Narrative:

Departed lit for tpl at XA50Z dec/xa/98 on IFR flight plan. Estimated time en route 4 hours. Fuel on board 5 hours. Crossed uim VOR at XD25Z (2 hours 35 mins actual time en route). Asked ZFW for vectors direct temple. Denied. Asked ZFW for tpl WX. Asked to stand by. ZFW asked me to switch to act approach with request. Contacted act approach, asked for tpl WX. Expressed possible need to recompute fuel and/or divert to act. Act approach gave me 'direct act.' at XE08Z act said 'tpl WX missing,' but would get it for me. Approximately XE10Z- XE15Z, act called with tpl WX, copied as follows: 240 degrees at 6 KTS, 10 36 scattered 4 broken 50 overcast. Then act gave me direct tpl. Based on above WX. Pilot anticipated canceling IFR well prior to tpl with visual approach to runway 20 tpl, straight-in, on course approach with landing at XF15Z. (4 hours 25 mins en route, total VFR arrival.) at XF00Z act handed me off to gray approach. I was then cruising at 4000 ft still in IMC, but anticipating breakout after descent. Gray approach gave tpl AWOS (134.975) frequency. At XF02Z tpl AWOS reported the following WX: 350 degrees 21 KTS gusting to 25 hours 4 200 ft overcast. Gray approach issued instructions for localizer/DME back course runway 33 tpl 'full approach, advise procedure turn inbound.' I complied, was unsuccessful completing approach, but established visual contact with terrain. Now fuel critical. Pilot avoided terrain without climb back into IMC over populated area. Communications with gray approach enabled by overflying commuter flight. Gray gave 060 degree vector. I complied, but significant crosswind caused ground course to pass south of airport. Engine lost power due to unporting of remaining fuel. Pilot made emergency landing on highway. There were no injuries, no damage to property, and aircraft experienced minor damage to right wingtip due to contact with a light pole during rollout. Aircraft taxied back to airport with police escort. Factors: 1) extremely rapid change in WX, worse than forecast. 2) headwinds stronger than anticipated due to increased altitude for passenger comfort and avoidance of turbulence. 3) very difficult approach due to windshear and ceilings. 4) flight visibility less than ground visibility. 5) fuel consumption was average of 10 gph. Engine ran exactly 5 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA COMMERCIAL PLT MAKES AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG WHEN HIS ACFT SUFFERS FUEL EXHAUSTION AFTER MISSING A BACK COURSE APCH TO TPL, TX.

Narrative: DEPARTED LIT FOR TPL AT XA50Z DEC/XA/98 ON IFR FLT PLAN. ESTIMATED TIME ENRTE 4 HRS. FUEL ON BOARD 5 HRS. CROSSED UIM VOR AT XD25Z (2 HRS 35 MINS ACTUAL TIME ENRTE). ASKED ZFW FOR VECTORS DIRECT TEMPLE. DENIED. ASKED ZFW FOR TPL WX. ASKED TO STAND BY. ZFW ASKED ME TO SWITCH TO ACT APCH WITH REQUEST. CONTACTED ACT APCH, ASKED FOR TPL WX. EXPRESSED POSSIBLE NEED TO RECOMPUTE FUEL AND/OR DIVERT TO ACT. ACT APCH GAVE ME 'DIRECT ACT.' AT XE08Z ACT SAID 'TPL WX MISSING,' BUT WOULD GET IT FOR ME. APPROX XE10Z- XE15Z, ACT CALLED WITH TPL WX, COPIED AS FOLLOWS: 240 DEGS AT 6 KTS, 10 36 SCATTERED 4 BROKEN 50 OVCST. THEN ACT GAVE ME DIRECT TPL. BASED ON ABOVE WX. PLT ANTICIPATED CANCELING IFR WELL PRIOR TO TPL WITH VISUAL APCH TO RWY 20 TPL, STRAIGHT-IN, ON COURSE APCH WITH LNDG AT XF15Z. (4 HRS 25 MINS ENRTE, TOTAL VFR ARR.) AT XF00Z ACT HANDED ME OFF TO GRAY APCH. I WAS THEN CRUISING AT 4000 FT STILL IN IMC, BUT ANTICIPATING BREAKOUT AFTER DSCNT. GRAY APCH GAVE TPL AWOS (134.975) FREQ. AT XF02Z TPL AWOS RPTED THE FOLLOWING WX: 350 DEGS 21 KTS GUSTING TO 25 HRS 4 200 FT OVCST. GRAY APCH ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOC/DME BACK COURSE RWY 33 TPL 'FULL APCH, ADVISE PROC TURN INBOUND.' I COMPLIED, WAS UNSUCCESSFUL COMPLETING APCH, BUT ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH TERRAIN. NOW FUEL CRITICAL. PLT AVOIDED TERRAIN WITHOUT CLB BACK INTO IMC OVER POPULATED AREA. COMS WITH GRAY APCH ENABLED BY OVERFLYING COMMUTER FLT. GRAY GAVE 060 DEG VECTOR. I COMPLIED, BUT SIGNIFICANT XWIND CAUSED GND COURSE TO PASS S OF ARPT. ENG LOST PWR DUE TO UNPORTING OF REMAINING FUEL. PLT MADE EMER LNDG ON HWY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, AND ACFT EXPERIENCED MINOR DAMAGE TO R WINGTIP DUE TO CONTACT WITH A LIGHT POLE DURING ROLLOUT. ACFT TAXIED BACK TO ARPT WITH POLICE ESCORT. FACTORS: 1) EXTREMELY RAPID CHANGE IN WX, WORSE THAN FORECAST. 2) HEADWINDS STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED DUE TO INCREASED ALT FOR PAX COMFORT AND AVOIDANCE OF TURB. 3) VERY DIFFICULT APCH DUE TO WINDSHEAR AND CEILINGS. 4) FLT VISIBILITY LESS THAN GND VISIBILITY. 5) FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS AVERAGE OF 10 GPH. ENG RAN EXACTLY 5 HRS.

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.