Narrative:

We were in IMC at 3000 ft on an IFR flight plan from schenectady, ny, to republic airport, farmingdale, ny, and were cleared from the bridgeport, ct, area to a point 6 DME on the 053 degree radial of dpk. Turbulence at that altitude was moderate to severe, so the airplane was slowed to below maneuvering speed because we were well under gross weight. At that IAS our ground speed was 50 KTS due to very strong headwinds. About 10 NM from the point to which we were navigating, I saw the fuel flow gauge go to zero. I immediately turned the auxiliary high boost pump on as per poh and the fuel flow gauge started fluctuating and reading higher than normal fuel flow readings. I shut the boost pump off and the fuel flow stabilized at its normal fuel flow setting. About a min later, the fuel flow indication again went to zero. Again, I put the boost pump on and the same series of events occurred. I suspected an intermittent engine fuel pump to be the problem. I notified ny approach that we had a fuel pressure problem and requested that we be expedited to republic airport. At this altitude, in looking through some holes in the clouds, it looked as though the bases of the clouds were lower than was being broadcast on frg's ATIS from an XX45Z observation. It was now about XY45Z, so the ATIS information was about an hour old and I deduced that current WX conditions were worse than what was being broadcast on the ATIS. So when approach asked if I wanted vectors to the airport or fly the ILS R14 approach, I elected to fly the approach since I didn't feel I could get visual unless I was at a very low altitude. By this time, the engine was operating normally (as it had throughout) with the boost pump being turned on and off to keep the fuel flow at a normal reading. At one point when we were about 10 NM from frg, with the boost pump on, the engine stopped. I lowered the nose and called mayday to approach. Approach gave me vectors to the airport. At this time, I shut the boost pump off and the engine came back to life, but the fuel flow gauge read zero. Now I surmised that it was the gauge and not the pump that was inoperative and that the boost pump flooded the engine causing it to stop. By this time, we were at about 1000 ft MSL or lower and under the clouds, heading for the airport with fairly good visual references. We landed uneventfully. If a situation like this arose again, I would take immediate vectors to the nearest airport and worry about the WX when I got there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT IN IMC HAS FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE PROB. EMER DECLARED WITH VECTORS TO ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE IN IMC AT 3000 FT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM SCHENECTADY, NY, TO REPUBLIC ARPT, FARMINGDALE, NY, AND WERE CLRED FROM THE BRIDGEPORT, CT, AREA TO A POINT 6 DME ON THE 053 DEG RADIAL OF DPK. TURB AT THAT ALT WAS MODERATE TO SEVERE, SO THE AIRPLANE WAS SLOWED TO BELOW MANEUVERING SPD BECAUSE WE WERE WELL UNDER GROSS WEIGHT. AT THAT IAS OUR GND SPD WAS 50 KTS DUE TO VERY STRONG HEADWINDS. ABOUT 10 NM FROM THE POINT TO WHICH WE WERE NAVING, I SAW THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE GO TO ZERO. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE AUX HIGH BOOST PUMP ON AS PER POH AND THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE STARTED FLUCTUATING AND READING HIGHER THAN NORMAL FUEL FLOW READINGS. I SHUT THE BOOST PUMP OFF AND THE FUEL FLOW STABILIZED AT ITS NORMAL FUEL FLOW SETTING. ABOUT A MIN LATER, THE FUEL FLOW INDICATION AGAIN WENT TO ZERO. AGAIN, I PUT THE BOOST PUMP ON AND THE SAME SERIES OF EVENTS OCCURRED. I SUSPECTED AN INTERMITTENT ENG FUEL PUMP TO BE THE PROB. I NOTIFIED NY APCH THAT WE HAD A FUEL PRESSURE PROB AND REQUESTED THAT WE BE EXPEDITED TO REPUBLIC ARPT. AT THIS ALT, IN LOOKING THROUGH SOME HOLES IN THE CLOUDS, IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THE BASES OF THE CLOUDS WERE LOWER THAN WAS BEING BROADCAST ON FRG'S ATIS FROM AN XX45Z OBSERVATION. IT WAS NOW ABOUT XY45Z, SO THE ATIS INFO WAS ABOUT AN HR OLD AND I DEDUCED THAT CURRENT WX CONDITIONS WERE WORSE THAN WHAT WAS BEING BROADCAST ON THE ATIS. SO WHEN APCH ASKED IF I WANTED VECTORS TO THE ARPT OR FLY THE ILS R14 APCH, I ELECTED TO FLY THE APCH SINCE I DIDN'T FEEL I COULD GET VISUAL UNLESS I WAS AT A VERY LOW ALT. BY THIS TIME, THE ENG WAS OPERATING NORMALLY (AS IT HAD THROUGHOUT) WITH THE BOOST PUMP BEING TURNED ON AND OFF TO KEEP THE FUEL FLOW AT A NORMAL READING. AT ONE POINT WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 10 NM FROM FRG, WITH THE BOOST PUMP ON, THE ENG STOPPED. I LOWERED THE NOSE AND CALLED MAYDAY TO APCH. APCH GAVE ME VECTORS TO THE ARPT. AT THIS TIME, I SHUT THE BOOST PUMP OFF AND THE ENG CAME BACK TO LIFE, BUT THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE READ ZERO. NOW I SURMISED THAT IT WAS THE GAUGE AND NOT THE PUMP THAT WAS INOP AND THAT THE BOOST PUMP FLOODED THE ENG CAUSING IT TO STOP. BY THIS TIME, WE WERE AT ABOUT 1000 FT MSL OR LOWER AND UNDER THE CLOUDS, HEADING FOR THE ARPT WITH FAIRLY GOOD VISUAL REFS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. IF A SIT LIKE THIS AROSE AGAIN, I WOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT AND WORRY ABOUT THE WX WHEN I GOT THERE.

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.