Narrative:

Reading the WX pack, I noticed a convective SIGMET reporting an area of thunderstorms north of mem at 30 NM northeast dyr moving 200 degrees at 20 KTS. Forecast called for thunderstorms and rain showers and 3 SM visibility in remarks section. (This legally didn't require an alternate, however, I should have called dispatch and asked for one to be added because of the thunderstorms and rain showers.) approaching mem, the radar showed level 4 thunderstorms south of the field. Mem was VFR at the time. I thought the storms would move northeast similar to the area north of mem. (This would have been another opportunity to call dispatch and ask for an alternate airport. This would have provided us with a clear plan based on the remaining fuel as to where to go and at what point.) we were vectored for a visual to runway 17. The aircraft before us had landed visually. At approximately 10 NM out, ATC asked if we had the field in sight. We replied in the negative and were broken off the approach. (Realizing that the visibility was decreasing we should have called dispatch to request a diversionary airport.) we were vectored right back around for localizer 17. There was a saab in front of us that was able to land. We did not have the field in sight at the missed approach and therefore had to execute a go around. I gave the first officer the aircraft and called dispatch. I informed dispatch that there were thunderstorms on the field, we were successful on 2 approachs, we only had 1200 pounds on board and needed an alternate. We were being vectored north by ATC and at that point declared minimum fuel. Also at that time, aircraft were reporting severe windshear on final and started to break off the ILS runway 18C approach. I told dispatch that due to windshear no one was getting into mem now at all. Dispatch told us that our best bet was to hold until the storm passed. Since I didn't have a radar image of the area WX in the region, I was trusting dispatch that there was no legal altitude we could get with the fuel we had on board. The first officer and I were discussing what airports were close. We came up with lit, but it looked to be almost 100 NM away tup was closer but was on the other side of the WX. I also knew there was a military airport north of the city. I tried several more times to talk to dispatch about where we should start heading. I was not getting a response, so I tried an air carrier radio frequency. That did not work either. We were being vectored back to the south by ATC. At that time the radar was showing a break over the field. ATC suggested we do an ILS runway 9. We were already lined up for a base so we decided to do the approach. About that time dispatch finally came back to us with an alternate of lit, but said that there were cells between the airport and us. (Dispatch had difficulty finding an online alternate with the fuel we had available. The computer kept rejecting airports.) (I should have informed ATC that we needed to head to lit at that time.) we continued with the ILS runway 9. We were on the approach and experienced severe windshear inside the marker. I decided to execute a missed approach and we declared a fuel emergency. We advised dispatch that there was 800 pounds on board that we had declared an emergency and were heading to lit. I asked them what the fuel burn would be and also what would be the best altitude. The burn was 358 pounds. A short time later, air carrier told ATC that we might want to consider tup instead of lit. Right after that, dispatch called us back to tell that tup might be a better choice. Having limited WX radar coverage I was thinking that dispatch would have had a comprehensive image of the area. We advised ATC of our change in plans. ATC told us that we would have to deviate 40 NM around the storm to get to tup and that lit was the best shot. We continued on to lit during this discussion. I advised dispatch of the conversation with ATC. He told me there were cells between lit as well 'that it was six of one, half dozen the other.' I felt it would be safe to continue on to lit since we were already established on that course. We landed in lit with a little more than 200 pounds per side.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DECLARES FUEL EMER.

