Twin engine float plane in marginal VFR conditions encountered deteriorating WX. Departure and emerg...

Attributes
ACN	412678
Time
Date	199809
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : coy airport : stx
State Reference	VI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	412678
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	412506
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Scattered showers along our route of flight and we routinely deviation VFR. Dispatch notified of scattered showers and released us. We carried extra fuel for deviations. An unexpected development of squall lines moved north into our flight path and made it impossible to return to our destination. Heading northeast to deviation, all emergency landing sites were inaccessible due to WX. Deviated until able to turn south direct to st croix with minimum fuel. A discrepancy between the fuel gauge and the low level fuel light in the aft tank left some question as to actual fuel on board. Prepared for flameout of the #1 engine, briefed emergency procedures. Approximately 8 mins from destination, left engine flamed out due to fuel exhaustion. Performed emergency checklist for engine shutdown. With fuel critically low in the forward tank, made the decision to land on 1 engine. Landed without damage to aircraft or persons. Supplemental information from acn 412506: the flight was dispatched with the understanding that conditions had not significantly changed from a previous flight along the same route. Lack of real time WX by our dispatch office prevented them from seeing a rapid developing line of showers into a squall of sorts. This was unexpected WX. Decided to conserve fuel. Now able to fly present position direct to destination with minimum fuel. A discrepancy between fuel gauges and low fuel sensor in the tank left some question as to fuel on board. Supplemental information from acn 412679: aircraft are dispatched VFR only (due to floatplane landing area limitations). The departure airport went down to 0 visibility. After an emergency alternate went down, pilot was forced to fly direct to the destination. Contributing factor was dispatcher's inability to provide current real time WX data to the pilot. I was unable to 'see' the rapid development of this system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWIN ENG FLOAT PLANE IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WX. DEP AND EMER ALTERNATE ARPT WX DECREASED TO BELOW MINIMUMS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEV AROUND AND THEN PENETRATE THE SQUALL LINE, 1 ENG FLAMED OUT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. PLT THEN ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG WHILE HE STILL HAD AN OPERATING ENG. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS.

Narrative: SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT AND WE ROUTINELY DEV VFR. DISPATCH NOTIFIED OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND RELEASED US. WE CARRIED EXTRA FUEL FOR DEVS. AN UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT OF SQUALL LINES MOVED N INTO OUR FLT PATH AND MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO RETURN TO OUR DEST. HEADING NE TO DEV, ALL EMER LNDG SITES WERE INACCESSIBLE DUE TO WX. DEVIATED UNTIL ABLE TO TURN S DIRECT TO ST CROIX WITH MINIMUM FUEL. A DISCREPANCY BTWN THE FUEL GAUGE AND THE LOW LEVEL FUEL LIGHT IN THE AFT TANK LEFT SOME QUESTION AS TO ACTUAL FUEL ON BOARD. PREPARED FOR FLAMEOUT OF THE #1 ENG, BRIEFED EMER PROCS. APPROX 8 MINS FROM DEST, L ENG FLAMED OUT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. PERFORMED EMER CHKLIST FOR ENG SHUTDOWN. WITH FUEL CRITICALLY LOW IN THE FORWARD TANK, MADE THE DECISION TO LAND ON 1 ENG. LANDED WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ACFT OR PERSONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 412506: THE FLT WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT CONDITIONS HAD NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED FROM A PREVIOUS FLT ALONG THE SAME RTE. LACK OF REAL TIME WX BY OUR DISPATCH OFFICE PREVENTED THEM FROM SEEING A RAPID DEVELOPING LINE OF SHOWERS INTO A SQUALL OF SORTS. THIS WAS UNEXPECTED WX. DECIDED TO CONSERVE FUEL. NOW ABLE TO FLY PRESENT POS DIRECT TO DEST WITH MINIMUM FUEL. A DISCREPANCY BTWN FUEL GAUGES AND LOW FUEL SENSOR IN THE TANK LEFT SOME QUESTION AS TO FUEL ON BOARD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 412679: ACFT ARE DISPATCHED VFR ONLY (DUE TO FLOATPLANE LNDG AREA LIMITATIONS). THE DEP ARPT WENT DOWN TO 0 VISIBILITY. AFTER AN EMER ALTERNATE WENT DOWN, PLT WAS FORCED TO FLY DIRECT TO THE DEST. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS DISPATCHER'S INABILITY TO PROVIDE CURRENT REAL TIME WX DATA TO THE PLT. I WAS UNABLE TO 'SEE' THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYS.

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.