Narrative:

Flying a beech sport BE19 from goodspeed, ct, to farmingdale, ny. Preflight briefing: IFR from 8000 ft up, in goodspeed and in farmingdale, wind at 3000 ft (my level) 230 degrees at 40 KTS. My route was about 240 degrees. These were the latest available information, 1 hour old (as I was told). For a distance of 66 NM, I expected 50 mins total time with no wind correction and I had filed 1 hour. Before takeoff I changed my flight time to 1 hour 25 mins (correcting for the wind), plus 30 mins to divert to islip and 45 mins legal reserve. Total fuel required was 2 hours 45 mins and I had over 3 hours available. I took off in uncontrolled no radar airspace and established radio contact after 2 or 3 mins, and radar about 15 mins later. My ground speed was, as expected, 50-60 KTS. After reporting mad VOR, I was cleared to dpk. I covered the distance (approximately 40 NM) in 1 hour 15 mins. This part of the trip being overwater I had no option. Despite my WX briefing 15 mins before takeoff the wind was not 40 KTS but more like 70 KTS. After 1 hour 45 mins of flight, I was 1 hour from my destination with 1 hour 25 mins total of fuel left in the tanks. Farmingdale ATIS called for 600 ft, wind 22O degrees at 18 KTS gusting to 28 KTS, ILS runway 14 approach circling to runway 19 visibility was 1 1/2 SM. At dpk I informed ATC of my fuel situation (1 hour left), requesting priority. I assumed I had 20-30 mins more but I had no way to be sure of that. I was vectored to the ILS outside of the OM in 20 mins and finally I started down the ILS with 30-60 mins of fuel. I was cleared for the ILS runway 14 approach circling to runway 19. Minimums are 560 ft on this approach, as well as on the localizer. At 560 ft I leveled off in dense fog and requested a straight-in approach. At 4000 ft I was back on the ILS and I started seeing the ground but not the runway. At 350 ft the runway appeared. At refueling it appeared that I had about 20 mins worth of fuel in the tanks. Hardly enough to divert to islip. The problem arose from incomplete and not up-to-date information (although they were all that was available). The only corrective action was ATC priority handling. In terms of judgement flying back to bridgeport after 1 hour is a difficult decision in-flight when the fuel situation is not nicely laid out and the airplane has no autoplt. The workload, although not overwhelming, is taking all the pilot's time and attention. A decision to land in islip after 2 hours would have been a good one and would have not required any special handling. The best solution to such a situation is: 1) better WX information -- preflight and ATIS. 2) always carry as much fuel as you can safely take, even more so in IMC. 3) divert as soon as needed. 4) reliable gauges -- this airplane cannot be refueled completely at mgw and after 2 hours of flight I was guessing how much time I had left. 2 gallons in each tank don't make a big difference on the tab, they provide almost 30 mins of flight. For this flight I was under no pressure to leave goodspeed at any given time and landing to refuel would have been a minor inconvenience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE19 SPORT FLYING FROM 42B TO FRG ENCOUNTERED WINDS AT 30 KTS STRONGER THAN FORECAST. REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING INTO FRG AND ACCOUNT LOW CEILINGS ELECTED TO USE ILS AND LAND STRAIGHT-IN. WHEN REFUELED HAD ABOUT 20 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING.