Narrative: READING THE WX PACK, I NOTICED A CONVECTIVE SIGMET RPTING AN AREA OF TSTMS N OF MEM AT 30 NM NE DYR MOVING 200 DEGS AT 20 KTS. FORECAST CALLED FOR TSTMS AND RAIN SHOWERS AND 3 SM VISIBILITY IN REMARKS SECTION. (THIS LEGALLY DIDN'T REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE, HOWEVER, I SHOULD HAVE CALLED DISPATCH AND ASKED FOR ONE TO BE ADDED BECAUSE OF THE TSTMS AND RAIN SHOWERS.) APCHING MEM, THE RADAR SHOWED LEVEL 4 TSTMS S OF THE FIELD. MEM WAS VFR AT THE TIME. I THOUGHT THE STORMS WOULD MOVE NE SIMILAR TO THE AREA N OF MEM. (THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO CALL DISPATCH AND ASK FOR AN ALTERNATE ARPT. THIS WOULD HAVE PROVIDED US WITH A CLR PLAN BASED ON THE REMAINING FUEL AS TO WHERE TO GO AND AT WHAT POINT.) WE WERE VECTORED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 17. THE ACFT BEFORE US HAD LANDED VISUALLY. AT APPROX 10 NM OUT, ATC ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE AND WERE BROKEN OFF THE APCH. (REALIZING THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS DECREASING WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED DISPATCH TO REQUEST A DIVERSIONARY ARPT.) WE WERE VECTORED RIGHT BACK AROUND FOR LOC 17. THERE WAS A SAAB IN FRONT OF US THAT WAS ABLE TO LAND. WE DID NOT HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT AT THE MISSED APCH AND THEREFORE HAD TO EXECUTE A GAR. I GAVE THE FO THE ACFT AND CALLED DISPATCH. I INFORMED DISPATCH THAT THERE WERE TSTMS ON THE FIELD, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL ON 2 APCHS, WE ONLY HAD 1200 LBS ON BOARD AND NEEDED AN ALTERNATE. WE WERE BEING VECTORED N BY ATC AND AT THAT POINT DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL. ALSO AT THAT TIME, ACFT WERE RPTING SEVERE WINDSHEAR ON FINAL AND STARTED TO BREAK OFF THE ILS RWY 18C APCH. I TOLD DISPATCH THAT DUE TO WINDSHEAR NO ONE WAS GETTING INTO MEM NOW AT ALL. DISPATCH TOLD US THAT OUR BEST BET WAS TO HOLD UNTIL THE STORM PASSED. SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE A RADAR IMAGE OF THE AREA WX IN THE REGION, I WAS TRUSTING DISPATCH THAT THERE WAS NO LEGAL ALT WE COULD GET WITH THE FUEL WE HAD ON BOARD. THE FO AND I WERE DISCUSSING WHAT ARPTS WERE CLOSE. WE CAME UP WITH LIT, BUT IT LOOKED TO BE ALMOST 100 NM AWAY TUP WAS CLOSER BUT WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WX. I ALSO KNEW THERE WAS A MIL ARPT N OF THE CITY. I TRIED SEVERAL MORE TIMES TO TALK TO DISPATCH ABOUT WHERE WE SHOULD START HEADING. I WAS NOT GETTING A RESPONSE, SO I TRIED AN ACR RADIO FREQ. THAT DID NOT WORK EITHER. WE WERE BEING VECTORED BACK TO THE S BY ATC. AT THAT TIME THE RADAR WAS SHOWING A BREAK OVER THE FIELD. ATC SUGGESTED WE DO AN ILS RWY 9. WE WERE ALREADY LINED UP FOR A BASE SO WE DECIDED TO DO THE APCH. ABOUT THAT TIME DISPATCH FINALLY CAME BACK TO US WITH AN ALTERNATE OF LIT, BUT SAID THAT THERE WERE CELLS BTWN THE ARPT AND US. (DISPATCH HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING AN ONLINE ALTERNATE WITH THE FUEL WE HAD AVAILABLE. THE COMPUTER KEPT REJECTING ARPTS.) (I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ATC THAT WE NEEDED TO HEAD TO LIT AT THAT TIME.) WE CONTINUED WITH THE ILS RWY 9. WE WERE ON THE APCH AND EXPERIENCED SEVERE WINDSHEAR INSIDE THE MARKER. I DECIDED TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH AND WE DECLARED A FUEL EMER. WE ADVISED DISPATCH THAT THERE WAS 800 LBS ON BOARD THAT WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER AND WERE HDG TO LIT. I ASKED THEM WHAT THE FUEL BURN WOULD BE AND ALSO WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST ALT. THE BURN WAS 358 LBS. A SHORT TIME LATER, ACR TOLD ATC THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER TUP INSTEAD OF LIT. RIGHT AFTER THAT, DISPATCH CALLED US BACK TO TELL THAT TUP MIGHT BE A BETTER CHOICE. HAVING LIMITED WX RADAR COVERAGE I WAS THINKING THAT DISPATCH WOULD HAVE HAD A COMPREHENSIVE IMAGE OF THE AREA. WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR CHANGE IN PLANS. ATC TOLD US THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DEVIATE 40 NM AROUND THE STORM TO GET TO TUP AND THAT LIT WAS THE BEST SHOT. WE CONTINUED ON TO LIT DURING THIS DISCUSSION. I ADVISED DISPATCH OF THE CONVERSATION WITH ATC. HE TOLD ME THERE WERE CELLS BTWN LIT AS WELL 'THAT IT WAS SIX OF ONE, HALF DOZEN THE OTHER.' I FELT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO CONTINUE ON TO LIT SINCE WE WERE ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON THAT COURSE. WE LANDED IN LIT WITH A LITTLE MORE THAN 200 LBS PER SIDE.

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.