Narrative:

Departed atl for tpa with a no alternate required flight plan. Arrived tpa area as fog was moving in, runway 18R was about to close due to low RVR and fog was moving east toward runway 18L. Approach control slowed us down, vectored us south of the airport back to the west, a good ways north of the airport and then to join the approach for runway 18L. Only then were we advised that a beech baron had been put in front of us on the approach and we were to hang everything out and slow to minimum speed, substantially increasing our fuel burn. At this time the visibility on runway 18L was dropping rapidly. As fuel was becoming a major concern, tpa tower was advised at this time that if we missed the approach we would need an immediate return and clearance for a CAT III approach to runway 36L. When the approach missed, we immediately demanded the runway 36L CAT III. Apparently the tower personnel were dumbfounded by the demand, but returned us to approach control who, unable to comprehend our concern about fuel, asked if we wished to declare an emergency. As this was apparently the only way to get their attention, we declared an emergency and, after what we thought was too much delay, we were cleared for and successfully completed a CAT III approach to runway 36L. Without the CAT III aircraft and ground capabilities, we would not have landed at tpa. There were 2 major factors involved: 1) after an extended departure delay in atl, I neglected to recognize the deteriorating WX in tpa, and the necessity for additional fuel. 2) tpa TRACON personnel neglected to recognize their own deteriorating WX conditions and establish airport facilities for using lower minimum runways (i.e., CAT III, runway 36L).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS AND LOW FUEL, FLC DECLARED EMER FOR PRIORITY HANDLING AND HAD TO MAKE A CAT III APCH LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED ATL FOR TPA WITH A NO ALTERNATE REQUIRED FLT PLAN. ARRIVED TPA AREA AS FOG WAS MOVING IN, RWY 18R WAS ABOUT TO CLOSE DUE TO LOW RVR AND FOG WAS MOVING E TOWARD RWY 18L. APCH CTL SLOWED US DOWN, VECTORED US S OF THE ARPT BACK TO THE W, A GOOD WAYS N OF THE ARPT AND THEN TO JOIN THE APCH FOR RWY 18L. ONLY THEN WERE WE ADVISED THAT A BEECH BARON HAD BEEN PUT IN FRONT OF US ON THE APCH AND WE WERE TO HANG EVERYTHING OUT AND SLOW TO MINIMUM SPD, SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASING OUR FUEL BURN. AT THIS TIME THE VISIBILITY ON RWY 18L WAS DROPPING RAPIDLY. AS FUEL WAS BECOMING A MAJOR CONCERN, TPA TWR WAS ADVISED AT THIS TIME THAT IF WE MISSED THE APCH WE WOULD NEED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN AND CLRNC FOR A CAT III APCH TO RWY 36L. WHEN THE APCH MISSED, WE IMMEDIATELY DEMANDED THE RWY 36L CAT III. APPARENTLY THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE DUMBFOUNDED BY THE DEMAND, BUT RETURNED US TO APCH CTL WHO, UNABLE TO COMPREHEND OUR CONCERN ABOUT FUEL, ASKED IF WE WISHED TO DECLARE AN EMER. AS THIS WAS APPARENTLY THE ONLY WAY TO GET THEIR ATTN, WE DECLARED AN EMER AND, AFTER WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS TOO MUCH DELAY, WE WERE CLRED FOR AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A CAT III APCH TO RWY 36L. WITHOUT THE CAT III ACFT AND GND CAPABILITIES, WE WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED AT TPA. THERE WERE 2 MAJOR FACTORS INVOLVED: 1) AFTER AN EXTENDED DEP DELAY IN ATL, I NEGLECTED TO RECOGNIZE THE DETERIORATING WX IN TPA, AND THE NECESSITY FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL. 2) TPA TRACON PERSONNEL NEGLECTED TO RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS AND ESTABLISH ARPT FACILITIES FOR USING LOWER MINIMUM RWYS (I.E., CAT III, RWY 36L).

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.