Narrative:

I was transporting an aircraft from jqf, charlotte, nc, to mke, milwaukee, wi, with a fuel stop in luk, cincinnati. My WX briefing indicated in the taf that mke was expected to be 1200 ft ceiling with 4 mi visibility. My aircraft was equipped with a single VOR with no GS. This should have been adequate for a localizer approach into mke. Upon my arrival, mke was actually 100 ft ceiling with 3000 ft RVR. I attempted 2 approachs to mke ILS runway 1L localizer only with negative results. Inquiry revealed my alternate of mwc, milwaukee timmerman, was also fogged in. I proceeded to etb, west bend, wi, for a localizer runway 31 approach. I thought west bend would offer better visibility because it has no interference from distracting city lights. The approach into etb also resulted in a missed approach. By this time I was exhausting my fuel reserve and declared minimum fuel with mke approach. I decided to head south to where I knew the WX was better near chicago. I was vectored to dpu, dupage, il, where I had ground contact on my trip north. While en route, I had exhausted my fuel in my right tank and declared an emergency. I also requested a closer airport. I was handed off to chicago approach who vectored me to pwk, palwaukee. While en route, I was not sure as to whether I would make palwaukee, grayslake, il, C81 (on the way to palwaukee) and I attempted a VOR approach. At the last min, I detected the airport beacon through the fog and executed a successful circling approach. Although I feel that no rules were violated and I followed proper procedures, I should have updated my WX reports in-flight. Once missing in milwaukee and determining that my alternate was not feasible, I should have immediately headed to better WX instead of wasting time and fuel on airports with minimum conditions with an aircraft with minimum equipment. Also unknown if HIRL and sequenced runway centerline alignment lights were functioning on runway 1L in milwaukee since they had been inoperative in the past. Hats off to ATC in milwaukee and chicago in helping me solve my dilemma! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot stated he should have updated the WX briefing prior to entry into the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INEXPERIENCED MAULE M7 PLT ATTEMPTED SEVERAL APCHS AT MKE BEFORE DECLARING A LOW FUEL EMER. ORD APCH PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS TO C81 WHERE A SUCCESSFUL APCH WAS MADE.

Narrative: I WAS TRANSPORTING AN ACFT FROM JQF, CHARLOTTE, NC, TO MKE, MILWAUKEE, WI, WITH A FUEL STOP IN LUK, CINCINNATI. MY WX BRIEFING INDICATED IN THE TAF THAT MKE WAS EXPECTED TO BE 1200 FT CEILING WITH 4 MI VISIBILITY. MY ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE VOR WITH NO GS. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE FOR A LOC APCH INTO MKE. UPON MY ARR, MKE WAS ACTUALLY 100 FT CEILING WITH 3000 FT RVR. I ATTEMPTED 2 APCHS TO MKE ILS RWY 1L LOC ONLY WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. INQUIRY REVEALED MY ALTERNATE OF MWC, MILWAUKEE TIMMERMAN, WAS ALSO FOGGED IN. I PROCEEDED TO ETB, WEST BEND, WI, FOR A LOC RWY 31 APCH. I THOUGHT WEST BEND WOULD OFFER BETTER VISIBILITY BECAUSE IT HAS NO INTERFERENCE FROM DISTRACTING CITY LIGHTS. THE APCH INTO ETB ALSO RESULTED IN A MISSED APCH. BY THIS TIME I WAS EXHAUSTING MY FUEL RESERVE AND DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL WITH MKE APCH. I DECIDED TO HEAD S TO WHERE I KNEW THE WX WAS BETTER NEAR CHICAGO. I WAS VECTORED TO DPU, DUPAGE, IL, WHERE I HAD GND CONTACT ON MY TRIP N. WHILE ENRTE, I HAD EXHAUSTED MY FUEL IN MY R TANK AND DECLARED AN EMER. I ALSO REQUESTED A CLOSER ARPT. I WAS HANDED OFF TO CHICAGO APCH WHO VECTORED ME TO PWK, PALWAUKEE. WHILE ENRTE, I WAS NOT SURE AS TO WHETHER I WOULD MAKE PALWAUKEE, GRAYSLAKE, IL, C81 (ON THE WAY TO PALWAUKEE) AND I ATTEMPTED A VOR APCH. AT THE LAST MIN, I DETECTED THE ARPT BEACON THROUGH THE FOG AND EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL CIRCLING APCH. ALTHOUGH I FEEL THAT NO RULES WERE VIOLATED AND I FOLLOWED PROPER PROCS, I SHOULD HAVE UPDATED MY WX RPTS INFLT. ONCE MISSING IN MILWAUKEE AND DETERMINING THAT MY ALTERNATE WAS NOT FEASIBLE, I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY HEADED TO BETTER WX INSTEAD OF WASTING TIME AND FUEL ON ARPTS WITH MINIMUM CONDITIONS WITH AN ACFT WITH MINIMUM EQUIP. ALSO UNKNOWN IF HIRL AND SEQUENCED RWY CTRLINE ALIGNMENT LIGHTS WERE FUNCTIONING ON RWY 1L IN MILWAUKEE SINCE THEY HAD BEEN INOP IN THE PAST. HATS OFF TO ATC IN MILWAUKEE AND CHICAGO IN HELPING ME SOLVE MY DILEMMA! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT STATED HE SHOULD HAVE UPDATED THE WX BRIEFING PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO THE AREA.

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.