Narrative:

Dispatched to ord, IFR, no alternate. WX did not require an alternate and although there was a line of thunderstorms north of the airport, the dispatcher said they were moving east and would not impact the airport. Approaching the halie intersection on the kokomo arrival, center advised that approach stopped taking arrs due to thunderstorms in the vicinity of ord. We were assigned holding at halie. At this point, I had 1 hour 40 mins fuel remaining. I contacted dispatch and advised we may need to divert, and we selected ind in case it was needed. At that point, we were released from holding and handed off to ord approach. My radar showed a large cell south of the airport, and one approaching the airport from the north. I had midway in sight visually as we flew north. I was concerned about the cell to the north, so I had the copilot call tower to get the current WX, wind 080 degrees at 9 KTS, light rain. As we were cleared for the approach, approach control advised ord was reporting numerous doppler microburst alerts. I abandoned the approach and told ATC we needed to go to midway. Midway was VFR, but I knew the thunderstorms would soon hit there. Because my fuel was now a concern, and the WX precluded going east to ind, I declared an emergency and headed for mdw. We did not have approach plates for mdw, but the information was in the FMS. We landed uneventfully with about 70 mins of fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLC DECLARED AN EMER DURING FINAL APCH TO ORD ARPT DUE TO UNEXPECTED TSTM WX CONDITIONS AND INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR DELAYS IN HOLDING OR GOING TO ANOTHER ARPT FURTHER AWAY.

Narrative: DISPATCHED TO ORD, IFR, NO ALTERNATE. WX DID NOT REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS N OF THE ARPT, THE DISPATCHER SAID THEY WERE MOVING E AND WOULD NOT IMPACT THE ARPT. APCHING THE HALIE INTXN ON THE KOKOMO ARR, CTR ADVISED THAT APCH STOPPED TAKING ARRS DUE TO TSTMS IN THE VICINITY OF ORD. WE WERE ASSIGNED HOLDING AT HALIE. AT THIS POINT, I HAD 1 HR 40 MINS FUEL REMAINING. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND ADVISED WE MAY NEED TO DIVERT, AND WE SELECTED IND IN CASE IT WAS NEEDED. AT THAT POINT, WE WERE RELEASED FROM HOLDING AND HANDED OFF TO ORD APCH. MY RADAR SHOWED A LARGE CELL S OF THE ARPT, AND ONE APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE N. I HAD MIDWAY IN SIGHT VISUALLY AS WE FLEW N. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE CELL TO THE N, SO I HAD THE COPLT CALL TWR TO GET THE CURRENT WX, WIND 080 DEGS AT 9 KTS, LIGHT RAIN. AS WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH, APCH CTL ADVISED ORD WAS RPTING NUMEROUS DOPPLER MICROBURST ALERTS. I ABANDONED THE APCH AND TOLD ATC WE NEEDED TO GO TO MIDWAY. MIDWAY WAS VFR, BUT I KNEW THE TSTMS WOULD SOON HIT THERE. BECAUSE MY FUEL WAS NOW A CONCERN, AND THE WX PRECLUDED GOING E TO IND, I DECLARED AN EMER AND HEADED FOR MDW. WE DID NOT HAVE APCH PLATES FOR MDW, BUT THE INFO WAS IN THE FMS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY WITH ABOUT 70 MINS OF FUEL.

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.