Narrative:

I landed with 15-30 mins of fuel depending on whether you believe the book or the folks that build the airplane. I do not know if I have 80 gals or 73 gals available for use. The WX at my destination as low IFR. I had left lebanon, nh, at approximately XA05 local time. I filed RNAV direct, I was cleared as filed, but was told to expect an en route change. I was asked if I wanted the east or west route for the flight, I took the east route. (Mistake one.) I flew direct gdm, direct orw, V16, jfk, V1, peaps, destination wwd. My ground speed was between 95 and 100 KTS with a true airspeed of 135-137 KTS. I had stopped at cape may in wildwood, nj, for biological reasons. I had asked the approach controller if they were still open and he replied he believed so. I landed in a heavy crosswind. Parked the airplane and entered the operations building. All the lights were on, but nobody was there. I did my business, went looking for a phone, found no numbers for after hours fuel service, called flight service, filed, and went out to my airplane. The time I was on the ground I was concerned about my airplane, the wind was blowing hard, approximately 20 KTS. I own a STOL tail dragger. I had visions of finding it upside down in front of the building. I climbed into the airplane, taxied, did run-up and took off. I believe I had approximately 2 hours of fuel left on board for a flight that should take a little over an hour. I had been in the air for approximately 4 hours prior to landing in cape may. I followed my routing from cape may sie-V308-ott-direct, destination W49. Culpeper (W49) which only has non-precision approachs, was below minimums. I told the controller I would try an approach into culpeper, then I would be low on fuel. He suggested I not bother (good suggestion). The closest airport with a precision approach was manassas, in the process of being vectored for the approach, manassas went below minimums. Dulles was my last hope. I was prepared to fly the ILS to the ground if necessary. I was given priority handling and was vectored for the ILS runway 19R. It went below minimums, I was told to expect ILS runway 19L, it went below minimums, runway 19R was again usable. I intercepted the localizer and GS. I saw the runway lights at decision ht and landed safely. I spent several hours trying to determine how I got into this situation. Several issues were a factor. 1) winds were stronger than predicted, giving me a greater headwind. 2) the phone number for after hours fuel was in the airport facility directory, which I had with me, but never looked at until I got home. I had gotten into the habit of thinking everything I needed was in the GPS. 3) I should have back tracked to atlantic city, paid a fortune for gas and then continued. I didn't want to because it was not toward my destination and gas was expensive. 4) I passed up several good airports, some of which were VFR, but without fuel available till morning. I should have put down for the night. 5) the longer I flew the more tired I became. My cognitive functions were diminishing. They say you always learn the most before you screw up really big. I learned more than I would have liked that evening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLIES LONG ENOUGH TO BE LOW ON FUEL DURING TIME OF WX WITH LOW MINIMUMS AT DEST.

Narrative: I LANDED WITH 15-30 MINS OF FUEL DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU BELIEVE THE BOOK OR THE FOLKS THAT BUILD THE AIRPLANE. I DO NOT KNOW IF I HAVE 80 GALS OR 73 GALS AVAILABLE FOR USE. THE WX AT MY DEST AS LOW IFR. I HAD LEFT LEBANON, NH, AT APPROX XA05 LCL TIME. I FILED RNAV DIRECT, I WAS CLRED AS FILED, BUT WAS TOLD TO EXPECT AN ENRTE CHANGE. I WAS ASKED IF I WANTED THE E OR W RTE FOR THE FLT, I TOOK THE E RTE. (MISTAKE ONE.) I FLEW DIRECT GDM, DIRECT ORW, V16, JFK, V1, PEAPS, DEST WWD. MY GND SPD WAS BTWN 95 AND 100 KTS WITH A TRUE AIRSPD OF 135-137 KTS. I HAD STOPPED AT CAPE MAY IN WILDWOOD, NJ, FOR BIOLOGICAL REASONS. I HAD ASKED THE APCH CTLR IF THEY WERE STILL OPEN AND HE REPLIED HE BELIEVED SO. I LANDED IN A HVY XWIND. PARKED THE AIRPLANE AND ENTERED THE OPS BUILDING. ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ON, BUT NOBODY WAS THERE. I DID MY BUSINESS, WENT LOOKING FOR A PHONE, FOUND NO NUMBERS FOR AFTER HRS FUEL SVC, CALLED FLT SVC, FILED, AND WENT OUT TO MY AIRPLANE. THE TIME I WAS ON THE GND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MY AIRPLANE, THE WIND WAS BLOWING HARD, APPROX 20 KTS. I OWN A STOL TAIL DRAGGER. I HAD VISIONS OF FINDING IT UPSIDE DOWN IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING. I CLBED INTO THE AIRPLANE, TAXIED, DID RUN-UP AND TOOK OFF. I BELIEVE I HAD APPROX 2 HRS OF FUEL LEFT ON BOARD FOR A FLT THAT SHOULD TAKE A LITTLE OVER AN HR. I HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR APPROX 4 HRS PRIOR TO LNDG IN CAPE MAY. I FOLLOWED MY ROUTING FROM CAPE MAY SIE-V308-OTT-DIRECT, DEST W49. CULPEPER (W49) WHICH ONLY HAS NON-PRECISION APCHS, WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. I TOLD THE CTLR I WOULD TRY AN APCH INTO CULPEPER, THEN I WOULD BE LOW ON FUEL. HE SUGGESTED I NOT BOTHER (GOOD SUGGESTION). THE CLOSEST ARPT WITH A PRECISION APCH WAS MANASSAS, IN THE PROCESS OF BEING VECTORED FOR THE APCH, MANASSAS WENT BELOW MINIMUMS. DULLES WAS MY LAST HOPE. I WAS PREPARED TO FLY THE ILS TO THE GND IF NECESSARY. I WAS GIVEN PRIORITY HANDLING AND WAS VECTORED FOR THE ILS RWY 19R. IT WENT BELOW MINIMUMS, I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT ILS RWY 19L, IT WENT BELOW MINIMUMS, RWY 19R WAS AGAIN USABLE. I INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND GS. I SAW THE RWY LIGHTS AT DECISION HT AND LANDED SAFELY. I SPENT SEVERAL HRS TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW I GOT INTO THIS SIT. SEVERAL ISSUES WERE A FACTOR. 1) WINDS WERE STRONGER THAN PREDICTED, GIVING ME A GREATER HEADWIND. 2) THE PHONE NUMBER FOR AFTER HRS FUEL WAS IN THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY, WHICH I HAD WITH ME, BUT NEVER LOOKED AT UNTIL I GOT HOME. I HAD GOTTEN INTO THE HABIT OF THINKING EVERYTHING I NEEDED WAS IN THE GPS. 3) I SHOULD HAVE BACK TRACKED TO ATLANTIC CITY, PAID A FORTUNE FOR GAS AND THEN CONTINUED. I DIDN'T WANT TO BECAUSE IT WAS NOT TOWARD MY DEST AND GAS WAS EXPENSIVE. 4) I PASSED UP SEVERAL GOOD ARPTS, SOME OF WHICH WERE VFR, BUT WITHOUT FUEL AVAILABLE TILL MORNING. I SHOULD HAVE PUT DOWN FOR THE NIGHT. 5) THE LONGER I FLEW THE MORE TIRED I BECAME. MY COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS WERE DIMINISHING. THEY SAY YOU ALWAYS LEARN THE MOST BEFORE YOU SCREW UP REALLY BIG. I LEARNED MORE THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED THAT EVENING.

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.