Narrative:

On oct/xa/01, at approximately XA00 am I called ZZZ3 flight service station to get a WX briefing for a flight between ZZZ1 and ZZZ estimated to happen around XA45 pm. The WX briefing indicated VFR conditions for both airports and that there was some scattered cells of medium intensity in the northeast vicinity of ZZZ1, that shouldn't be a factor for the ETD of my flight. Nevertheless, I filed an IFR flight plan in case of necessity for the occasion. During the preflight of piper navajo, I confirmed that there was some more of 1/4 of fuel in each main tank which should allow a 1 hour flight. At approximately XA45 pm I requested permission from ZZZ1 clearance to proceed VFR to ZZZ for which after about 15 mins of pre-takeoff checks and some tower delay, I was authority/authorized to take off for my 5 mins flight. After being vectored around for a few mins, I was cleared to the ILS runway 27R approach at ZZZ. During my before to land check, I realized that the fuel gauges were indicating an extreme low fuel situation being positioned almost on the red line indicator. I proceeded through the instrument approach having to execute a missed approach for lack of visual contact at decision altitude and notified the ZZZ tower of my intentions. The ZZZ tower gave me further clearance and after some time during my climb away, I encountered a small hole in the clouds and rain that allowed me to have visual contact with the approach ends of runways 9L and 12 at ZZZ. I immediately notified the ZZZ tower that I was low on fuel and had visual contact with the indicated runways requesting permission to land for which the controller responded that he would only grant me permission to land if I declared a low fuel emergency. Due to previous IFR in IMC conditions, I recalled that in order to be able to execute the approach again it would take several mins of a long go around in order to be sequenced to the indicated approach and evaluating the low fuel situation and the increasingly deteriorating WX conditions, in a deep consideration of safety I decided to declare a low fuel emergency and be able to write this memo instead of perhaps become a statistic. I was granted permission to land on runway 12 at ZZZ and was asked by the controller to remain at the exit point off the runway for emergency personnel to confirm the status of the plane. After a few mins a security representative on board the plane confirmed to the tower controller of the fuel gauges indications via radio, verifying my previous concern. I was then directed to follow the security car to parking which was the final destination and was also requested to call ZZZ3 approach over the ground line. After securing the plane I had a 5 min conversation with a representative of the ZZZ3 approach in which I explained the situation concurring with the mentioned person that I had taken the right decision and that safety is first in any occasion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER 31-350 WAS DISPATCHED WITH LOW FUEL QUANTITY FOR A SHORT FLT. AFTER GOING IMC AND A MISSED APCH A LOW FUEL EMER WAS DECLARED.

Narrative: ON OCT/XA/01, AT APPROX XA00 AM I CALLED ZZZ3 FLT SVC STATION TO GET A WX BRIEFING FOR A FLT BTWN ZZZ1 AND ZZZ ESTIMATED TO HAPPEN AROUND XA45 PM. THE WX BRIEFING INDICATED VFR CONDITIONS FOR BOTH ARPTS AND THAT THERE WAS SOME SCATTERED CELLS OF MEDIUM INTENSITY IN THE NE VICINITY OF ZZZ1, THAT SHOULDN'T BE A FACTOR FOR THE ETD OF MY FLT. NEVERTHELESS, I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN IN CASE OF NECESSITY FOR THE OCCASION. DURING THE PREFLT OF PIPER NAVAJO, I CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS SOME MORE OF 1/4 OF FUEL IN EACH MAIN TANK WHICH SHOULD ALLOW A 1 HR FLT. AT APPROX XA45 PM I REQUESTED PERMISSION FROM ZZZ1 CLRNC TO PROCEED VFR TO ZZZ FOR WHICH AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS OF PRE-TKOF CHKS AND SOME TWR DELAY, I WAS AUTH TO TAKE OFF FOR MY 5 MINS FLT. AFTER BEING VECTORED AROUND FOR A FEW MINS, I WAS CLRED TO THE ILS RWY 27R APCH AT ZZZ. DURING MY BEFORE TO LAND CHK, I REALIZED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING AN EXTREME LOW FUEL SIT BEING POSITIONED ALMOST ON THE RED LINE INDICATOR. I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE INST APCH HAVING TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH FOR LACK OF VISUAL CONTACT AT DECISION ALT AND NOTIFIED THE ZZZ TWR OF MY INTENTIONS. THE ZZZ TWR GAVE ME FURTHER CLRNC AND AFTER SOME TIME DURING MY CLB AWAY, I ENCOUNTERED A SMALL HOLE IN THE CLOUDS AND RAIN THAT ALLOWED ME TO HAVE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE APCH ENDS OF RWYS 9L AND 12 AT ZZZ. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE ZZZ TWR THAT I WAS LOW ON FUEL AND HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE INDICATED RWYS REQUESTING PERMISSION TO LAND FOR WHICH THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD ONLY GRANT ME PERMISSION TO LAND IF I DECLARED A LOW FUEL EMER. DUE TO PREVIOUS IFR IN IMC CONDITIONS, I RECALLED THAT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THE APCH AGAIN IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL MINS OF A LONG GAR IN ORDER TO BE SEQUENCED TO THE INDICATED APCH AND EVALUATING THE LOW FUEL SIT AND THE INCREASINGLY DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS, IN A DEEP CONSIDERATION OF SAFETY I DECIDED TO DECLARE A LOW FUEL EMER AND BE ABLE TO WRITE THIS MEMO INSTEAD OF PERHAPS BECOME A STATISTIC. I WAS GRANTED PERMISSION TO LAND ON RWY 12 AT ZZZ AND WAS ASKED BY THE CTLR TO REMAIN AT THE EXIT POINT OFF THE RWY FOR EMER PERSONNEL TO CONFIRM THE STATUS OF THE PLANE. AFTER A FEW MINS A SECURITY REPRESENTATIVE ON BOARD THE PLANE CONFIRMED TO THE TWR CTLR OF THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATIONS VIA RADIO, VERIFYING MY PREVIOUS CONCERN. I WAS THEN DIRECTED TO FOLLOW THE SECURITY CAR TO PARKING WHICH WAS THE FINAL DEST AND WAS ALSO REQUESTED TO CALL ZZZ3 APCH OVER THE GND LINE. AFTER SECURING THE PLANE I HAD A 5 MIN CONVERSATION WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ZZZ3 APCH IN WHICH I EXPLAINED THE SIT CONCURRING WITH THE MENTIONED PERSON THAT I HAD TAKEN THE RIGHT DECISION AND THAT SAFETY IS FIRST IN ANY OCCASION.

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.