ILS runway 27R as well as our plans if a missed approach was initiated. Upon entering the hold we had 10.6 on the fuel and advised my first officer to state minimum fuel to ZMA. Before we had completed the outbound leg of the hold, ZMA cleared us direct kmia. Due to the severe WX we opted to turn right instead of left to fly direct kmia. My flight engineer kept me briefed on our fuel remaining throughout the event. Flight control lost communications. We began encountering moderate turbulence and the WX was intensifying around junur intersection. We were now penetrating the lighter WX on radar but realized there was no way we could turn back easterly. At this point we had approximately 8.6 on our fuel remaining. Simultaneously ZMA advised kmia had closed again due to WX and cleared us to turn back to junur intersection and await further instructions. I had no choice but to tell my first officer to declare an emergency. We would not be able to fly through the severe squall line and had no alternate airport available and our fuel level was too critical to even consider any alternative. We were again cleared direct kmia airport and landed without incident. The WX was not bad in kmia. We broke out at 1500 ft with visibility 4 mi with rain and very windy. We landed with 6.8 and blocked in with 6.6. We had landed shortly after the severe winds and rain were through. First officer and flight engineer performed their duties admirably and truly demonstrated excellent coordination as a crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED DUE FUEL CRITICAL AND WX DEV.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED FROM MROC. WE WERE CLRED TO KMIA FLT PLANNED RTE AND FL310 DUE TO TFC. THROUGHOUT THE FLT WE MONITORED VOLMET ON HF FREQ FOR WX OF THE MIAMI AREA AS WELL AS SIGMET RPTS. THROUGHOUT THE FLT THE VOLMET RPTS WERE FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH THE FORECAST OF RAIN SHOWERS, VISIBILITY 4 MI AND A SOUTHERLY WIND OF ABOUT 30 DEGS. WHEN WE REACHED THE SOUTHERN SHORE OF CUBA AT THE NAVAID FIX UCL, THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY HAD INCREASED TWOFOLD. WE WERE UNABLE TO FLY THROUGH A LINE OF TSTMS AND DEVIATED ABOUT 30 MI TO THE E OF OUR ROUTING. HEADWINDS BEGAN TO PICK UP RAPIDLY REDUCING OUR GND SPD. AT OUR GCM FIX WE HAD AN OVERBURN OF 1.0 AND HAD 1.1 ABOVE FLT PLAN REMAINING FUEL. THE SQUALL LINE PARALLELED OUR TRACK. ATC CLRED FLT TO JUNUR INTXN ON THE CLAMI ARR INTO KMIA. WE THEN WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 11000 FT. THE SQUALL LINE HAD SOME SLIGHT OPENINGS TO BE ABLE TO FLY THROUGH AND IT APPEARED THAT THE LINE WAS CLRING THE KMIA ARPT AREA. WHEN WE INITIATED OUR DSCNT, TSTMS BEGAN TO MATURE AT AN UNBELIEVABLE RATE FORMING A SQUALL E OF OUR POS TOWARDS NASSAU. WE REQUESTED WX FOR KFLL AND KPBI. KFLL HAD BEEN CLOSED DUE TO A PWR OUTAGE AND KPBI HAD SEVERE WX IN PROGRESS. WE CALCULATED THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE NASSAU DUE TO THE INTENSITY OF THE SQUALL LINE AND LOW AMOUNT OF FUEL WE WOULD HAVE UPON ARR INTO NASSAU. AT APPROX FL200 WE WERE ADVISED TO HOLD SE OF JUNUR AS PUBLISHED AT 11000 FT. DUE TO OUR FUEL STATUS WE REQUESTED AN EFC TIME. WE WERE ADVISED OF AN EFC OF XY20Z. WE HAD BRIEFED FOR AN ILS RWY 27R AS WELL AS OUR PLANS IF A MISSED APCH WAS INITIATED. UPON ENTERING THE HOLD WE HAD 10.6 ON THE FUEL AND ADVISED MY FO TO STATE MINIMUM FUEL TO ZMA. BEFORE WE HAD COMPLETED THE OUTBOUND LEG OF THE HOLD, ZMA CLRED US DIRECT KMIA. DUE TO THE SEVERE WX WE OPTED TO TURN R INSTEAD OF L TO FLY DIRECT KMIA. MY FE KEPT ME BRIEFED ON OUR FUEL REMAINING THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. FLT CTL LOST COMS. WE BEGAN ENCOUNTERING MODERATE TURB AND THE WX WAS INTENSIFYING AROUND JUNUR INTXN. WE WERE NOW PENETRATING THE LIGHTER WX ON RADAR BUT REALIZED THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD TURN BACK EASTERLY. AT THIS POINT WE HAD APPROX 8.6 ON OUR FUEL REMAINING. SIMULTANEOUSLY ZMA ADVISED KMIA HAD CLOSED AGAIN DUE TO WX AND CLRED US TO TURN BACK TO JUNUR INTXN AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TELL MY FO TO DECLARE AN EMER. WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FLY THROUGH THE SEVERE SQUALL LINE AND HAD NO ALTERNATE ARPT AVAILABLE AND OUR FUEL LEVEL WAS TOO CRITICAL TO EVEN CONSIDER ANY ALTERNATIVE. WE WERE AGAIN CLRED DIRECT KMIA ARPT AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE WX WAS NOT BAD IN KMIA. WE BROKE OUT AT 1500 FT WITH VISIBILITY 4 MI WITH RAIN AND VERY WINDY. WE LANDED WITH 6.8 AND BLOCKED IN WITH 6.6. WE HAD LANDED SHORTLY AFTER THE SEVERE WINDS AND RAIN WERE THROUGH. FO AND FE PERFORMED THEIR DUTIES ADMIRABLY AND TRULY DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENT COORD AS A CREW.

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.