Bizjet flight crew declared an emergency after arriving at destination with minimum fuel.

Attributes
ACN	519293
Time
Date	200107
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : t75.tracon tower : sdf.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	519293
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity indicators other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I declared an emergency. It was my first in over 40 yrs of flying. What we actually required was priority handling because of fuel concerns. My fuel planning was on the 'lean side' because of fuel price considerations. The destination airport was supposed to be VFR. En route recalculations, with greater than anticipated headwinds, suggested that reserves appeared adequate, assuming no delays. Based on that, we proceeded to our filed destination. On descent, we were sequenced as '#4 for the back course ILS' with ceilings of 900 ft broken and 4 mi visibility. This indeterminate delay no longer left a comfortable fuel reserve in our light turbine pwred jet. I asked for priority handling because of critical fuel reserves. It was implied by TRACON that an emergency would have to be declared in order to receive priority handling. So, I declared the emergency. We were cleared for the approach and, without incident, landed with VFR reserves, no less and no more. The ability to obtain priority handling before a real emergency ensued avoided a much larger problem. Yet the declaration of the emergency was a consequence of faulty preflight planning which did not allow for greater than anticipated headwinds, a not yet VFR destination, and a full compliment of IFR training aircraft. What I should have allowed for was enough fuel to descend out of altitude, be sequences (#4) on the approach and then fly to an alternate and land there with 45 min reserves. Diversion to a VFR airport was a valid option that I didn't elect, in lieu of declaring an emergency. I'm glad that our system allows help for foolish miscalculations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIZJET FLC DECLARED AN EMER AFTER ARRIVING AT DEST WITH MINIMUM FUEL.

Narrative: I DECLARED AN EMER. IT WAS MY FIRST IN OVER 40 YRS OF FLYING. WHAT WE ACTUALLY REQUIRED WAS PRIORITY HANDLING BECAUSE OF FUEL CONCERNS. MY FUEL PLANNING WAS ON THE 'LEAN SIDE' BECAUSE OF FUEL PRICE CONSIDERATIONS. THE DEST ARPT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE VFR. ENRTE RECALCULATIONS, WITH GREATER THAN ANTICIPATED HEADWINDS, SUGGESTED THAT RESERVES APPEARED ADEQUATE, ASSUMING NO DELAYS. BASED ON THAT, WE PROCEEDED TO OUR FILED DEST. ON DSCNT, WE WERE SEQUENCED AS '#4 FOR THE BACK COURSE ILS' WITH CEILINGS OF 900 FT BROKEN AND 4 MI VISIBILITY. THIS INDETERMINATE DELAY NO LONGER LEFT A COMFORTABLE FUEL RESERVE IN OUR LIGHT TURBINE PWRED JET. I ASKED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING BECAUSE OF CRITICAL FUEL RESERVES. IT WAS IMPLIED BY TRACON THAT AN EMER WOULD HAVE TO BE DECLARED IN ORDER TO RECEIVE PRIORITY HANDLING. SO, I DECLARED THE EMER. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND, WITHOUT INCIDENT, LANDED WITH VFR RESERVES, NO LESS AND NO MORE. THE ABILITY TO OBTAIN PRIORITY HANDLING BEFORE A REAL EMER ENSUED AVOIDED A MUCH LARGER PROB. YET THE DECLARATION OF THE EMER WAS A CONSEQUENCE OF FAULTY PREFLT PLANNING WHICH DID NOT ALLOW FOR GREATER THAN ANTICIPATED HEADWINDS, A NOT YET VFR DEST, AND A FULL COMPLIMENT OF IFR TRAINING ACFT. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED FOR WAS ENOUGH FUEL TO DSND OUT OF ALT, BE SEQUENCES (#4) ON THE APCH AND THEN FLY TO AN ALTERNATE AND LAND THERE WITH 45 MIN RESERVES. DIVERSION TO A VFR ARPT WAS A VALID OPTION THAT I DIDN'T ELECT, IN LIEU OF DECLARING AN EMER. I'M GLAD THAT OUR SYS ALLOWS HELP FOR FOOLISH MISCALCULATIONS.

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.