Narrative: FLYING A BEECH SPORT BE19 FROM GOODSPEED, CT, TO FARMINGDALE, NY. PREFLT BRIEFING: IFR FROM 8000 FT UP, IN GOODSPEED AND IN FARMINGDALE, WIND AT 3000 FT (MY LEVEL) 230 DEGS AT 40 KTS. MY RTE WAS ABOUT 240 DEGS. THESE WERE THE LATEST AVAILABLE INFO, 1 HR OLD (AS I WAS TOLD). FOR A DISTANCE OF 66 NM, I EXPECTED 50 MINS TOTAL TIME WITH NO WIND CORRECTION AND I HAD FILED 1 HR. BEFORE TKOF I CHANGED MY FLT TIME TO 1 HR 25 MINS (CORRECTING FOR THE WIND), PLUS 30 MINS TO DIVERT TO ISLIP AND 45 MINS LEGAL RESERVE. TOTAL FUEL REQUIRED WAS 2 HRS 45 MINS AND I HAD OVER 3 HRS AVAILABLE. I TOOK OFF IN UNCTLED NO RADAR AIRSPACE AND ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT AFTER 2 OR 3 MINS, AND RADAR ABOUT 15 MINS LATER. MY GND SPD WAS, AS EXPECTED, 50-60 KTS. AFTER RPTING MAD VOR, I WAS CLRED TO DPK. I COVERED THE DISTANCE (APPROX 40 NM) IN 1 HR 15 MINS. THIS PART OF THE TRIP BEING OVERWATER I HAD NO OPTION. DESPITE MY WX BRIEFING 15 MINS BEFORE TKOF THE WIND WAS NOT 40 KTS BUT MORE LIKE 70 KTS. AFTER 1 HR 45 MINS OF FLT, I WAS 1 HR FROM MY DEST WITH 1 HR 25 MINS TOTAL OF FUEL LEFT IN THE TANKS. FARMINGDALE ATIS CALLED FOR 600 FT, WIND 22O DEGS AT 18 KTS GUSTING TO 28 KTS, ILS RWY 14 APCH CIRCLING TO RWY 19 VISIBILITY WAS 1 1/2 SM. AT DPK I INFORMED ATC OF MY FUEL SIT (1 HR LEFT), REQUESTING PRIORITY. I ASSUMED I HAD 20-30 MINS MORE BUT I HAD NO WAY TO BE SURE OF THAT. I WAS VECTORED TO THE ILS OUTSIDE OF THE OM IN 20 MINS AND FINALLY I STARTED DOWN THE ILS WITH 30-60 MINS OF FUEL. I WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 14 APCH CIRCLING TO RWY 19. MINIMUMS ARE 560 FT ON THIS APCH, AS WELL AS ON THE LOC. AT 560 FT I LEVELED OFF IN DENSE FOG AND REQUESTED A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. AT 4000 FT I WAS BACK ON THE ILS AND I STARTED SEEING THE GND BUT NOT THE RWY. AT 350 FT THE RWY APPEARED. AT REFUELING IT APPEARED THAT I HAD ABOUT 20 MINS WORTH OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. HARDLY ENOUGH TO DIVERT TO ISLIP. THE PROB AROSE FROM INCOMPLETE AND NOT UP-TO-DATE INFO (ALTHOUGH THEY WERE ALL THAT WAS AVAILABLE). THE ONLY CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS ATC PRIORITY HANDLING. IN TERMS OF JUDGEMENT FLYING BACK TO BRIDGEPORT AFTER 1 HR IS A DIFFICULT DECISION INFLT WHEN THE FUEL SIT IS NOT NICELY LAID OUT AND THE AIRPLANE HAS NO AUTOPLT. THE WORKLOAD, ALTHOUGH NOT OVERWHELMING, IS TAKING ALL THE PLT'S TIME AND ATTN. A DECISION TO LAND IN ISLIP AFTER 2 HRS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD ONE AND WOULD HAVE NOT REQUIRED ANY SPECIAL HANDLING. THE BEST SOLUTION TO SUCH A SIT IS: 1) BETTER WX INFO -- PREFLT AND ATIS. 2) ALWAYS CARRY AS MUCH FUEL AS YOU CAN SAFELY TAKE, EVEN MORE SO IN IMC. 3) DIVERT AS SOON AS NEEDED. 4) RELIABLE GAUGES -- THIS AIRPLANE CANNOT BE REFUELED COMPLETELY AT MGW AND AFTER 2 HRS OF FLT I WAS GUESSING HOW MUCH TIME I HAD LEFT. 2 GALLONS IN EACH TANK DON'T MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON THE TAB, THEY PROVIDE ALMOST 30 MINS OF FLT. FOR THIS FLT I WAS UNDER NO PRESSURE TO LEAVE GOODSPEED AT ANY GIVEN TIME AND LNDG TO REFUEL WOULD HAVE BEEN A MINOR INCONVENIENCE.

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.